This document will act as a guide for you throughout your kung-fu journey, helping you to grow and develop as a martial artist. Specifically, this curriculum serves to inform students and instructors of the required expectations for testing (grading) at each belt level.
Kung-Fu for Christ’s curriculum includes several components. This includes:
- Physical development (e.g., kung-fu techniques)
- Faith development (e.g., learning Bible verses)
- Character development (e.g., learning and applying values such as respect)
Our teaching philosophy
Our mission at Kung-fu for Christ is to develop people holistically by facilitating physical, spiritual and character growth. In our kung-fu training, we measure our students’ success not by how quickly they advance, but by how deeply they grow. Belts are important milestones that allow us to measure students’ progress and celebrate achievements, but they are not the end goal to which we teach. We instruct with an aim to master the techniques and emphasize personal effort and improvement, knowing that the belts will naturally follow.
As a Christian ministry, we support our students to grow in their faith, and develop good habits and character traits that will serve them in all aspects of their lives. We help students to memorize Bible verses by practicing them each class, preparing them to wield the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) in challenging times. We mentor students as they practice character traits such as discipline, self-control, confidence, perseverance, and humility developed through their kung-fu training. At Kung-fu for Christ, we value understanding, mastery and lifelong growth and learning, equipping students with the skills they need to be successful in life.
Physical Curricular Components
Our mission at Kung-fu for Christ is to develop people holistically by facilitating physical, spiritual and character growth. In our kung-fu training, we measure our students’ success not by how quickly they advance, but by how deeply they grow. Belts are important milestones that allow us to measure students’ progress and celebrate achievements, but they are not the end goal that we to which we teach. We instruct with an aim to master the techniques and emphasize personal effort and improvement, trusting that the belts will naturally follow.
As a Christian ministry, we support our students to grow in their faith and develop good habits and character traits that will serve them in all aspects of their lives. We help students to memorize Bible verses by practicing them each class, preparing them to wield the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) in challenging times. We also mentor students as they practice discipline, self-control, confidence, perseverance, and humility through their kung-fu training. At Kung-fu for Christ, we value understanding, mastery and lifelong growth and learning, equipping students with the skills they need to be successful in life.
The curriculum for each rank comprises a variety of kung-fu components. These include:
- Fitness: Examples include push-up and sit-up requirements, physical strength, and endurance
- Techniques: Examples include blocks, strikes, kicks, stances, and combinations of techniques
- Partner drills: Sparring, working with focus mitts and kick shields
- Forms
- Self-defence techniques
- For higher ranks, throws and grappling techniques
- For higher ranks, techniques with weapons and proficiency in weapons handling
To be eligible to grade for a specific belt, students must be able to perform all techniques listed for their rank as well as demonstrate proficiency in all previous, lower ranked curriculum (e.g., fitness, techniques, forms, etc.). Students will not be invited to a grading on the sole basis of knowing their form – this is only one component of many. Also, please note that this curriculum is not an exhaustive list of all techniques practiced in our discipline. The techniques included represent the minimum requirements to progress to the next rank.
Faith Curricular Components
Students must also memorize the Bible verse listed for each rank and are expected to have an understanding of its meaning. Similar to the forms in the kung-fu portion, students are expected to remember all of the verses for previous ranks, as well as the one for their next rank. Just like we don’t forget a form after being tested on it, we don’t want to forget our memory verses. These verses can provide us with encouragement, support and instruction in challenging times.
Character Curricular Components
Students must additionally learn about and demonstrate specific virtues for each rank. They should be able to explain what the virtue means and provide examples of how they have used that virtue, both in their kung-fu training and their daily lives. In addition to the rank virtues, students are to practice all of the virtues detailed in the subsection below. These practices all contribute to character development, making a good martial artist and equipping participants with transferable skills, habits and virtues that will benefit them in their personal, academic and professional careers.
Kung-Fu Assessment (Grading) Expectations
Advancement in kung-fu is about more than just physical skill. Simply demonstrating mastery of the kung-fu techniques is not sufficient to be promoted to the next belt. Rank represents character, discipline, attitude, effort, and personal growth.
General expectations for all students
Students are expected to consistently demonstrate all of the following qualities in order to be considered for promotion.
Attendance and commitment
Consistent attendance demonstrates dedication, discipline, and respect for their training, their classmates, and their instructors. It supports improvement, as it is very difficult to learn, progress, and demonstrate growth and improvement when there are excessive absences. Students are expected to:
- Attend classes regularly. To ensure student safety and proper skill development, a minimum attendance record (e.g., 75% of scheduled classes) is required for a student to be eligible to test for their next belt rank.
