# Drills to build attitude



## Mark Lynn (Dec 30, 2005)

Hey guys I only have a minute here before work but...

I started teaching an old students of mine son yesterday along with my son.  And I noticed right off of the bat that this boy is really mild mannered.  Now both he and my son play football for their schools and they are lineman so I know he would have to have the attitude to play that position.

Now his father warned me that he would be very soft spoken etc. etc. but he just didn't seem to have any attitude until near the end of class (private lessons) when I saw the spark of it.

What I'm looking for is perhaps some ideas on drills or things that other people use to help build up attitude in a student.  At his father's request I'm teaching him Modern Arnis.

Thanks
Mark


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## modarnis (Dec 30, 2005)

Mark,

Attitude is not always easy to build.  Certainly confidence within a drill or a technique set helps.  Working a basic single sinawali at incresing intensity is helpful.  One drill I used teaching in the college setting to develop attitude was a knee strike drill.  The instructor holds a large kicking shield so it faces (striking surface) the floor and its long edge runs along your belt.  (its 90 degrees rotated in two seperate planes from the way you would use it if someone were kicking it).  The student gets in close and puts their hands up with the back of their triceps on your shoulders facing you.   Kind of a close in, smell your stink drill.  They then practice their knee strikes and try to move you around the room.  

As their confidence builds, you hold your ground more or even press them.  Its amazing how aggressive they will get in only 2 or 3 2 minute rounds of this.  Then switch back to siniwali or trapping hands or whatever and ask them to put that same intensity on it.

I'm sure you have seen this drill before.  I think I got it from Hock way back when.  Happy New Year


Brett


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## terryl965 (Dec 30, 2005)

Attitude is something that will come with techs. with that being said set aside certain techs for him to do and as the confidence comes so does the attitude.
Terry


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## Guro Harold (Dec 30, 2005)

Hi Mark,

Striking and blocking is definitely a confidence builder.

Here are two drills that you may be aware of that can help in that regard.


Partner striking drills hitting the stick or staff.   
The Palit-Palit drill because beginners only need strikes 1 and 2 to use it.
In this drill the participants practice striking a series of three strikes while the defender practices blocking the three strikes. As soon as the attacker finishes their attack, the roles immediately change and the defender then attacks. There should be no break between role changes. So for beginners, the attacker can just throw a #1, #2, and #1 strike while the beginner blocks them. The should do this on the move with the attacker advancing and the defending retreating.     
The advanced version is that the attacker can throw any three random strikes of their choosing.

Best regards,

Harold


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## Rich Parsons (Dec 30, 2005)

Here is what I do. 

I find a drill or sequence they are good at and can repeat. I then push them and increase the speed slowly and also my own intensity. After you take it up a notch or two, you then bring it back down to a manable level and let learning continue. But what really gets them is when you grin at them right after you slow down and they see you having fun as well. 

I also have them block and I strike harder and then harder to show that they have the capability to block. 

Although, to avoid the student of getting to big a head too fast, I adjust the timing to show them that they still need practice.


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## Mark Lynn (Dec 31, 2005)

Thanks for the input

Brett

Yeah I remember the knee drill, that does build attitdue, and fatigue  .  I had thought about teaching drills like that later on come spring/summer when I had panned to do more Focus Mitt and Thai pad work to help build their conditioning some.  Plus it being warmer weather, they would be les likely to pull a muscle.  I'm having to teach outside right now.  However using the drill as an inbetween drill between striking with the sticks and such that's a thought.

Terry
I decided to start off with double stick drills such as the Sinawali because it is a constant repetition and you get the immeadite feed back from hitting something over and over again.  And basically what I did was have the same high forehand low back hand strikes, and had that same sequence but with different drills (i.e. different footwork and application) to teach the concepts zoning, distancing etc. etc. through application of the drill.  

As an example: bsically I explained the feeder feeds a HFH strike and the defender moves to the outside and hits the arm then steps to hit the leg, thus teaching the concept of moving to the outside, avoiding the strike and hitting different targets while doing so.  This is after they had already practiced the strikes from a standing (static) position, and had incorperated a basic moving forward and backward while striking on the first count.  So they had the strikes down already.  

It was the attitude of the strikes that had me perplexed, there was nothing there until the last 5 mintues of class when I saw a spark.

Harold
I hadn't thought about Palit Palit yet but you are right it does build attitude.  As I explained above I tried to do the same thing really with the Basic Single Sinawali drill and having them move on the first count (of the four strikes), one stepping fwd and the other keying off of the feeders movements and stepping backwards.  For me I thought this should have been the attitude builder (for me there is something about stepping into that strike) YEAH!  But again there was nothing.  I had thought I would take a staff with me next time and have them strike a static target and maybe there he might cut lose a little.

Rich
Thanks for the drill, I like the idea of letting them know you are playing with them and that they can survie the on slot.  I actually did this to my son to show him and the other boy that they can take a strike from a full grown man and at speed, so while demonstrating Single Sinawali with him (after they had already practiced it) at the end of the class I took it up several notches for 30 seconds or so and then brought it back down.  And I think it was after that that the boy picked it up as well as the boys went back to practicing the drill.  (Now that I think about it)

I was scarred to do this even a little bit with the kid since he so easy in his feeds and blocks.  But maybe next time I will press him a little more on it.

I know it was the kids first class, and maybe he was a little intimidated hitting sticks and things.  But his father told me this is the way the boy is, and why he wants his son to learn how to defend himself, and he thinks that the MA can do this as well as get his confidence up.  But I was just wondering if anyone here on this board have taught people like this and if they used drills and such to bring out the attitude and build their confidence.  Any input is greatly appreciated.

Oh by the way I will be off of MT for about a week or so as I take my family on a much needed vacation.  So if I don't respond to your posts it's not because I don't care but I don't know if I'll be able to connect to the internet where we are going (the place we are staying at).  We'll be in the northern part of Virgina. 

It's my daughter's 5th birthday today and she has asked if she can put a smilely face on this post, so courtsey of Emmily.

artyon:  :asian:  :uhyeah: 
Happy New Year
Mark


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