Hyperactive little kids.

Gloi · Blue Belt

Every sunday my instructor holds a kids karate class at a health club I'm a member of. Myself and another adult brown belt from his other club usually join in.
Most of the kids are okay and reasonably well behaved although some aren't interested in karate, they just get left in the class while the parents go in the gym.
About 6 months ago two 6 year old boys started coming to the class, one is not too bad when he comes by himself but the other has real behaviour problems, is completely hyperactive and can't concentrate or stand still for a minute. When both are in together they are a nightmare and the instuctor asks me to take them so they aren't disrupting the rest of the class so much. I don't really want to do this but I treat it as a challange and it certainly is!!!
I am meant to be trying to teach them what they need to know for their first grading, and I try but not too successfully. Sometimes I just get a foam pad and get them to take turns punching and kicking it which they enjoy.
Unfortunately things usually go a bit like "Stand up, stand still, go back to your place, hit the pad not your friend, yes,you can have a drink in you do it sensibly, don't squirt the water, if you're going to do that you can go and sit at the side till you calm down, put your pants back on.......... and that's on a good day - Arghh!!!
The other day I was trying to teach them 5 step sparring and I said, "punch to the tummy where the belt is" and he said "ha ha ha that's near the pee pee punch his pee pee" and they spent the next 5 minutes rolling around on the floor going "ha ha punch his pee pee" despite my best efforts to get them to behave.
I know it's not just me because their swimming teacher was moaning about them to me the other day, and unfortunately because of the way the club runs my instructor isn't in a position to say they can't join in the class. I could refuse to help out but that would only mean the others lost out.
Anybody got any ideas for things to keep them occupied for the hour that won't disrupt the rest of the class bearing in mind they aren't capable of listening to and obeying the most simple of instructions.

Alison

karate_woman · Pre-Black Belt

I don't like the fact that your instructor has no control over who comes to the classes. If the health club is using karate as a babysitting service, fine; those students not suitable for martial arts instruction should get just that: babysittting. It is really hard to teach someone who doesn't want to learn what you're teaching them, and for which they have no negative consequences - in school their bad grades might prompt some sort of parental intervention, but in a hobby that neither the parents or children have no interest in you're kind of stuck unless you can somehow generate some sort of interest from the student.

If the instructor really feels the need to teach them martial arts, I'm not sure keeping the two hyper students together is the best answer - separating them might be best, so they can't feed off each other. The hyperactive kids at our dojo are there because they wanted to train, but had ADHD. They do best in our jujitsu program, which is very hands on and involves a lot of partner work and the activities change more frequently than in our karate classes.
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Gloi · Blue Belt

The instructor's position is that if he takes the kids for a class each week him and his wife get free membership of what is a quite expensive health club. It is really a babysitting service, and some weeks the class has a large percentage of games rather than actual karate. I'd say about half the kids actually want to do karate and the rest are being kept occupied while the parents use the gym. The two little lads actually say they want to do karate, though I think that's just because they like hitting things. Some of the the older kids have been coming for years and there are a couple of them who have passed a few grades and are quite keen.

What I'm looking for is some things to try with them to keep them occupied while the others train, preferably karate related - but that can be a very loose relation.

battousai16 · Black Belt

at my old school, when i was a wee one of about 7, we used to play a game called "duck duck dodge", in which my sensei would have a foam bat and he'd either swing it horizontally across our heads (thus having us duck) or bringing it down to the mat (thus having us dodge), one of a time, inside of a circle. it was entertaining and kept the ones who had trouble focusing in order. and if it came to be to bad, he'd pick up the speed until the kid was so exhausted he couldn't move

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AndrewGreen · Pre-Black Belt

First question would be Why are you trying to teach 6 year olds 5 step sparring in the first place?

Have fun, play games and there ability level will grow faster then 5-step sparring will ever get them. But they won't be good at 5-step sparring.

