The most important thing to the Wolf Band when it comes to our youth (tiny tots & cubs of all ages, self-esteem, self-worth, focus & attention, and physical and mental development.
Wolf Band Cub Basic
Kids six, seven and eight years old are the most enthusiastic students. They love creativity and problem solving, which makes them ideal students in the Martial Arts. They are so progressive in following tasks, some teachers tend to treat them like their older peers. However, they do not have the basic skills necessary to keep up with children ages 9 and up. Wolf Band Cubs® targets this stage of development by providing them with their own program that adapts to their social and intellectual curiosity. At the same time, they are building skills that set them up for success.
Martial arts is one of the most challenging and rewarding sports there is. Training requires a serious amount of focus and athleticism that will not only make a better martial artist, but a better overall athlete. The passive skills such as endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance cross over to almost every sport. The mental discipline will help out in sports, school, and everything in between.
Physical Development
Ninja Kids work on combining several gross motor activities into their movements while maintaining good balance and posture. Combining Motor Skills – Multitasking – Full Coordination.
Social Development
Martial Arts training in general helps participants develop social skills by working together. Ninja Kids Martial Arts helps kids respect each other as well as their instructors. A large part of the trainings focuses on team work. Team Work – Respect & Discipline – Self Regulation.
Cognitive Development
Problem solving as well as visual and auditory processing are essential skills that Ninja Kids work on. Learning how to separate thought from movement assists Ninja Kids into adding flow into their movements. Problem Solving – Fluid Movements – Multi-step Directions.
Wolf Band Cub Core
Kids nine to ten-years old are what most people consider “the golden age.” They are proficient in their vocabulary and problem-solving skills, yet they are not at the age where they want complete independence from adults. This makes the teacher-student relationship stronger than ever. They still develop core skills, and although they are highly intelligent, they struggle to keep up with students ages 11 and up. Wolf Band Cubs® provide them with their own program that targets their stage of development in a manner that adapts to their adventurous attitude and youthful nature. At the same time the kids build skills that set them up for success.
Physical Development
Ninja Kids work individually as well as together to learn essential martial arts skills and self defence. The activities focus on conditioning of the body and the mind. Body Conditioning – Essential Self Defence – Focus on Details.
Social Development
Martial Arts training in general helps participants develop social skills by working together. Ninja Kids Martial Arts helps kids respect each other as well as their instructors. Part of the training focuses on helping each other. Team Work – Respect & Discipline – Self Regulation.
Cognitive Development
Learning martial arts involves developing muscle memory, combined with the proper distancing, speed, power, and flow. For that, the mind needs to be fully focused. Problem Solving – Fluid Movements – Multi-step Directions.
Wolf Band Cub Warrior
With the emphasis on essential martial arts and self defense, members in this group train hard. They learn often quite challenging skills, which require focus on details,as well as continued practice outside the training. Kids in this group can earn formal belt ranking depending on their skill progression. When it is time to learn basic weapon skills, each participant is required to watch for safety of self and others before more difficult techniques are taught. Members who are 12 years old also start to practice skills in preparation to transition to the adult program around age 14.
It is similar to the program that we teach to adults, including but not limited to including, locks, throws, pins, escapes, kicks, punches, and body movement in general, however some more dangerous techniques are not included in the Warrior Cub programs.
Physical Development
The Warrior Cub program teaches traditional Japanese Jujutsu. Besides being fantastic for self-defence, it teaches kids hand-eye-feet coordination, body movement, problem-solving, as well as general physical conditioning and emotional development.
Social Development
Since most of our hands on training is done in pairs, some of our adult members train at the same time. They are there to help the Ninja Teens where needed as well. This creates a sense of belonging, and can develop fantastic mentorship opportunities as well!
Cognitive Development
All Warrior Cubs of the Wolf Band start with 60 basic techniques. These techniques cover a variety of different skills against different types of grabs, strikes, and holds. After these 60 techniques, participants advanced to more difficult skills, taught in “kata” form.