Kids martial arts class ideas!

Luther unleashed · Brown Belt

So I thought it would be fun to have a thread where instructors can bounce ideas off of each other to possibly implement in class. I am always looking for ways to make training fun for the kids. Not because I want to create a place that's all silly instead of disciplined, but because it not only keep some training but it also makes learning easier for kids when it's fun.

Here is an excersise we did the oter day. We always do a 10 minute workout before class, and instead of just doing a plank and holding it, I gave the students a challenge to drop their partner was still staying up. It keeps the excersise challenging, interesting, competitive and interactive all in a few minutes of class.
https://youtu.be/YsJsYhQ0phM

What do you guys think, and what do you guys do for kids classes that keep learning fun? The class I struggle more with is the four and five-year-old class which I just started teaching this month. Dying to hear what other people do.
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bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

That looks like a fun drill, and they really seemed to be enjoying it. Kids love to play, and they learn though play, so the best mode of teaching is to teach through play. But its a fine line to walk in getting the kids to play in a controlled, constructive manner, or collapsing into a goof-off session.

This week, I worked with our 4-7 year olds on balance, and I used it as an opportunity to teach a jump front snap kick. One drill I would have them step their back leg up to the front, then chamber the front leg and hold it, before kicking. Then I worked up to them standing with one leg knee up for chamber, then have them jump and switch their feet. From there, it was simple to add in the kick with the jump switch portion of the drill.
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Lupin1 · Black Belt

We don't do too many games, but the class before holidays or school vacations we like to do relay races where they have to race down to kick or punch bags or pads a certain number of times before running back.

Before class one day the kids were getting crazy playing tag, so we had them do "kata tag" where if you got tagged you had to do the white belt kata to get unfrozen. I was also thinking it could be substituted with bombardment (get hit by a ball, stop and do a kata) or with kihon (do ten front kicks and ten roundhouse kicks to get unfrozen).

Luther unleashed · Brown Belt

I don't know how you guys do the multiple quotes and one reply, anyways Bushido_Man you are right that there is a thin line between having some fun and having a goof off session, if you watch the video though which you stated you did, and you will notice my interaction with the students. I am not yelling at them however my voice is not quiet, I am very much motivating and controlling the situation so even when I see a student not working hard I tell them to keep working. This is to me, and effective way to make sure it does not cross this line of goofing off. It is for the instructor to control the environment.

Lupin1, I really like the idea about tagging each other and then having to do the form, I might give this one a shot. If I do it I will try to post a video of it because I think it's cool to see how easy we can influence A person's class potentially across the globe. I did another drill that is similar, I had the kids do rock paper scissors in the loser had to run down and perform different striking combinations and what not. Overall it went pretty well.

The greatest challenge for me is been to consistently make class fun while maintaining that balance of effective learning and discipline and of course controlling the class environment. When I was starting out six months ago a friend of mine who cared nothing about karate said to me that my advantage over other places will be to try to be more fun than them, because if the kids loved it and the parents are likely to keep them going. Still a work in progress haha
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Luther unleashed · Brown Belt

I'm a little surprised this particular topic didn't get much attention. I suppose I'm curious why? Typically it seems to be that karate In particular is very reliant on kids classes to keep studios up and running. The thriving MMA is all the race in young adults these days, and karate is not as popular. With the kids however, karate really struts it's stuff, with all of the mental aspects and character development.

Anyways, tried a few things that my kids seem to enjoy. I used a chair for them to sit on. A partner sat behind them with a focus MIT and the person in the chair had to stand and quickly turn behind them for a spinning outside crescent kick. I did this with the advanced class ages 8 to 12, most students are around 9 or 10 though. Just sharing my success story lol
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JR 137 · Black Belt

The younger they are, the more competitive they get. They want to be first and please the person in charge, be it a coach, teacher, sensei, etc.

Kumite usually has the same kids "winning" most times, so they can get bored with that. Do things that level the playing field a bit - capture the flag (strips of cloth on the back of their belts); making a circle with the instructor standing in the middle holding a focus mit or bag and seeing who can react the quickest by holding it out in front of different students at random and have the hit the bag using different strikes; relay races where they go down the floor throwing different techniques, and so on.

Technique can get a bit sloppy when they're racing, so the instructor really needs to keep an eye on it. When stuff gets too sloppy, make them start over. They'll have to do it correctly and fast if they want to win, and they threw as many, if not more of the technique that they would have had you do a "boring" line drill where they throw a front kick every time you count, then turn and do it all over again.

Dodgeball is a great activity. Limit the steps they can take with the ball and use nerf balls or gator skin balls.

The key to any elimination game is to give them a way to get back in. Standing around and waiting has an multitude of bad consequences and no good ones.

Make sure you're giving positive feedback that's specific. "Good job" is not enough. What was good? "Excellent power in your kicks" isn't specific enough. How did they generate that power? "Your roundhouse kick was so strong because you pivoted your plant foot" is way more effective. "Great job punching all the way through the pad instead of just punching the surface" is far better than "that was a great punch." When they know specifically what they did right, they'll keep doing it in an attempt to get your praise again.

When correcting technique, instead of telling them what they did wrong, tell them "you can make your punch even better by..." In this instance they got praised and got instructed on how to improve, even if they didn't do much right.

Kids want to be praised and they want to please the instructor. It's amazing what a change in the verbiage can do; they don't see the world like we do.

Sorry, my physical education training is talking right now.

Luther unleashed · Brown Belt

sensei8 · KF Sensei

Looks great, and fun; it challenges them. If students can't be challenged, then they'll seek out those who can effectively challenge them...kids included, and the more so!!

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Luther unleashed · Brown Belt

So JR137, I thought it would be cool to share this with you. I liked the dodge ball thing but I also really liked the part about giving them a way back in becasue them a standing around is not conducive to fun, not an exact quote of course, so I tried this last night. The goal was to not get hit, if they got hit they had to perform their highest form (kata/hyung/poomse) to get back into the game. It left for a lot if rushing and sort of sloppy forms but I felt it was a fun way to practice and spice up class. Also, they gotbto practice with a different type of pressure, I had a lot of fun too of course as my arm was doing the throwing of course haha. I felt like it may not be the best for the beginner class so I tried it out in the intermediate class, good stuff.thanks for your post, thought it might be cool to see your post come to life somewhere else

Karate dodge ball Karate dodge ball: https://youtu.be/1DYtTBdBvKI
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JR 137 · Black Belt

Thanks for sharing the video. Seems like it worked out pretty good. Funny, I didn't have than in mind when I was saying dodgeball; I was thinking the kids throwing at each other with multiple balls, but that definitely works and can be more manageable.

Not sure if you have a store called 5 Below near you. It's a $5 and under store. I got my daughters a ball that's about 2 ft in diameter and is pretty bouncy. Get a ball that sized and play the same way you did, only have them try to punch, kick, use traditional blocks, etc. at the ball. They miss, they go off to the side and do the technique they missed with a certain number of times.

One drill/game leads to the next. Take any game and change a detail or two, and you've got an entirely new game in the students' mind.

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