Horses & Riders

“Horses” go on hands & knees, “Riders” straddle the horses. (Riders cannot touch the ground)
On HAJIME, the horses carry the riders over to other players, then the riders try and pull the other riders off the horses.
The winner is the last pair left, that has not touched the ground.

Skills:
Ne-Waza, Using legs to hold on, good attacking position.
Plus strengthening for the “Horse”

Cat & Mouse
Everyone spreads out around the mat, and sits down.
Two players stand, one being the CAT & the other the MOUSE. On HAJIME, the cat chases the mouse.
On touching the mouse, the roles reverse, and they new cat chases the new mouse.
If a Mouse sits behind another person, that person then becomes the CAT.

Skills:
Teaches thinking & reactions, also with the inclusion of more pairs of Cats & Mice, teaches awareness of their position on the mat and what is happening around them.

Catch The Horse
One end of the mat, “Horses” on hands & Knees, the “Catcher/Cowboy” standing.
On Hajime, the horses must crawl to the other end of the mats, and the cowboys must stop them.

Skills:
Teaches Ne-Waza techniques, stopping a player from moving & turning them over (to prevent them from using their legs to get away.

Sumo Wrestling
From: You mark out a ten foot space on the mat with a couple of old obi’s . The two players on the command hajime push or pull the other and try to force them off the playing area.

Skills
This is good for grip fighting, balance ,and helps the child to become aware of the boundaries.

Bull Dog
All the players kneel at one end of the mat, one player is “In the Middle” this player chooses a player from the end. The chosen player then has to crawl to the other end of the mats without being turned onto their back!
The person in the middle has to catch, then turn the player over, without getting off their hands and knees. I.e. Crawling!
If the person gets caught, they are “In the middle” also, if they make it to the other end “Bull Rush” is called by the sensei and all the other players crawl to the other end of the Dojo.

Skills:
Teaches players how to turn opponents over and how to avoid being turned over!

Caterpillar Race
With even teams (Number of teams depends on size of Dojo & class)
First person goes on “all fours” i.e. hands and feet on ground, body arched.
Next person in team crawls underneath this person, then goes on all fours with their hands & feet touching the first persons hands and feet. (One side only (of course)) The next person crawls under both and so on and so on, when the last person has crawled through, the first person crawls through again (so the line keeps moving)
The wining team is the team that makes it to the other end first.

Skills:
Strengthening, also teaches the players to move quickly on the ground. Teamwork.

Chicken Fights
Two students face each other at a time. Each must hold one foot with one hand, while holding the lapel with the other hand. You must knock the opponent down, no elbows, or into the wall to win.
The winner stays up to face the next challenger. Usually you line the class up in order of height, and start at the small end.

Skills:
Balance

Twirl
Three people are required. One lying down (#1) and the other two (#2 and #3) stand on each side of #1.
#1 starts rolling sideways, like a log, towards #2. #2 does a forward roll over #1, ending up lying on their side. #1 now stands up and #2 continues to roll towards #3, who in turn does a forward roll towards #1, and so on, and so on, and so on…..

Skills:
Forward Rolls, Forward Rolling Break-falls.
Turning up off rolls/throws to avoid losing in Ne-Waza.

Reverse Ne-Waza
Partners sit Back to Back, one person is “Number 1″ the other is “Number 2″
The Instructor calls out either number one or two, both players spin round and fight on the ground. The person who’s number was called must stay on their back, and defend by keeping the other player between their legs.
The other person must try to escape this position and get the person in a hold-down.
The roles are reversed, when the instructors calls the other number. (can be down on a purely “one of you lie down” then play the game. Then just tell them to swap)

Skills:
Teaches ne-waza skills.
Escaping from between the legs, and controlling the opponent with the legs

CONTROL
One person lies on their back, the other is kneeling at their side (facing them) the lying person places their arm out at right angles, the kneeling player must them kneel at the other persons finger tips. The lying player then returns their arm to their side.
On “Hajime” the kneeling player must prevent the other player from turning onto their stomach.
Play several times, then the players swap positions, and the game is repeated.
When both players have had a turn the original player lies down again. This time the other person kneels at elbow length, and the game is played. The game is then played right next to the player, then with the hands on the chest & finally with “CHEST TO CHEST” contact.

Skills:
Turning over when on the back, and preventing the player from escape.
This game can be used as a demonstration of the fundamental “CHEST TO CHEST” ne-waza principle. As the person gets closer and closer the harder it gets to get away. So this way the kids see that “CHEST TO CHEST” makes it easier for them to win.

Press-up Wars!!
Both players go into the Press-up position. (on their hands, feet together) On HAJIME they both try to “sweep” each others hands away, making their opponent touch the ground.

