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the morning of the 2009 Mark Larson Seminar.
ways both physical and emotional. River City Aikido prides itself on providing
professional instruction, fostering a class atmosphere of trust and safety, and
keeping high expectations for behavior and social interaction.
Adult supervision is constant and vigilant, and the ratio of children to adults in
the room is typically 6:1, sometimes more if the class is smaller. Class sizes do
not generally exceed 15. We believe that individualized instruction is essential,
and classes of a larger size generally prevent the attention that children need.
Brian Hill is a licensed clinical social worker, and works with children
professionally. Peter Truett, one of the senior students in the dojo is a regular
assistant instructor. During family classes, there are frequently 2-3 parents
training along with their kids. So, a parent can be assured that the child is
being treated with dignity and respect at all times, and that the individual
learning needs of the child are being professionally evaluated and respected.
relationships with family members is essential. Listening to parents expertise about their
children and involving them in their child's training is important for the child to feel
supported.
Brian Hill has pioneered an exciting new method of bringing aikido practice to children with
challenging emotional and behavioral needs. The Therapeutic Martial Arts Program which
was piloted between 2004 and 2006 at the nationally known Virginia Treatment Center for
Children was widely lauded among the children, staff, and parents. Brian looks forward to
bringing the program into the community for children who wouldn't typically fit into regular
martial arts classes. Please see the link above to a more technical description of the
program.
We do expect children to test for promotion to the next color belt, as this fosters goal
setting and an achievement oriented mindset, while also providing challenge and healthy
stress to learn coping in a safe, structured environment. The instructors provide ample
coaching and mentoring to insure readiness and provide success experiences for children.
