Judo Games: Fun Fusion of Dynamic Warmups for Kids

Judo Fun Fusion: Dynamic Warmup Games for Kids

Below are some Videos of my favourite warmup games for Kids in Judo. If I were to play them all at the start of a class, which would be pretty unusual, This would be the order I would play them in: "Judo Belt Segmaent Collect Frenzy"; "Agility Warmup"; "Judo Rolls on an Exercise Ball"; "Breakfall Tiggi"; "Belt Segment Pickup with Feet".

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Judo Belt Segmaent Collect Frenzy

Purpose: it's a warmup game. It's just for fun and to get the body moving.

You'll see from the video how crazy it gets. This is why before the game begins I over-emphasise to the class to watch out and make sure they don't bang heads.

The Rules: The rules are very simple: on "Hajimei" all students run for the centre and grab a piece from the middle. They then run back to their starting point and put the piece down. Contestants must only take one piece at a time and they cannot throw or they are disqualified. When all the pieces are gone they sit down and count their pieces. The one with the highest number is the winner.

Variations 1: if you are limited on the number of pieces you have, or have several more than 4 children, instead of finishing when all the pieces are gone, the contestants are allowed to steal from the other contestant for a set (agreed beforehand) period time.

Variation 2: If you have different colour pieces. You can choose what colour gets collected first. In the video, you will hear that the black pieces have to be chosen last.

Details: In the video, there are only three children for demonstration purposes, so they start in the corners of the mat. But you can have as many children as you like as long as they are equal distance from the pile of pieces in the middle. You can use anything to pile in the middle, peggs, bean bags, in my case I use old belt pieces from broken belts that would have been thrown away, cut up into segments thus the name of the game.

Agility Warmup

Pieces are arranged in a ladder formation

The Rules: On "Hajimei" students must climb the ladder. When they get to the end they collect that piece and climb down the ladder to the other end and place it where they started. Contestants must only take one piece at a time and they cannot throw or they are disqualified. When all the pieces are gone they sit down. The first to complete the task is the winner.

Variations: instead of climbing the ladder the student must run between the pieces in a zig-zag fashion. Children's skill levels and ages need to be taken into consideration. They will get better.

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Judo Rolls on an Exercise Ball

Purpose: to help improve forward rolls (zempo kaiten ukemi or mae mawari ukemi). It is especially useful for nevious beginners with sensai or another assistant, sitting beside them helping.

Personally, I think the video is pretty self-explanatory. Let me know if you have any questions

Breakfall Tiggi

Purpose: to improve BreakFalls (Ukemi) in a fun way.

Caution: do a warm-up first or there may be the potential for injury. Warn children to look before they Breakfall.

The Rules:

1. Choose someone to be "IT" to start the game.
2. Specify a type of Ukemi (optional):
i.e. back backfall, side Breakfall, etc. depending on your mat area and number of students forward rolls may not be appropriate for safety's sake.
3. As soon as someone else is made "IT" the person who tagged you joins everybody else. You are no longer "IT".
4. You become "IT" if you are tagged before you do a Breakfall
5. You become "IT" if the Sensai detects you are doing a Breakfall incorrectly
6. You become "IT" if the sensai catches you running away instead of doing a Breakfall when approached by "IT"
7. You become "IT" if you leave the mat area.
8. You become "IT" if the sensai says so because there is a need for a change of "IT"
9. You cannot be tagged if you are starting a breakfall
10. There is no time limit on the game unless agreed beforehand. Otherwise, you stop when the sensai says so.

Belt Segment Pickup with Feet

Purpose: to teach the student to use their toes and turn their foot. This is not a skill every child knows and it is essential for correct ashi wasa.

Personally, I think the video is pretty self-explanatory. Let me know if you have any questions

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard

Agility Warmup


Judo Belt Segmaent Collect Frenzy


Judo Rolls on an Exercise Ball


Breakfall Tiggi


Belt Segment Pickup with Feet

Judo Awareness Game - Belt Segment spin (Not just Kids Judo)

Judo Awareness Game - Belt Segment spin (Not just Kids Judo)

Here is a little video of a Judo game that I use to help my Judoka be more aware of their movement and feet placement.

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Not just limited to kids' Judo, this game uses the belt segment that I use in Judo Game: Belt Segment Pickup with Feet and is particularly useful in association with throws like Hiza-Garuma and Sase-Suri-Komi-Ashi. But it can also be used for hip throws or any kind of throw where there is of spinning action that can be associated with it.