This game mainly works up a sweat and lets them have a little fun. Does help develop strength in the upper body and arms. Also helps a little with balance etc.

Steal the Belt
Everybody takes off their belts, folds them in half and tucks them into the back of their trousers.
On HAJIME everyone runs about trying to steal each others belts.

This game is great fun! It gets them running about and having fun.
I suppose it also teaches them to keep “face on” to their opponents(??)

Stuck in the mud
Everybody spreads out standing up around the dojo. One person is “It”, their job is to “tag” everybody else.
When you are tagged, you have to stand still with your legs apart and your hands above your head. You cannot move again until someone crawls through your legs.

Another great game for getting hearts pumping!

If the game is taking too long, make 2 people “it” (or 3 or 4)

VARIATION
Instead of standing with hands up and legs apart, you have to stand bent over (or crouched) then to be “set free” the other people have to jump over you!

Snake & Mongoose
Description of Snake and Mongoose:

One person (or if there are a lot of children, several) is a “mongoose”, the rest are “snakes”. The mongooses are allowed to move on their hands and knees while the snakes must stay on their bellies. The snakes are at one end of the mat and the mongoose (s) are at the other. When the game starts, the snakes try to get to the other end of the mat without coming up on all fours.

At the most basic level (i.e. with very young kids), the mongoose must go around touching each snake before they get to the other end of the mat. If a snake is touched, they turn into a mongoose and they go around trying to touch other children too. After the children are a bit older or begin to understand a bit about ne-waza, the mongooses must turn each snake onto their backs before the snake turns into a mongoose. Of course, the snake is trying to resist this (sometimes everyone wants to be a mongoose so the game kind of degenerates, but it usually works out OK).

It’s a good game because the children generally like wrestling around. It also develops their bodies, especially the snakes and it gives them the basics of how to use their bodies to control someone on the ground.

Give it a try, I think you might enjoy it.

Crabs
Each player gets on their hands and feet, belly up.
The hands and feet are the only things allowed to touch the ground.
The other players then try to sweep the limbs of their opponents.
Later, players will start to grab and pull one limb while another attacks it.

I guess this teaches shifting your balance, and maybe something about
sweeps. Either way, it is a blast.

Eventually, one player will realize that a pretty safe method is to
actually crawl up on the opponent and attack from above, so to speak.
At this point, if the attacker has skills, he can try various attacks.
Even then, the game is still fun.

Worms
This game is perfect when you have a competition area. The kids can’t step outside the red area. One of the kids is supposed to be the worm, and he lays on the floor. No he shall try to catch the other, just by crawling and rolling on the floor.

The kids that were caught also become worms. The game continues until there’s just one kid left standing. If a kid steps outside the competition area he also becomes a worm.

M-L-W.
Mountain – land – water

One wall in the Dojo is water, The middle of the dojo island (mark this with some belts) and the other side of the dojo is mountain. The kids stand on the side called mountain (this is optional).

The instructor is now supposed to call out mountain, land or water. If you call water they have to run as fast as they can to the side with the water. The kid reaching the water last, is out. If you yell one of the sides (mountain, land or water) and they stand on that side, and some of the kids moves, the last kid returning, is out.

The game continues until there is just one kid left…

Hawks & Doves
Hawks mission : To get all the doves on their back.
In the end of the dojo every students are kneeling on their knees to the front of rest of the Dojo the Hawk says: “Come on out”.
The doves have to get the other site of the Dojo on their knees and then they are “free” They who are taken by the hawk are now hawks and are suppose to help to get the rest of the doves.
Warning: If someone have any pain, they can’t stand ,you must tell them before the game a word to shout to give up.( This is of course the most important rule in any game.)

Gremlins
Gremlins mission : To get the kids in to the ground
Pick one of the kids and ask him to kneel down. The rest of the kids are standing on their feet and their mission are, not to be taken into the ground by the Gremlins. They who are taken by the Gremlins are suppose to help the Gremlins. If one of the kids have a hand or a knee in the mat he/she is now Gremlins. If someone are of the mat he/she is Gremlins
Tips: The trainers are always the most popular Gremlins

Warning : It is not a legal to jump to get out of the way from the Gremlins

!! DROP !!
This is a fun exercise, working with a partner.
You both hold hands, one leans back and the other one holds them off the ground (so they are leaning back at say a 45 degree angle. Without warning, the first person lets go and DROPS the second. The second person must “turn-out” onto their stomach.
The next time the person leans them down to say 40 degrees, then 30 degrees, then 15 and so on till the second person fails to turn-out.
They swap over and the game starts again.

This game obviously teaches kids to turn-out, rather than falling on their backs.
This is good for their defence and for some strange reason kids love this game.

