The Three Year
Black Belt Course
A closer look at what your child will be learning on their journey to Black Belt.<\/p>
Children follow exactly the same three-year Black Belt structure as our adult students, the same levels, the same modules, the same belts, just paced and coached for a younger age group. Nothing is watered down or made up as a junior version; it’s the same rigorous curriculum, taught by professionally qualified instructors with a combined 75 years of experience teaching adults and children.
The only significant difference between the adult and junior classes is that the children only start training with weapons after black belt. To learn how to strike properly one must actually strike. The children will be striking pads, boards and the instructors in armour, but never each other as it isn’t helpful for them to be in the habit of hitting other children.
Foundation builds the raw physical coordination, all the foundational kicks & blocks etc and the habit of turning up every week. Intermediate adds many more strikes, less inuitive subtle defences and multiple fast combinations while also developing the beginnings of self-control under pressure. Advanced introduces the elemental strategic thinking that carries a student all the way to Black Belt and, just as importantly, into better-focused, more confident young people well beyond the training studio.
Foundation Level —
First 6 Months
Every child starts here, whatever their age or prior experience. Three 8-week modules, each ending with the opportunity to grade for the next belt:
- Momentum (White belt, 8 weeks): Learning to move with intent instead of just energy and just as importantly, building the habit of turning up every week. The first module is always the hardest to start; after that, momentum starts carrying the training itself.
- Inertia (Yellow belt, 8 weeks): Linking movements together smoothly instead of stopping and resetting between each one; the difference between a stiff, hesitant child and one who moves with real coordination.
- Fluidity (Orange belt, 8 weeks): Softening everything built so far so that speed and strength move through the body instead of fighting against it. By the end of Foundation, most children are noticeably more coordinated, more confident, and visibly proud of the three belts they’ve earned.
Intermediate Level —
Next 10 Months
Once all three Foundation belts are earned, training steps up — five modules over 10 months, each still 8 weeks, each building new skills:
- Practicality: Rapid kick combinations and mid-level combat techniques that actually work against resistance, not just in the air.
- Structure: More complex striking technique and how to apply them. The mechanics that let a smaller child generate real, controlled power.
- Economy of Motion: Beginning to understand the subtler principles underpinning Tao Te Kung Fu; doing more with less wasted movement.
- Attitude: Increasingly complex and enhanced physical coordination practice, alongside life-attitude-enhancing directed meditation.
- Personal Development: Consolidating the physical and mental skills built so far into habits; focus, patience, self-control — that carry over well beyond the training hall.
Advanced Level —
Next 20 Months
The final and longest stretch, five 16-week modules (20 months in total) is built around the five classical elemental strategies of Tao Te Kung Fu. This is where a young student starts learning to deal with a genuinely skilled opponent, developing sophisticated, tactical strike combinations and a more complex understanding of their own psychological framework.
- Water: Yielding, adaptable, formless until it meets resistance.
- Fire: Rapid, explosive, decisive commitment at the right moment.
- Metal: Sharp, precise, cutting straight to the point with minimal wasted motion.
- Wood: Flexible under load and resilient bending without breaking and responding with released tension..
- Stone: Grounded, immovable, patient but resolute in attack
Once all five elements are earned, a student is awarded their Black Belt and the opportunity to join the Masters’ Class, where each further milestone rank is celebrated with an animal rank. The Masters’ sylabus is 8 years and will invariable see child move into the adult class during their training.
A Sample Module, Paak Sao, Palm Strike & Round Kick
Here’s what one real 8-week Foundation module looks like in practice.
- Week 1 — Fundamentals & form (1st half): Learning how to use and apply the Paak Sao (a slapping deflection with the forearm) and the palm strike.
- Week 2 — Fundamentals & form (2nd half): Introducing the round kick, and how its balance of speed and power depends on the kicking and standing leg working together.
- Week 3 — Stepping, balance & kick precision: Stance with parallel feet at shoulder width, weight on the balls of the feet. Stepping with both feet leading with the one in the direction of travel.
- Week 4 — Block & strike precision: Blocking with a verticle forearm, just enough to redirect the strike. Angling the standing foot before the kick, and retracting immediately after impact.
- Week 5 — Fluidity & economy of motion: Understanding the Yin/Yang relationship between the striking and guarding hand.
- Week 6 — Transition and speed: Turning an opponent’s hard power against them with soft, fluid movement.
- Week 7 — Full body power generation: Linking everything together using body/hip rotation rather than arm or leg strength alone.
- Week 8 — Grading preparation: Pulling the whole eight weeks together for grading.
