Parent’s Corner
by Sije Veronica Sas
Fu For You Spring 2026
Waterloo Kung Fu Academy now has a new version of the Student Handbook for sale in the office. If your child has been at the Academy for a few years, you might already have an older, still usable copy. However, if your child is newer to the school, I recommend getting a copy. If you train at the Academy with your child, it is advisable to get two separate Handbooks as the included information is different between the Youth/Junior and Adult Handbooks. If you have the Handbook, hopefully you have gone through it with your child. If you have not, I thought I would highlight some of the information it contains that is important for parents.
One of the important sections for parents is the Rules and Etiquette. This section explains some of the procedures at WKFA This section talks about arriving for class early, how there is a ‘push up penalty’ for being late and that if class has already started, your child would need to wait in a closed stance by the entrance to the Kwoon until invited in. It also explains where to store all your child’s belongings before class. This section also goes over some safety points, such as how nails should be trimmed and there should be no jewellery or watches worn while training. There is also a section that specifically talks about sparring at the Academy. If you have any reservation about that part of your child’s training, I recommend reading it fully and asking any questions you might have.
In addition to Kung Fu Classes, WKFA also has different groups that run throughout the year. The Handbook has detailed information about the Leadership Team, which are the higher-ranking students that help with classes, Competition Team, where students will train over the course of months to compete at different tournaments and the Demonstration Team, who perform in front of audiences to showcase what our academy does. The Handbook also has information about our Lion Dance Team, March Break and Summer Camps and the Board Breaking Seminar that is held once a year in June.
For your child, the Youth/Student Handbook contains all the requirements of both the Youth and Junior Programs. This is different from the Adult Handbook, where adult students will only receive their new requirements as they progress in rank. If your child is thinking about grading, they will need to know and be able to execute all their requirements at their level. Knowing what these requirements are is the easiest way to do this. If your child is unsure of any of the requirements, they can ask an instructor. In addition to knowing the requirements for their current level, Youth and Junior students do have the opportunity to look ahead to what the higher ranks are learning. Perhaps it will motivate them to keep improving just so they can learn that new skill!