I've started working on a list of games for kids classes that teach Martial Arts skills, if anyone finds it useful let me know and I will post more.
MMA Training Games Part 1
Copyright ©2004 Andrew Green
http://innovativema.com
Name: Up and Down
# of Players: 6 or more
Skills: Reflexes, Teamwork, Warm up / cool down game
Equipment: Soft balls (3 is usually a good number)
Instructions:
Divide into 2 teams, each team gets one side of the gym and can't cross to the other. If a player gets hit he sits down. If the player that hit him gets hit then he gets back up. So if a player has hit 3 others on and then gets hit, all 3 get back up.
This encourages team work and basic strategy.
Name: Crab fights
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: Balance, strength, movement
Equipment: none
Instructions:
Players start in a crab position, belly up on hands and feet, and must remain in that position. If they turn over or touch the floor with anything but there hands and feet they are out. They must push and pull other players to off balance them, last one still up wins.
Watch for kicking, if it is a problem restrict them to pulling / hooking other players.
Name: Freeze tag
# of Players: 4 or more (more is better)
Skills: Endurance, warm up / cool down game, other depending on variation
Equipment: none
Instructions:
One person is “It”, that person must “Freeze” all of the other players by tagging them. Once frozen they stand arms out until a non-frozen player runs under one of their arms, this unfreezes them back into the game.
You can also change the way a player becomes unfrozen to incorporate other skills. For example when frozen they drop to hands and knees and become unfrozen when another player shoulder rolls over them, or sits on their back and does a back break fall over them. Or have them stand arms out and become unfrozen when thrown. Make the skills match what you are trying to teach.
Name: Black Knights
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: strategy, contact, footwork
Equipment: Foam Bats (These can be made with pool noodles, PVC pipe and duct tape.)
Masks are a good idea as well.
Instructions:
From Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Players must attack each others limbs with the bats, a clean hit removes that limb and the player may not use it. Arms go behind back when removed, with one leg the player is hoping, with both removed they are on their knees.
This is a great lead in to sparring as it gets them used to making contact and getting hit while keeping it fun and “Not scary”
Name: Belt Wrestling
# of Players: 2
Skills: Introduction to wrestling, control, strategy
Equipment: Belts
Instructions:
Players start of on knees facing each other, the goal is to remove the other players belt. Once it is off the match is over. Players can not grab their own belt at any time.
Variation - “Knock your socks off” - Same idea except players fight to remove each others socks.
Name: Cross the Floor
# of Players: 3 or more
Skills: Teamwork, balance
Equipment: Kick Shields, or any other object that can be moved and stood on.
Instructions:
You need just enough shields that all the players can fit on with one left and no room to move. They must cross the floor without touching the floor. This is done by everyone moving onto all but the last shield and passing it to the front, and repeating.
Name: Position Names
# of Players: 4 or more
Skills: Learning various positions and focusing on the smaller details
Equipment: none
Instructions:
Pair up the players, instructor calls out a position, ex. “Mount!” and each team goes to that position, They also must do it “properly”, so give 2 or 3 details that they are to focus on, so for “Guard” you might want a Underhook, hold the head down and cross the feet.
Keep the number of positions low to start and build up as you go. Change the details to match what you where teaching that class. So if you where doing basic attacks from guard you might call “Arm bar”, “Triangle”, “Chicken Wing”, etc.
Name: Escape!
# of Players: 2
Skills: Strategy, scramble, pins, escapes
Equipment: marked off “ring”
Instructions:
One players goal is to keep the other player in the ring, the other players goal is to escape. Start the player trying to keep the other one in the ring in dominant position and say go. Once the player escapes the match is over and they switch.
Name: Sumo
# of Players: 2
Skills: Balance, clinch control, strategy
Equipment: marked off “ring”
Instructions:
Both players face off in the ring, the first person to step outside of the ring or have anything but their feet touch the ground loses. Players may not attack the legs, or use their legs to attack. Only upper body control.
Name: Shield Fighting
# of Players: 2
Skills: Balance, clinch control, strategy
Equipment: Soft Kick Shields
Instructions:
Players face each other holding kick shields, If a player touches the floor with anything but their feet, lets go of the shield, or leaves the ring the match ends. They must push and redirect their opponent into losing balance or leaving the ring.