But those games should isolate an area of the martial arts and develop it in a competitive environment. (Note - this doesn't mean anyone needs to win or loose)

A simple class:

Warmup

Start fighting for wrist control, Simple game try to grab and hold both your partners wrists while he does the same, keep going.

Switch to bicep control & wrists

Now add underhooks, If you get two go to a body lock (bear hug) and try and lift your partner of the ground, put them down nicely.

Now try to take the back, with 6 year olds I wouldn't bother trying to show techniques for this, just let them go. Once again lift.

Now we add a takedown (providing you have mats). You start with a rear body lock and sit down pulling your partner down over you and onto their back

Once they've done it a few times let them fight for it.

Add in other skills as they develop. (front headlock, neck ties, other takedowns, etc)

Lots of fun and they learn doing it.

Another class

Start on knees in a neck and elbow tie and show them a few takedowns from there. Once they've done a few have them fight for a takedown, If your back touches the floor start over. (Try to avoid the word "loose" as some young kids can get really upset if they loose, even if they've won the past 10 rounds)

again, fun and productive.

Be creative, put your skills into game format and let them go.
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theswarm · Blue Belt

I like playing a game of sensei says

you get them to do basics and pay attention at the same time

monkeygirl · KF VIP

I've had a few students like that in the past. I found the best thing that works is the "freeze" method. If I'm teaching kata or something to kids who won't hold still, I'll make them do the move, and then once they're in position, I say "freeze!" with a lot of urgency. That usually helps...they get the feeling that they're playing Red Light, Green Light or something.

As a last resort, you can just tell them to sit down and stay there. Tell them in a firm voice, not a Kindergarten Teacher "now, it's time for us to sit down...no...we don't sit on each other's heads..."
Command authority and their respect. Sit down, facing them, and give them an evil stare any time they act up. You have to stay sitting down with them the whole time. Don't let them talk, get a drink, nothing...bathroom breaks are the only reason they can go. If you can instill some discipline in them, it might just work very well for you.
These kids are just like puppies: you have to reward them when they're good, and punish them when they're bad.
Like I said, this is a last resort only.
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SaiFightsMS · KF VIP

Short intense periods of each activity with little time in between.

wcnavstar · Orange Belt

One thing that I know works is adopting a Military Boot Camp style additude about the whole process.

That includes the tone of your voice.

If they are not willing to do technique then push ups, squats, running, balance exercises, wall sqauts, eight count body builders and many many more. do nothing but work them ragged until they beg to be taught something else.

However I cannot say that it will work with these two, it is all done on a case by case bases. You need to connect with them. I have had many students like you had explained, and many times it seems dire; but, use your head and be creative. You will figure it out!

Very Respectfully wcnavstar
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CheekyMusician · Green Belt

We had two kids like that in the karate club I go to too.

Our sensei is quite a big, intimidating guy and he lost his temper with these kids quite a few times. It would've scared me if he'd yelled at me like that, but the kids didn't seem to care too much.

He did make them sit out a few times and watch the class from the side and wouldn't let them stand up or participate. He had two adults from the class take a break and one stand with one kid over one end of the hall, and one stand with the other kid at the opposite end of the hall. The kids soon got bored and frustrated when they weren't able to take part and they didn't have each other to carry on with, and when they were allowed to participate again, they behaved a little bit better.

You could always speak to their parents as a last resort too. Maybe say something like, "Your child isn't behaving in class, and we're worried he is going to get injured or another child is going to get injured. If he doesn't start to behave in the next few weeks we'll have to ask you to take him out of the class."

Or maybe even have some kind of 'behaviour time-table'. Each day mark on a sheet of paper how well they behaved or how badly they behaved and get their parents to read and sign it every week. Maybe stop them from participating in a certain part of the class if their behaviour isn't up to scratch eg. if their favourite activity is hitting pads, ban them from hitting pads if they've behaved badly that lesson. Maybe you could work it on a point system eg. every lesson the kids start with 5 points and everytime they misbehave, they get a point taken off, and if they lose all 5 points then they don't get to participate in the class/participate in their favourite activity.
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