*** Before signing up for this class, all students must complete the full white belt program - White Belt Level One, Level Two, and Level Three.***

Hello, karateka (the Japanese word for "karate student")! Congratulations on earning your yellow belt in Karate! You will now be working towards your next belt: Orange Belt. This Yellow Belt Level One course will build upon skills that you learned in the White Belt program, and introduce new techniques, as well as the first half of your next kata: Heian Nidan ("Peaceful Mind Level Two"). As with the previous courses, the final class will be Grading Day, where you will demonstrate everything you've learned, and how hard you've practiced, since the beginning of the course. 

[My teaching style: I will demonstrate each technique slowly first, explaining a couple of key points. I'll count the students through 10 or 20 of each technique slowly, making corrections along the way, and then we'll do another 10 or 20 at about 50% speed, and then the final 10 will be at 100% speed and power, so the students can work up a sweat and show themselves, and me, how hard and fast they can do their moves. Also, in karate, typically when the teacher counts the 10th technique, all the students verbally show their energy and spirit by shouting "Kiai!"  I refer to this as the 20-20-10 counting approach. I like to use lots of positive reinforcement, and to "say a lot with a little" when it comes to explaining the techniques, so we can spend as much time as possible actually training, rather than lecturing.   *** I strive to perform the majority of the techniques with the students, so they can follow along with me, but there will also be times when I will give them a couple of minutes of independent practice time, so that I can give individual feedback.]

Wearing a karate uniform will not be required, but it is encouraged that a white uniform and yellow belt be purchased, available online for very reasonable prices (e.g., approximately $25 for the uniform, or just $6-9 for just a belt), or at a local martial arts supply store. 

Course Outline: (Please note that this is just a basic and malleable outline of each class, and the amount of material covered in each class will depend on how everyone progresses.)

All classes will have the same structure: introductions & expectations; warm-up; basics; main lesson; fun finishing drill; sign-off

Lesson #1: Review of material learned in the white belt program; introduce the opening sequence of Heian Nidan.

Lesson #2: Elbows, elbows, and more elbows! 

Lesson #3: Sparring attacks, blocks, and combos part 1. 

Lesson #4: First half of Heian Nidan, and reverse techniques.

Lesson #5: Turning blocks into strikes; midterm review.

Lesson #6: Self-defense review, and a new one (Jodan #2)

Lesson #7: Kata review; learn back-leg roundhouse kick. 

Lesson #8: Midterm review; breakfalls

Lesson #9: Sparring combos part 2.

Lesson #10: Line drills and basics

Lesson #11: Self-defense drills - learn Chudan #2.

Lesson #12: Kata challenges!

Lesson #13: Kicks, kicks, and more kicks. 

Lesson #14: Partner drills - how to be an attacker for self-defense and sparring

Lesson #15: Curriculum Review and Test Preparation - We will review all of our blocks, strikes, kicks, self-defense techniques, and kata sequences to prepare for the test in class #16.

Lesson #16: Grading Day! Today is the day to show off everything you've learned and show me how hard you've been practicing outside of class time. Every student will be assessed on everything that has been taught throughout the course, but there will be no formal report cards given until then end of Level Three when they test for Orange Belt.