This is a great drill for introducing throws as it gets them to work on redirecting a person who is pushing into them, in addition it is a great tool for balance.
Name: Tails
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: Footwork
Equipment: Short ropes, socks, gloves – Something to stick in the back of their belts
Instructions:
Players face each other with “tails” stuck in the back of their belts, if they lose their tale they are out. They must steal the tail from other players. Players cannot grab each other, and must remain standing. Restrict playing space and divide them pairs or groups, or one big free for all.
As an alternative attach the “tail” to the back of their knee to simulate a shoot.
Name: Punching drills
# of Players: n/a
Skills: combination punching, form
Equipment: none
Instructions:
Spread players out and call out combinations, they react and perform the combination. ex. “Jab-Cross”, “Jab-Round Kick”, “Jab-Jab-Shoot”, etc.
Be ready with a foam bat in case their hands start dropping, sweep the feet if the legs go straight, etc. Be loud and keep the energy high.
Name: Sword Dodging
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: Reflexes
Equipment: A sword, or something to represent one.
Instructions:
Stand in front of the class, swing the sword horizontally high, low of downward vertically. On high swings players must duck, on low swings jump and on downward swings side step. If they make a mistake they sit down (or do some push-ups) Last one standing wins.
Name: Ball on the wall
# of Players: The more the better
Skills: using legs in guard, teamwork
Equipment: Swiss Ball
Instructions:
Lie players down on their backs, butts to the wall. They must pass the ball along the wall from one end to the other without dropping it and back again. Alternatively go heads to the wall, or even stagger them. They can only use their legs, no hands.
Name: Overhead Ball Pass
# of Players: 3 or more
Skills: Leg use in guard, Spinning in guard.
Equipment: Swiss Ball
Instructions:
Players lie down on their backs, legs up as in guard. All of them start head towards the beginning of the line. Hand the ball to the first person, The ball can only be touched with their legs, the objective is to pass the ball down the line without dropping it. Once they have it they must turn so that their head is facing the other way and pass it over their head to the next person. After passing it stand up and run to the end of the line.
MMA Training Games Part 1
Copyright ©2004 Andrew Green
http://innovativema.com
Name: Up and Down
# of Players: 6 or more
Skills: Reflexes, Teamwork, Warm up / cool down game
Equipment: Soft balls (3 is usually a good number)
Instructions:
Divide into 2 teams, each team gets one side of the gym and can't cross to the other. If a player gets hit he sits down. If the player that hit him gets hit then he gets back up. So if a player has hit 3 others on and then gets hit, all 3 get back up.
This encourages team work and basic strategy.
Name: Crab fights
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: Balance, strength, movement
Equipment: none
Instructions:
Players start in a crab position, belly up on hands and feet, and must remain in that position. If they turn over or touch the floor with anything but there hands and feet they are out. They must push and pull other players to off balance them, last one still up wins.
Watch for kicking, if it is a problem restrict them to pulling / hooking other players.
Name: Freeze tag
# of Players: 4 or more (more is better)
Skills: Endurance, warm up / cool down game, other depending on variation
Equipment: none
Instructions:
One person is “It”, that person must “Freeze” all of the other players by tagging them. Once frozen they stand arms out until a non-frozen player runs under one of their arms, this unfreezes them back into the game.
You can also change the way a player becomes unfrozen to incorporate other skills. For example when frozen they drop to hands and knees and become unfrozen when another player shoulder rolls over them, or sits on their back and does a back break fall over them. Or have them stand arms out and become unfrozen when thrown. Make the skills match what you are trying to teach.
Name: Black Knights
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: strategy, contact, footwork
Equipment: Foam Bats (These can be made with pool noodles, PVC pipe and duct tape.)
Masks are a good idea as well.
Instructions:
From Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Players must attack each others limbs with the bats, a clean hit removes that limb and the player may not use it. Arms go behind back when removed, with one leg the player is hoping, with both removed they are on their knees.
This is a great lead in to sparring as it gets them used to making contact and getting hit while keeping it fun and “Not scary”
Name: Belt Wrestling
# of Players: 2
Skills: Introduction to wrestling, control, strategy
Equipment: Belts
Instructions:
Players start of on knees facing each other, the goal is to remove the other players belt. Once it is off the match is over. Players can not grab their own belt at any time.
