Teaching a kids class

[shawn kilpatrick]

I'm teaching a kids class and was wondering if anyone has any tips or hints that could help with it. Like any kinda of games that are fun but still helps them learn. Anything helps, thanks guy

[Rachael Kaulig]

Games for a warm up or during technique?

My personal experience is to not play games when it comes to technique. It can get out of hand really quick and then become a cluster fuck. Kids easily get the giggles and then its hard to recover. The kids should enjoy it but take it seriously. Games are great for a warm up or a reward for a hard class of training. Sharks and minnows, dodgeball (buy the super soft balls at walmart - not playground balls; those hurt), and an obstacle course if you have ground and pound bags.

[Brent Smith]

I'm teaching a kids class and was wondering if anyone has any tips or hints that could help with it. Like any kinda of games that are fun but still helps them learn. Anything helps, thanks guy

So the Gracie Bros have a great DVD called Bullyproof. It goes over the best way to teach kids and games that will actually help them in Jiu Jitsu IE maintaining mount. Theyre games but effective application games

[Isaac Atley]

id say things like shrimping competitions up the mat. swiss balls sprawls. who can stay on mount the longest. forward and backward rolls. jacare down the mats. starting in something like 50/50 and seeing who can get to top control first.

use lots of stories to explain thing. like if you show an americana, explain to grip like a four and then mention the motorbike grip and make noises and then hug it towards you becuase we want to make them like a dinosaur with small arms, (thats pretty much off the top of my head,) dont judge

[Isaac Atley]

maybe even get soft toys that are human ish shape and use them as grappling dummies.

[Josh Bodmon]

Bro where to begin?! The Gracie Academy does some cool stuff, so look it up - games for holding back mount or side control, etc. I used to do that but have worked away from the games til the end of class. I do a lot more specific drilling, circuits, etc (my students LOVE circuits). Sprawling was a serious work in progress and I taught them to sprawl rolling an exercise ball at them so that they could understand how to use their hips without killing each other while improving their timing. Since they are so young, it is a major challenge to get them used to a lot of the body mechanics that go into various techniques and movements that are integral to bjj. Also check out our clubs fb page, got a few fun things I do with the kids that I post. Here's a game i love to play at the end called 'Judoctopus'. Its like octopus but I get adults to help and the kids run from one of the end of the gym to the other while the adults try to take them down and pin them for three seconds (the time it takes to score a takedown).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater

[Greg W]

+1 for the Garcie games. And we came up with a new one. Granby tag. Just like tag, except you can only granby around the mat!!

[Tony "The Goods" Garcia]

Barca and Sbardella have some excellent kids programs and games. There was a great thread somewhere that shared a bunch of games.

[Brandon Mccaghren]

Gracie Bullyproof all the way.

[Kurzy]

Take anything Josh Bodman says as golden. He runs the kids classes at the Peterborough Moon and he is AMAZING with the kids. Granted, he has experience as a camp counselor, but as far as getting kids to listen and stay focused and have fun and LEARN jiu jitsu: Josh is THE MAN!