The Junior or Kids Animal Style Kung-Fu consists of Forms and Applications of the Tiger, Crane, Eagle and Dragon. Other training aspects includes initial class warm ups with strengthening and conditioning as well as stretching and cardio building exercises. From time to time we will also show the students how to do some basic meditation to help clear their minds from superfluous thoughts and instil positive emotions and attitudes.

The start and end of a class also includes a formal salutation, this begins the junior students understanding and practice of class room etiquette and morality, Practicing etiquette, instils formalities, listening and better learning skills, and class room moral conduct such as respect, sincerity, accountability, confidence, courage, honesty, humility and co-operation - to work harmoniously with others to mention a few are also strengths and positive outcomes that can build to good character.  Building good character is just as equally important in our school as is developing a students self-defence and combative skills; however we try set strong martial foundations as a primary outcome.

Our Kung-Fu Kids program also helps our juniors to be better prepared and transition easier to our adults kung fu system, this improves their over all kung-fu potential when they transition while enhancing their skills as an adult Kung-fu practitioner.

Apart from the animal styles form and applications training, basic striking, kicking and some grappling basic techniques are also included. The older the students are, the higher the level they will be in, this means the level of skills across all of the training content mentioned above plus more, are increased giving the older students more of a challenge to achieve higher levels.

There are 3 levels of Kids Kung-fu which are linked to 3 age groups, each level has a base coloured sash indicating the level and age group the student is at, Levels 1 is Yellow Sash, Level 2 is Orange Sash and Level 3 is a Green Sash.

The Age Group related to the Levels are:

Level 1 = 4 - 6 yrs old group
Level 2 = 7 - 10 yrs old group
Level 3 = 11 - 14 yrs old group

See our Kids Kung-Fu Curriculum Grading Sash, Tip and Emblem Guide: CLICK HERE

If a junior starts at 4 years old and then they progress through their level, in this case, level 1, it will take them roughly three years before they move to level 2, and then an additional 3 years to progress to level 3 and so on, if they were 5 when they started it would take 2 years before they moved to level 2, on the other hand if they were 12 years old when they started, they would be in level 3 with 2 to 3 years before moving into the Open age group classes.  At 15 years of age, we allow the juniors to join our Open age group classes or the Adult Kung Fu Black Sash curriculum.
The Adult Kung-Fu curriculum is different, however, the training they receive in the kids kung-fu establishes a strong foundation. They are so much further ahead, than an adult beginner who starts with no experience,

The Junior animal style kung fu stems from part of our Adult Curriculum, which teaches the 5 Animal Kung-Fu, Sifu Aldo has drawn from the 5 animal kung-fu to develop the Junior animal style curriculum. This system is unique to AIMA.  Sifu Aldo has chosen 4 animals for our kids to learn the animal style kung fu because of their functionality, poise, strength, particular traits and characteristics.

TIGER:
Powerful and Fast Circular movements, overwhelming it prey and able to lock onto its prey like a constrictor, once it locks on, its extremely hard to get away. The martial ability to seize and control an opponent at will is like no other. A Tigers combative character is fierce and will stop at nothing, once in combat mode it seizes and destroys anything in its path, its movements can rip and pull apart breaking and misplacing joints, its claws are strong and very sharp used to grip or slash, equally matching its powerful jaw and teeth that can crush and tear flesh and bone.  Hence, the seizing and destroying ability of the Tiger. The Tiger is at the top of the food chain and therefore walks with no fear but only full of Courage and Bravery, it is able to continue building power and it portraits the character of a layman that's confident, durable and tough.

CRANE:
Crane is a large Bird which moves lightly and swiftly able to avoid confronting situations, it has incredible, poise and balance, with leverage, long reach and whipping short power with shockwave strikes. Its light movements lend to very gentle and subtle body movements enhancing waves of relaxation through the body, it prefers no contact with an evasive defensive approach to an attack, however, if contact is inevitable, the Crane shakes it body to send a wave like force of power through the opponents contact point creating either a whiplash type of effect in their body or repelling the opponent like water shaken of a dogs back.  It portrays the character of a Nobleman being subtle with sophistication and elegance.

EAGLE:
The Eagle is a combination of two of the 5 base animals, namely Bird and Tiger, and like the large Bird - Crane, the Eagle has also its evasive defensive characteristics, long reach and whipping power, however, its whipping shock power movements are long and not as short as the Crane, due to its seizing ability influenced by its similar Tiger characteristics. The internal movement of energy is lengthened due to the muscular contraction required for seizing. However, the Eagles Bird characteristics coupled with the Tigers powerful, non stopping fierce defensive approach, with circular movements and the ability to catch and seize its prey make the Eagle Claw style a force not to be reckoned with and usually for the Eagle, the seizes happen in one swoop.  It combines the grace and sophistication of the Bird with the the Tiger, demonstrating both the Bird and Tiger traits and characteristics. The Eagle is a Tiger of Bird combination and for the record the Crane is a Deer of Bird combination, the Deer is characterised by its long legs, tall and straight body just to give you an idea of our 5 animal characteristics.  If we look at the different Feline's under the Tiger family, lets say a Cheetah, this Feline would be a Bird or Tiger the complete opposite of the Eagle which is a Tiger of the Bird and so on.  We have many combinations and variations within the animal style kung-fu.

DRAGON:

The dragon on the other hand is a combination of all the five base animals,  it is a mythical animal which is why we can combine all the 5 base animals as one.  It has the magical qualities of the Monkey, the large heavy qualities of the Bear, it can fly like a Bird and has claws and teeth like a Tiger and resembles a Deer with horns or shape of its body.  Obviously these are basic qualities and are not the only traits of the 5 base animal's, we use other practical and effective traits, characteristics and strategies to apply the Dragon form and its applications.  All our animal styles traits, characteristics and strategies are drawn from the 5 Animal Kung-Fu called Wu Hsing-I which translates as 5 Bodies and Mind actually meaning, the 5 Integrated Body Types with the Mind's Idea.  The 5 Base Animals of Wu Hsing-I as you would have guessed by the Dragons combined base animal description are, the Bird, Monkey, Tiger, Bear and Deer.

The Junior Kung-Fu students will learn each of these four animal styles in each age group level through designated patterns of the form and certain applications according to each level.  The higher the level the more complex and more advanced movements and applications will be learnt.