AMERICAN MARTIAL ARTS INSTITUTE Current Students Call: 315-768-1859
RED TOP PROGRAM
JUNIOR RANK BLACK BELT CLASS ASSISTANTS
What is the Red Top Program?
(Junior Rank Black Belt Class Assistants)
Instructors: all American Martial Arts Institute classes are taught by certified, adult black belt instructors. They are 18 years of age or older, and they attend staff meetings plus instructional seminars each year to maintain this certification. Instructors wear black uniform tops.
Red Tops are under 18 years of age; therefore, they cannot teach. At this stage of life, they have not taken on the responsibilities that most adults have. The maturity of their personality, which is essential in the true understanding and teaching of the art, has not yet taken place.
With this in mind, our school has the Red Top Program, also known as the Junior Rank Black Belt Class Assistants. These black belts assist certified instructors in non-instructional ways.
What do Red Tops Do?
When they are attending as students, they wear their normal white top and are asked to do nothing more than any other student.
The Red Tops serve the needs of the school.
Partners. When assisting as a Red Top, they may be partners for students or instructors. This is very helpful because our instructors do not touch to teach. Instructors to don't partner with students for self-defense practice or sparring. They do not correct techniques through physical contact. Instead, demonstration, verbalization, and other instructional skills are used. However, instructors will demonstrate on one another. Red tops can be used as demonstration partners.
Stretching and non-instructional commands. Under the supervision of an instructor, a red top may call of class commands for student repetition. This includes stretching, push-ups, or basic forms (pre-chosen by the instructor). They may be assigned to watch a student's form as the student practices to make sure that they do not leave out a part, but they are to get a black belt instructor if they see that a mistake has been made.
Red Tops to learn how to represent the school with the community in various ways. They answer the phone and become familiar with the general paperwork. They represent the school at demonstrations and talks by answering questions curious spectators regarding the the school, style, and our history. They assist the instructors in the general clean up of the training hall after the day's classes.
Additional Events. Red tops help at most school events including testings, demonstrations, the fun shop, community programs, and more.
Who can be a Red Top?
The program is designed to allow this junior rank black belt who has been a student for the school for over 6 years, and who has a desire to someday be able to join the staff and teach this style, to see first hand the methods and details involved in passing on an art to other individuals that are physically, mentally and emotionally different than themselves. How in effect does the style adapt to each individual and still keep its form and standards?
Much of this program is documented in the book Leadership Piece by Piece by Grandmaster Crandall and Headmaster Stalloch. To become a part of this program, the black belt teenager must go to their instructor and indicate their interest. They are told some of the responsibilities that go with being a part of the program.
Then they write a letter to Grandmaster Crandall explaining their desire to do be a red top, why they believe they will be able to help the students and school, and what they believe they will gain from being in the program.
Normally, a three to four month passes as their request is considered and they are observed in class, as well as how they are doing in school before a decision is made.
There is not an additional fee to be in this program, although a great deal of one-on-one time is spent with these students in teaching and working with them. This program does not change their status as students in the school, nor their rank in anyway. Participants are teenagers under the age of 18.
Once 18, the individual has the option to consider going into the regular black top staff program. If they chose to, and evaluation period takes place again for this level of teaching. Additional guidelines and details can be found in Leadership Piece by Piece.
CURRENT, ACTIVELY SERVING RED TOPS:
Josey Bauer