Juniors Kenpo (8-10 yrs)

As a full-time martial arts school, all juniors have three classes per week available. Even though the staff at PKA Karate recommends one to two classes per week, with the busy family schedules of today, offering three weekly options is the best guarantee of achieving this goal.

Each class is broken down specifically based on training drills and material which is needed to be taught for that day. Classes consist of basic fundamentals such as: stances, kicks, punches, movements drills, self-defense, combinations, pad drills, forms, and hands-on sparring.

Emphasis is placed on safety, fun and learning at all times!

All students have a bound syllabus for rank testing. (and a DVD video) This syllabus is reviewed weekly and along with the student’s personal notebook, guides both the staff and student in advancement and proper progression for testing.

PKA Karate Academy has always been known for its cutting-edge hands-on street training consisting of contact drills and sparring. Sparring is done on a continuous contact basis with emphasis on safety. All children must wear full protective gear including: mouthpieces, gloves, boots, cup/supporters/ Shin and instep pads are also available for the children and there is no head contact permitted.

The staff always promotes the family unit with respect in school and at home. Report cards are brought in and reviewed regularly with children and families soon learn that they can lean on the PKA staff for any help or issues outside the Academy as well.

Although discipline is developed and strictly enforced in all classes, children also realize that there are certain times in class for conditioning through fun and games as well. All classes are taught with enthusiasm and positive reinforcement, treating all children as individuals and meeting them each at their own levels.

All students progress at their own speed and level. Students are not required to test until the instructors are confident with all the information that needs to be demonstrated prior to the test. Students are then signed off on for the test. The school is closed on the last Thursday of each month for testing. There are NO GROUP CLASSES on testing days.

PKA Karate Academy is proud to teach age specific, goal oriented, results driven classes.

THE PROOF IS IN OUR PRODUCT!

Kidz Zone (3 & 4 yr olds)

This psychologist recommended, tested and approved program is very specifically designed for the three and four year old. It is the perfect “Pre-Kenpo” program and the only one like it being utilized in the Southwestern Pennsylvania area, let alone in the Pittsburgh demographic. PKA Karate Academy in Pittsburgh was honored and proud to be able to bring this international program to the area in October 2010.

This safe, fun and dynamic training syllabus is very specific and adheres to the exact training guidelines that PKA Karate has always followed as an age specific, goal oriented, results driven martial arts academy.

When teaching children at any age, especially 3 & 4, instructors must be trained themselves and continually taught the different stages of development that a child goes through in order to translate these stages properly into their training ON THE MAT. Instructors at PKA Karate go away on a regular basis for a week at a time to continue their education for THIS specific program. Most schools today simply take a family’s money and will throw a new child onto the mat along with other children. They don’t know how to properly evaluate individual children or students so they can be worked with on an individual basis. Worse yet, some schools still will not even let parents participate by watching the class that they are paying to have their child take part. And even worse, not only are others NOT trained in how to work with the different ages properly, (they will put all age groups together ie…3 through 9 year olds in the same class) some have eleven and twelve year olds running classes by themselves. Kids teaching kids at such a very early age is not something that most are looking for especially when a twelve year old is still developing.

When shopping around for a martial arts school be sure to ask these questions:

Our Kidz Zone program begins the student’s adventure in Kenpo by seriously breaking down the four most critical areas in the life of a child:

The Kidz Zone leads our students right into our Little Dragon’s Kenpo Program

Little Dragons (5-7 yrs)

These classes are specifically designed for our next group of students. A Little Dragon is 5, 6 or 7 years old and these upcoming leaders have weekly classes that are 30-minutes in length.

Like our older children’s classes, our Little Dragon class is broken down based on training drills or material needed to be learned for that day. Classes consist of basic fundamentals such as: stances, kicks, punches, movement drills, self-defense, combinations, pad drills, forms, and hands-on sparring.

Focus in on safety, fun then learning at all times!

Although, at this age, more time is spent with basic strengthening, coordination, balance, eye contact and movement. There is also a very strong discipine element at this age with a major emphasis placed on respect and the family unit. The main result being CONFIDENCE!

All students have a “refridgerator sheet” for rank testing. Which they review each class and have hanging at home to continually monitor their progress. All classess are taught with enthusiasm and positive reinforcement, treating all children as individuals and meeting them each at their own levels.

The classes are very high speed and in a 30-minute class, we can often get through two hours worth of drills. This is one of the main reasons why we have a pre-evaulation system at PKA Karate Academy.

Students progress at their own speed and level. Students that are ready to test may do so upon approval from an instructor on the last Thursday of the month. The school is closed on these testing days.

The required training syllabus for the Little Dragons is broken down in a very easy to learn and retain manner, this is Kenpo. There is also a LOT of fun to be had in our Little Dragon program.

This class has a beginner and advanced group based on rank. Upon achievement of purple belt, the student graduates to the advanced class.

Regardless of age breakdown or class program, the PKA Karate Academy curriculum is PROVEN and produces RESULTS!