PARENTS INFORMATION

Mini Martial Arts Information

Growth is an ongoing process and children differ in every stage of their growth. For this reason we have established a program to meet the needs of all children. It includes a variety of activities and experiences that will help young students form a solid foundation on which to build more complex techniques and knowledge.

General Children Characteristics:

• Extremely active and curious, prone to bursts of activity.
   
• Very flexible and resilient both physically and mentally.
   
• Adequate control of major muscle groups.
   
• Searching for limits on behaviour.
   
• Enjoy encouragement and appreciation.
   

Teaching Emphasis:

• Simple, exciting activities followed by periods of rest or slow activities.
   
• Activities that encourage basic physical skills like coordination, balance and following instructions etc.
   
• Skills that develop major muscle groups like: running, jumping, punching, blocking and kicking etc.
   
• Discipline through consistent enforcement of clear simply defined rules, (safety rules) or time outs.
   
• Encourage fun, and edify effort and cooperation more than results.
   

Mini Martial Arts:

is a one-hour class that is split into six ten-minute units of time. Each ten-minute segment incorporates a different activity.

• Warm up, exercise session.
   
• Basic strikes, blocks and kicks (just one or two of the full range at a time)
   
• Self Defense routines, Stranger Danger routines (one or two each week)
   
• Group participation and role-play exercises (hand to eye coordination work)
   
• Non-contact pre-arranged practice fight formats.
   
• Various fun activities and Games (co-ordination, concentration and teamwork)
   

The children only spend a short time on each activity before moving on to the next one. These coupled with a short, high energy burst in between ensures the children never get bored. Their fitness improves dramatically along with their concentration and coordination skills. They are in a safe, well-disciplined environment that teaches them the courtesy and etiquette that is part of the class.

The Zenith Martial Arts Australia

Child Protection Procedures

Introduction

The Zenith Martial Art Australia in accordance with the policies now being implemented and adopted by many groups in the Australia, recognises that child protection should not be treated in isolation - we will take on board guidance given by Local Authorities and Child Protection Agencies and will address recruitment of our instructors and staff by adopting the following policy:

1. We will ensure that all instructors are properly vetted; this procedure may involve a Local Authority and/or Police Check.
    
2. We may ask for the names of two referees who are prepared to provide written references for the instructor. The Zenith Martial Art Australia’s Head Instructor may contact the referees personally.
    
3. All instructors must agree to adhere to the guidelines laid down in the Zenith Martial Art Australia's "Child Protection Procedures" document.

Statement:

Zenith Martial Arts Australia believes that every child, regardless of age, has at all times and in all situations a right to feel safe and protected from any situation or practice that results in a child being physically or psychologically damaged. If we have suspicions about a child’s physical, sexual or emotional well being we will take the appropriate action.

The above statement and the following Instructors Guidelines form The Zenith Martial Arts Child Protection Procedures

Instructor Guidelines:

What is child abuse? Child abuse can take many forms.

Physical Abuse:

• Knowingly or intending to hurt or injure a child.
   
• When the nature and intensity of the training far exceeds the accepted capacity of the child’s immature and growing body.

Neglect:

• Failure to provide an adequate training environment that caters for a child’s basic needs (eg. Lighting, heating and toilet facilities).
   
• Unnecessarily leaving a child unsupervised.
   
• Exposing a child to undue risk of injury.

Sexual Abuse:

• Inappropriate physical contact with a child.

Emotional Abuse:

• Inappropriate shouting at, or verbally abusing a child.
   
• Constantly criticising a child, or creating unrealistic pressure to perform to high expectations.
   
• Where there is neglect, sexual or physical abuse.

Child Protection:

As martial arts Instructors you can reduce situations for abuse of children by adhering to good practice.

It does not make sense to:

• Spend excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others.
   
• Take children alone in a car on journeys, however short.
   
• Take children to your home.

You Should Never:

• Engage in over excessive rough, physical or sexually provocative activities.
   
• Allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form.
   
• Allow children to make sexually suggestive comments to you or others or use inappropriate language.
   
• Make sexually suggestive comments or use inappropriate language to a child.
   
• Let allegations a child makes, go unchallenged or unrecorded.
   
• Do things of a personal nature that children can do for themselves (if a child is young or disabled it may be necessary to assist in such things, but this should be done by a parent or guardian or carer in the first instance or with full parental consent and never alone).
   
• As martial arts Instructors we are also in a position where you may recognise signs of a child being abused outside of your classes. It is your responsibility to act, if you have concerns with regards to the well being of a child.

Signs That May Indicate Abuse Include:

• Unexplained excessive bruising or injuries.
   
• Excessive sexually explicit language or actions.
   
• Sudden excessive or unusual changes in behaviour.
   
• Something a child may say.
   
• Unexplained changes observed over a long period of time (eg. Unusual bad or emotional behaviour, loss of weight, or becoming increasingly dirty or unkempt or a collection of any of the above).

If you have concerns you should Firstly:

1. Report it immediately to the Head Instructor.
    
2. Discuss your concerns with the child’s parents, guardian or carers.
    
3. Contact the police or social services (these services have a duty under the Children’s Act to ensure children are protected and to help those that have been abused).

To Summarise:

Instructors should understand what child abuse is.

Avoid situations for abuse of children by adhering to good practice.

Recognise the signs of a child being abused outside of your classes.

If you have concerns, do something as prescribed above.

Zenith Martial Arts endeavours to look after our children; they are the future of the Martial Arts!