Should we grade more often?
Grading only three times a year in March, June and November means some of the more advanced kids are getting bored between belts. Should we grade more often - or just give an extra grading to those kids during a lesson?
We could grade five times a year - perhaps Feb, April, June, October, December (missing out the summer holidays). It's more time and trouble of course, and takes up another two training days if we do it on a Friday. Each grading would be smaller so it wouldn't be such a rush to fit everyone in.
I wouldn't expect everyone to grade every time, just the more advanced ones on the lower grades. We don't want 13 year old Junior Black Belts.
At the moment it's quite an event, would doing it more often water it down a bit?
Our training might have to change a bit - it might make it too grade oriented with the next belt always on the horizon. There would be less time to spend a couple of sessions just doing non-grading techniques.
What does anyone think?
Grading more often
Gradings should be kept as they are, I think the kids get bored with doing Sylabus all the time for gradings!
I would like to see more focus on Competitions and randori as we have a large quantity of graded students and kids that do not know how to throw an active opponent.
This in itself can add some excitement to their lives! many kids at other Judo and Jujitsu clubs are kicking our butt because of this, and I would like to improve it.
Regards
Lee D.