by W.J.C. » Thu Jul 24, 2003 11:17 pm
I've noticed a lot of different reasons why parents enroll their kids into my program.
One, of course, is discipline. Some parents find it easier to instill discipline and respect in their children by sending them to me. While I do my best, I lose most of those students because parents then find it difficult to get them to attend classes. Kids don't like it when I don't let them do things that they get away with at home.
Some parents enroll them because their kids are overweight. I've had a lot of success in showing the kids that excercising can be fun.
Some parents enroll them because their kids have very low self esteem.
I have very few students who've enrolled who seem to "just want to fight".
In all, I'd say 60% of my students attend because they're influenced by karate in cartoons, movies, and television shows - - - this of course is different then the ones who just want to learn to hurt people.
20% aren't really interested in karate at all, they are there because their parents wanted to improve their self esteem.
10% are overweight, and enrolled just to lose weight.
5% have severe discipline problems
3% seem to share the same love I have for the study of Uechi-Ryu.
2% are just studying to be better bullys