Catch the Bull

One person is on all fours, facing the other.
The standing partner tries to run around and sit in horseback position on the kneeling partners back. Kneeling partner spins to stay facing standing partner. After a while, allow standing partner to place hands on shoulders of kneeling partner.

Get past the Legs

One partner lies on back defending with his/her legs (no Kicking!!)

Standing partner runs around and tries to get past legs into a hold.

The partner on their back spins around to keep their legs in the way.

Bucking Bronco

One partner adopts “Bronco” position with hands and feet firmly on the ground. Hands and feet must not leave the ground. The other partner sits on the bronco’s back/hips. and holds on with arms and legs.

The Bronco “bucks” and twists trying to unseat the other player.

It is important that the bronco keeps hands and feet on ground and also does not drop suddenly to knees.

You can vary it by limiting the way the players can hold on. I.e. with legs only.

Rats & Rabbits

Players sit in two team lines facing the same direction, with about 1 mat width or length between the two teams.
Each player is “paired” with the player in the equivalent position on the opposing team.
One team is “the Rats” the other “the Rabbits”.

The instructor calls either RATS or RABBITS, which ever team is called, they must crawl to the edge of the mat. Their opponent on the other team has got to either touch them or stop them (depending on the level of the class)

Players are out if they react incorrectly (crawl the wrong way) or get caught. You can either take these ones out of the game or let the players keep score themselves.
A variation is to add “RUBBISH”, when the instructor calls rubbish no one moves, else they are out!.

This game basically gets their minds working. They have to react to your commands. If you are getting the players to stop the other player from reaching the edge of the mat, you are also teaching groundwork techniques.

Inner Tube Tag

In this game, you play the standard tag game but instead of touching the opponent with your hand, you must place a Bicycle Inner Tube over their head and shoulders.
Obviously good warm-up activity. But skills are developed in agility (running around and avoiding getting caught) & Break-alls. The Break-falling comes from once the tube is about the persons head and or shoulders it is relatively easy to guide them forward into a roll. (The tube being elastic prevents too much force being applied).

Circle Trip

All Judoka get into a circle facing inwards. They link arms, by holding jackets at the wrists. On the command HAJIME they have to fell their either of their neighbours by sweeping their neighbours legs forward. At the same time they have to avoid the attack from each side. You are out when, 1) you touch the ground with anything but your feet, or 2) your ’sweeps’ become kicks or 3) your sweeps go above the knee. I’ve also recently discovered that this can also show how effective a gaki is. If the circle is moving, a well planted block can easily tumble your neighbour.

“Mouse Tails” Randori

A spare belt is simply looped in the belt of each of the two Judoka at the back, so that it hangs down like a ‘mouse tail’. There are two ways to win 1) by conventional Judo, 2) by removing the mouse tail from your opponent. By adjusting the length of these ‘tails’ a level of handicapping can be achieved, i.e. a skilful Judoka can have a longer tail, that is easy to grab by his not so skilled opponent.

The Balance Game

Two students face off toe to toe far enough apart so that a belt may be stretched taught in an s-shape around their hips, either end being held by one of their hands right at the hip. Without being able to take a step once the game has commenced, they both try to unbalance their partner using the turning motion of the hips by letting the belt slip by moving their hand around their waist. The s-shape must be maintained throughout the game, first student to fall or step looses.

Teaches: good balance through lowering one’s centre of gravity (bending knees); strong upright posture; top-bottom body co-ordination.

The Centipede Game

Class is divided into two even groups at one end of the mat, each group forms a tight line, students standing with legs very wide so that a ‘tunnel’ is created underneath the line. When the race begins, whoever is last must drop quickly to the mat and crawl on their stomach through the tunnel taking up the leading position in the line when they come out the front end. The next last person then does the same and so on. First centipede to the other end of the mat is the winner.

Teaches: up/down agility, good alternative for the traditional judo crawling exercises kids love to hate, working as a team

The Bacon Game

Take an obi and tie it knots until the belt is about two feet long. Pick two captains. The captains choose teams at each end of the mat. Mark off out of bounds well within the boundaries of the mat (2-3) feet on each side and front and back. The objective of the game is for one team to get bacon to the other side of the mat. The team can carry the Bacon (obi) over the mat and they can pass the Bacon at any time. In order to score a point someone has to be holding the Bacon during or after it crosses the line. Simple.

A few rules:

• * No piling on.
• * Big guys watch the little guys.
• * If a player crosses the boundary the player is out for that point.

Have at least two referees to watch the action and spot potential trouble.

Start the game with the referees on each side of the middle of the mat.
Teams must stay behind their line until the bacon is released. One of the
referees throws the bacon in the middle and the game begins.