Teaching Children

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[Octavio]

Hi everyone,

Currently I am teaching Aikido to kids ages 7 - 14 at my local community center. What types of games have those of you who have experience teaching children utilized? Right now I'm running out of ideas and I can see the boredom creeping up into their little eyes. Thanks in advance.

[otto]

Hola Octavio

You could maybe take a look at this book?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0963853015/qid=1044543942/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/103-9053308-3452626?v=glance&s=books

Hope it helps.

Plus KI!

[Paula Lydon]

~~Fun but tough! Keep them busy, busy, busy, almost always moving. Some good drills are:

*Making pairs, putting their palms almost touching at face height but out to the front/side and side shuffling as fast as they can down the mat and back: good for staying conected, learning to move feet along ground instead of big, klunky steps, lowering center.

*If they roll/dive yet use groups where one person lays flat and after the next kid roll/dives over them that kid lays flat (as much room as you have for flat kids and rollers), like a snake eating its tail. Good ukemi practice.

*For an easier kokyu tanden ho use a judo randori grab instead of wrists as these can be very frustrating for children. With a more direct connection on the body the kid can feel disbalancing more easily and less chance for their partner to give incorrect ukemi.

*Use foam lengths as bokken 'cause kids love playing with swords. They can learn some basics and then have boffing time where they will actually be picking up skills like moving out of the way, focusing, not being intimidated or calming themselves, etc.

*Dodge-ball is great for perception/evasive movement practice. Have the kids try to dodge using only irimi or tenkan. This is HEALTHY compitition. Gives them a focus, makes them laugh.

*Have them roll/dive to pick items off the mat, or rolling items

*Even though it's Aikido you might teach fundamentals of striking and kicking, or give them balancing drills, or anything to do if you have to work them in groups so that the ones on line waiting are still training something and not just farting around--which is an automatic kid failsafe if they're unfocused for a quarter second.

*It's okay to have one pair pracicing the full technique being taught while another is only capable of handling part of it. They'll both learn something and not be frustrated.

*Have quiet time (meditation) at the close of every session; even the little ones can sit for a minute if given soft voiced guidence or an image to hold. Have question and answer time as children assimilate by being able to express themselves back into the world (as do we all).

You have another challenge because, developmentally, there is a huge range between 7 and 14! Some practices work fine as pairs or groups but know when to break the kids into partners roughly the same size/age. There'll be older kids who have the mental/physical capacity to seriously train and they shouldn't be held back because there are a bunch of wee ones about.

Hope some of this helps, from a one-time teacher of children in MA and a mother :D

[Steven]

Throw sensei the farthest game works well.

Ryote mochi (two-hands on one) Gyaku hanmi. Have them do a 180 pivot while raising their elbow (drawing a sword) then shuffling forward while cutting.

Look for BIG AIR and distance. Of course, I love a good ride so this one is fun for me too.

...Cheers...

[Octavio]

Thanks all for your ideas. I will definitely used them all.

[Bronson]

Check out the book Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training, available from Round Earth Publishing (http://www.round-earth.com/). It's been a while since I read it but I seem to remember it having some kids games. Gaku Homma also has a book about children and aikido you can get it here (http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=1217334&domain_id=1856&meta_id=1&aid=1932276&pid=1255692). I haven't read it so I can't give any type of reccomendation....anyone else?

Bronson

[Kelly Allen]

I guess my Aikido for kids post was a little premature. All I had to do was find this post first.

[paul keessen]

kids....yes that's difficult...but they are the future! so we better train them well!!

luckely enouhg aikido it's lots of fun:)

[aikidoc]

Bruce Bookman has a take on teaching kids called Teaching Aikido to Children. It is pretty good.

I used to use the foam stick hand have them practice footwork walking in different fashions. I would also get soft foam balls and throw the ball at them to get them to get off line-they had to roll out of the way either backward or forward. Then I would have them grab a ball as then did a roll.

With short attention spans try to give them lots of games. When I taugh kid we had a big soft mat at the "Y" and they loved to practice high falls.

[aikidoc]

excuse me that is "tape" not take on teachning kids.

[Kelly Allen]

John, do you know the name of the tape? I have seen one of Sensei Bookmans tapes, and he is a very articulate teacher. I learned alot from him. I too am looking for ideas so if you can remember the name of the tape I would appreciate it.

[aikidoc]

Kelly: the tape is actually called "Teaching Aikido to Children". I have one.

[aikidoc]

Kelly: the tape is listed in the Databases section under videos in this web site.

John

[Octavio]

The tape looks interesting. May have to get it also along with some of the books mentioned. My last class was very successful. We did basic warmup and played dodge ball randori and bokken practice with foam bokkens which I made. The kids had a blast and some of them finally understood what it means to move using tenkan and irimi

[Kung Fu Liane]

in my experience as long as the activities are varied from week to week, children will keep training. my teacher always says the best thing to teach children is how to roll, that way if they ever trip up, they will be able to protect themselves in a fall.

i've tried using short quizzes at the end of class to make sure they remember stuff. most children seem to like that, just as long as everyone gets to answer a question (we normally ask to see a technique from them)

[adriangan]

Hi everyone,

Currently I am teaching Aikido to kids ages 7 - 14 at my local community center. What types of games have those of you who have experience teaching children utilized? Right now I'm running out of ideas and I can see the boredom creeping up into their little eyes. Thanks in advance.
games? you might wanna check this site out:

http://www.aikidokids.com

they have a nice section on games :D

[Ta Kung]

All of these games aren't for kinds only, are they? Because if they are, I'm as imature as my wife tells me... :eek: ;)

/Patrik

[Octavio]

I think they would work for adults. Aikido is fun anyways even without games

[Kelly Allen]

games? you might wanna check this site out:

http://www.aikidokids.com

they have a nice section on games :D
Rats the link wouldn't let me see anything aside from the home page.