- Show commitment to long-term growth.
- Participate fully and to the best of their ability during class.
- Demonstrate consistent effort and steady improvement.
- Practice routinely outside of class.
- Avoid causing unnecessary disruptions before, during, and after class.
Belts will not be awarded to those who are frequently absent without a communicated and appropriate rationale.
Punctuality
Being punctual reflects responsibility, respect for instructors and classmates, and helps develop life skills like time management. It also ensures that students have time before class to sign in, use the washroom, and connect with friends. Students are expected to:
- Arrive on time (which means 15 minutes before the start of class) and ready to train
- Enter class prepared (e.g., with full uniform, belt tied correctly, etc.) and focused
- Inform instructors in advance if they will be late or absent
Class will begin with a warm up and stretching period to ensure students are prepared to train safely. Students must have arrived before the start of the warm up to participate in class, otherwise their safety will be compromised.
Respect and etiquette
Martial arts etiquette reflects self-discipline, maturity, and character. During class and outside of the club, students are expected to:
- Treat all instructors, classmates, guests, and parents with respect
- Honour the feedback and teaching offered by instructors
- Follow club rules and instructor directions
- Listen attentively when others are speaking
- Show good sportsmanship towards others and encourage their teammates
- Respect the training space and equipment
- Demonstrate humility and self-control
- Use appropriate language and behaviour
Attitude, character, and work ethic
A strong martial artist develops in their attitude, virtues, character, and ethic. Kung-fu is meant to equip students for success in their martial arts training as well as academic studies, work, home, and life. To facilitate this, students are expected to demonstrate:
- A positive attitude
- A willingness to learn
- Integrity (practicing their best even when no one is watching)
- Courage
- Patience and perseverance, especially during challenges
Effort and work ethic
Personal improvement and effort are valued more than belts or other sources of external validation. Students are expected to:
- Give their best effort during training
- Accept corrections respectfully
- Continue trying even when training is difficult
- Demonstrate self-motivation
Safety
Safety is necessary for martial arts. To promote safety, students are expected to:
- Listen to their instructors who will teach them how to train safely
- Follow instructions for training safely and responsibly
- Demonstrate self-control by controlling their techniques, strength, and emotions
- Avoid aggressive behavior
- Use martial arts skills responsibly inside and outside the club
- Help create a safe training environment for everyone
Uniform and presentation
Professional presentation demonstrates preparedness, respect for self and others, and discipline. Students are expected to:
- Wear a clean and complete uniform (e.g., pants, gi jacket, belt, black shirt underneath their gi jacket)
- Remove jewelry or other personal belongings before training
- Keep finger and toe nails short
- Tie long hair back
- Keep equipment organized, accessible, and in good condition
Leadership and community
As students progress in martial arts, they also learn how to become leaders and role models at the club and in their school, workplace, family, and other spaces. Higher-ranking students are expected to:
- Help newer students respectfully
- Demonstrate maturity and responsibility
- Encourage teamwork
- Represent the club positively in the community
- Volunteer and contribute when possible
- Lead by example
Grading Considerations
Time alone does not guarantee promotion. Advancement is earned through consistent attendance, learning and growth, demonstrated readiness, and character development. Promotion is based on consistent demonstration of:
- Consistent attendance and punctuality
- Commitment to training
- Good presentation
- Respect and etiquette
- Character development
- Effort, attitude, and work ethic
- Responsibility and maturity
- Safety
- Leadership and personal growth
- Readiness for increased responsibility
Club Ranking System
The hierarchy of belts below shows the ranking system used at our club. In some cases, most often with higher ranks or new students who have previous martial arts experience, students may skip the half belts. When this happens, the student is expected to have learned all of the requirements for each belt level, both the stripe and the full belt they are testing for.
White belt
Yellow stripe
Yellow belt
Orange stripe
Orange belt
Green stripe
Green belt
Blue stripe
Blue belt
Brown stripe
Brown belt
Black belt
An instructor who has not yet achieved their black belt is addressed by the title “Laoshi”, meaning “Wise Teacher”. A student who has achieved their brown belt is traditionally recognized with the title “Sije” (“elder sister”) for a female and “Sihing” (“elder brother”) for a male. A martial artist who has earned their black belt is awarded the title “Sifu” meaning “Expert Teacher”. After attaining a black belt, there is the possibility for further progression by obtaining degrees (e.g., second degree black belt, third degree black belt…).