Variation - “Knock your socks off” - Same idea except players fight to remove each others socks.
Name: Cross the Floor
# of Players: 3 or more
Skills: Teamwork, balance
Equipment: Kick Shields, or any other object that can be moved and stood on.
Instructions:
You need just enough shields that all the players can fit on with one left and no room to move. They must cross the floor without touching the floor. This is done by everyone moving onto all but the last shield and passing it to the front, and repeating.
Name: Position Names
# of Players: 4 or more
Skills: Learning various positions and focusing on the smaller details
Equipment: none
Instructions:
Pair up the players, instructor calls out a position, ex. “Mount!” and each team goes to that position, They also must do it “properly”, so give 2 or 3 details that they are to focus on, so for “Guard” you might want a Underhook, hold the head down and cross the feet.
Keep the number of positions low to start and build up as you go. Change the details to match what you where teaching that class. So if you where doing basic attacks from guard you might call “Arm bar”, “Triangle”, “Chicken Wing”, etc.
Name: Escape!
# of Players: 2
Skills: Strategy, scramble, pins, escapes
Equipment: marked off “ring”
Instructions:
One players goal is to keep the other player in the ring, the other players goal is to escape. Start the player trying to keep the other one in the ring in dominant position and say go. Once the player escapes the match is over and they switch.
Name: Sumo
# of Players: 2
Skills: Balance, clinch control, strategy
Equipment: marked off “ring”
Instructions:
Both players face off in the ring, the first person to step outside of the ring or have anything but their feet touch the ground loses. Players may not attack the legs, or use their legs to attack. Only upper body control.
Name: Shield Fighting
# of Players: 2
Skills: Balance, clinch control, strategy
Equipment: Soft Kick Shields
Instructions:
Players face each other holding kick shields, If a player touches the floor with anything but their feet, lets go of the shield, or leaves the ring the match ends. They must push and redirect their opponent into losing balance or leaving the ring.
This is a great drill for introducing throws as it gets them to work on redirecting a person who is pushing into them, in addition it is a great tool for balance.
Name: Tails
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: Footwork
Equipment: Short ropes, socks, gloves – Something to stick in the back of their belts
Instructions:
Players face each other with “tails” stuck in the back of their belts, if they lose their tale they are out. They must steal the tail from other players. Players cannot grab each other, and must remain standing. Restrict playing space and divide them pairs or groups, or one big free for all.
As an alternative attach the “tail” to the back of their knee to simulate a shoot.
Name: Punching drills
# of Players: n/a
Skills: combination punching, form
Equipment: none
Instructions:
Spread players out and call out combinations, they react and perform the combination. ex. “Jab-Cross”, “Jab-Round Kick”, “Jab-Jab-Shoot”, etc.
Be ready with a foam bat in case their hands start dropping, sweep the feet if the legs go straight, etc. Be loud and keep the energy high.
Name: Sword Dodging
# of Players: 2 or more
Skills: Reflexes
Equipment: A sword, or something to represent one.
Instructions:
Stand in front of the class, swing the sword horizontally high, low of downward vertically. On high swings players must duck, on low swings jump and on downward swings side step. If they make a mistake they sit down (or do some push-ups) Last one standing wins.
Name: Ball on the wall
# of Players: The more the better
Skills: using legs in guard, teamwork
Equipment: Swiss Ball
Instructions:
Lie players down on their backs, butts to the wall. They must pass the ball along the wall from one end to the other without dropping it and back again. Alternatively go heads to the wall, or even stagger them. They can only use their legs, no hands.
Name: Overhead Ball Pass
# of Players: 3 or more
Skills: Leg use in guard, Spinning in guard.
Equipment: Swiss Ball
Instructions:
Players lie down on their backs, legs up as in guard. All of them start head towards the beginning of the line. Hand the ball to the first person, The ball can only be touched with their legs, the objective is to pass the ball down the line without dropping it. Once they have it they must turn so that their head is facing the other way and pass it over their head to the next person. After passing it stand up and run to the end of the line.