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The idea is to randomly place the belt segment all over the mat and then get the student in pairs to spin around and try and throw each other. But if they stand on a belt segment they have to stop and allow themselves to be thrown by their partner.

It has the bonus of being a lot of fun as you can hear the laughter coming from the sound of the video.

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard

Judo Game: Breakfall Tiggi

Judo Game: Breakfall Tiggi

This is a fun Judo game called Breakfall Tiggi. The kids love it and it is a way for them to actively practice their breakfalls without being thrown.

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The rules are simple:

• Choose someone to be it to start with using whatever method you like
• You cannot be tagged if you are in the process of doing a breakfall
• The Judoka must do the breakfall that is specified or they become it
In the video you will hear me calling out "side breakfall only" and those that did back breakfall became it.
• Depending on the skill of the students you can add rules such as:
• If your head touches the mat you are "it"
• If you hit the mat with the back side of your hand you are "it"
• If you hit the...[safety element -Wall, edge of the mat, go outside the competition area, add your own] you are "it"
• If you stay on the ground too long you are "it" (you must get straight up from doing a breakfall)
• If you are approached by "it" and you run away instead of doing a breakfall you are "it"
• If you stand still too long you are "it" (you must keep moving)

There is one other necessary rule:

Whoever is "it" is not allowed to stand guard over someone they must keep moving or the Judoka they are guarding gets a free pass until "it" goes away.

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This is a very fast Judo game that not only teaches active breakfalling but also spacial awareness. The kids need to know where they are or they will land on someone else.

Whoever is in charge of the game needs to also be constantly alert. You will hear me in the background "refereeing".

Most importantly the kids love this game and are almost oblivious to the fact that they are improving their skills.

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard

Judo Game: Belt Segment Pickup with Feet

Judo Game: Belt Segment Pickup with Feet

This video (below) shows a Judo game I play with my Judoka that goes by the very original name "Belt Segment Pickup with Feet". It teaches students to turn their feet and remember how it feels to do it.

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Turning feet is incredibly important in all Ashi Waza - leg throw practice. Turning your feet so that the pad of your foot connects with your Uke's leg not only avoids kicking them but is also a more powerful execution and most juniors don't know how to do it.

Truth be told, judging by the number of seniors that have kicked me in the leg trying to execute a leg throw they are no better at it either.

Getting the Judoka to do this Judo game gets them feeling what it is like to turn their foot and then all you have to do is say "remember how it felt to turn your foot when you did the belt segment pickup game", whenever they are doing leg throws.

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The students are all blindfolded except one. the non-blindfolded players' job is to randomly place something soft on the ground and verbally direct the other judoka to that something.

I repurpose old belts that have reached the point of no return and cut them up into segments (thus the term "Belt Segment Pickup"). They are soft and easy to store or transport and gives old belt another life.

What was kinda funny was that the kids are all blindfolded and they are clearly cheating. They thought that I didn't know but it was kinda obvious. Why was I not upset by these shenanigans? Well, it was a game and they were having fun and the idea was that, without them even knowing it, they learn to turn their feet.

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard

Judo Fun - Do you Have Cross Words With Your Students?

Here Is A Little Bit Of Judo Fun

Just in case you haven't guessed it, I don't really intend to talk about instructors getting angry with their students. Although I have a whole pdf on how I am Managing Student Behavior In Class. I am in this case however talking about a Judo crossword puzzle. It's just a bit of Judo fun.

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This particular puzzle has been around for a little while. But I have never seen the actual puzzle online. There are plenty of clues to help solve similar puzzles. Yet nobody seems to take the time to actually design one to fit the clues. I think the assumption is that we are all clever enough to make our own.

Well, I'm here to tell you that I suck at designing these things, so I have hung on to this one for years.

I have no idea where I got it from. But I am happy to share it with anybody that would like to use it with their students or fellow Judoka.

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I tend to give it to my 8 to ten-year-old juniors. They don't always like this sort of thing but there are a few that do get a kick out of it.

Mind you I once gave it to my seniors as part of grading. I wasn't being serious but I was a bit disturbed when some of them could not work it out. After all, I think the questions are kind of basic.

However, I do suggest you do the crossword for yourself before you give it to any of your students. Not knowing the answers before you give them out could result in a bit of embarrassment.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of crosswords. However, I did find this one a bit of Judo fun.

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard