Copyright 1994, Nebraska Academy of Martial Arts 3600 N. 90th Street Omaha, NE 68124 (402) 571 - 0808
History of the
Junior Black Belt Club
The Junior Black Belt Club (JBBC) was started at the Nebraska Academy of Martial Arts in late 1995, with the main goal of student retention. After teaching at other martial arts schools in the past, I noticed a large fluctuation in the ages of people who were taking Taekwondo. When I began TKD in 1982, TKD was primarily an adult sport/art, with a small portion of the students under the age of 16 years. When I opened the school, more than 80% of the students were under 16, with a large amount being 5 to 10 years old.
Knowing there's not a lot of programs to keep kids active in TKD after earning a black belt, due to the age restrictions on higher degrees and in the instructor programs, I came up with a program to give black belts under the age of 16, something more to do than go to classes and compete in tournaments.
The JBBC has been a club that has developed and changed with the times and demands, keeping junior students active in TKD. I feel it has been a great success, boasting over 25 active black belts - 15 years and younger, at any given time, since the first year it began.
The JBBC does a lot of activities that are not TKD related, such as: skating parties, scavenger hunts, overnight lock-ins, pool parties, bike rides, etc. The club also has it's own activities committee, a demo team and a newsletter done by and for junior black belts. TKD relted activities include a JBBC-only class every Monday night, assistant and junior instructor programs and much more.
The JBBC has been a motivator for many new and advanced students to keep up with their training. They hope to become a member of an "elite" group of kids, who achieve the rank of black belt, younger than most people begin their training.
Ms. Kim Woolery
Activities
Links
