Junior Student’s Corner
by Sifu Charlie Romeo
Fu For You Spring 2026
As you advance in your Kung Fu journey, the time will come to adopt a leadership role within the academy. A great way to do this is through our decades-long tradition of students helping students, called the Leadership Team (LT). This team is composed of knowledgeable, motivated students who commit their personal time to assist with weekly classes. Becoming an LT member is a crucial step towards earning your Black Sash. It’s a requirement for our Adult Brown Sashes, but is open to students starting at Junior Blue Sash. Joining the team comes with great benefits as well as responsibilities.
The Leadership Team provides a great opportunity to gain teaching experience through regularly assisting with classes. This role involves quietly correcting or assisting students individually, leading small groups through specific activities, and eventually, leading a full class through a well-planned warm-up. We don’t expect anyone to lead a full warm-up right off the bat; remember: gaining experience is a process, not an ON / OFF switch, and the skill of teaching must be learned over time. By regularly helping with classes, receiving feedback from Black Sashes, and attending the monthly Leadership Team meeting, you’ll gradually build the confidence and skills needed for Black Sash.
As an LT member, it’s important to know your roles and responsibilities when assisting with a class:
- Follow the instructions of the Black Sash teaching the class. They may give you direct instructions, or you might need to stay alert and watch for details while the instructor is teaching.
- Show up every week, 15 minutes early. If you know you’ll be absent, find coverage immediately. Treat this commitment like a job.
- Be helpful and non-interruptive. Don’t draw the entire class’s attention to you when assisting an individual student.
- Show your experience. Use your knowledge to best help the students. If you’re asked a question and you don’t know the answer, find out and get back to them.
You also have responsibilities beyond your designated class:
- Manage the weight room. Keep volume levels low before class, and ensure nobody is using equipment who is not supposed to.
- Make sure belts and sashes are tied correctly. You should know how to teach sash tying and know how to tie a belt on somebody else.
- Keep the foyer clear. Remind students to neatly put their shoes and coats where they belong (never on the floor!)
- In the winter, shovel the entryway. The walkway in front of our main entrance must be clear, and if it needs to be shoveled, use the shovel in the foyer to clear it.
Black Sashes and Leadership Team members each have designated responsibilities. It’s important that we all do our part to keep the Academy in good and safe order for students and families. Most importantly, we must lead by example. Always be attentive and never be careless. Younger students look up to LT members, so be the role model that they need to succeed.