************************************************************************
			TEACHING KIDS
Collated by: Mickey Tibbetts <mickey@MAIL.UNM.EDU>
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>I have always found jo work to be great for kids, expecially in building
>up their body and footwork.
>Just get them doing all the cuts thrusts and blocks with the jo.  It doesn't
>have to be in any kata.  In fact, you can make up your own kids' kata!
>
>Rock
>========================================================================

>     One thing I've been doing recently is a relay race around the edge of the
>mat.  Depending on how many kids you have to work with, you can put one at
>each corner or just space them out regularly around the mat.  You time it with
>a stopwatch and they have to make a good solid tag before the next person can
>start.  You can have them do it irimi, tenchin, shikko, or some combination.
>The last person tags you at the starting point and you stop the stopwatch.
>Then have them do it again to see if they can beat their time.
Non-competitive,
>energetic, and fun all at the same time!
Marc

>========================================================================

>
>In our kids classes, we don't do any games, it's almost exactly like an
>adults class (and we have kids from ages 6-7 up to 15, so this is
>something of an accomplishment). Anyway, the closest thing we do to a
>game is different kinds of ukemi.
>
>Front Roll Variations:
>
>Roll with fingers interlaced
>Roll with arms crossed
>Roll on opposite arm (front foot is left, then roll on right arm)
>Roll over person curled up on mat  (this one is pretty popular)
>
>Back Roll Variations
>
>Come up in same hanmi
>Come up in reverse hanmi
>Stand forward and pivot around and do a back roll (roll in the direction
>you're facing)
>
>
>Other than that, we do line practice, which the kids also like. I gotta
>run, but let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck.
>
>Peace,
>Jae.
>========================================================================
>>My daughter is attending children's classes at our dojo (West Fla.
>Aikikai, Frank Calhoun Sensei, ASU).  The kids range from 6 to around
>12 years of age.  One technique Frank uses (often as a reward for good
>behavior) is "shikko tag" i,e, tag in shikko.  Basic tag rules except
>that the tagee has to take a roll before he/she can tag someone else.
>The kids love it.  Sensei also does some things with the Jo - parts of
>the kata as well as connectivity exercises.  On a more practical
>level, he demonstrates some evasion techniques to aid the child in
>avoiding being held by another person (e.g. dropping to the knees and
>crawling through the legs as well as tenkan-and-run).  One of his
>comments to me early on was that one of the most valuable self-defense
>techniques a child can learn is how to fall properly and roll.  He
>related an anecdote about his own daughter.  When she was 8 or
>thereabouts, she took an ugly spill on a skateboard.  She fell into a
>forward roll and ended up with only a few scratches.  Frank was
>convinced that if she hadn't fallen properly, she would have broken
>bones.  The self defenses angle makes sense - a kid is a LOT more
>likely to take a bad fall than get grabbed by someone.  For those
>parents unfamilar with Aikido, this is a good "selling point" (at our
>dojo, I am the only parent who is also an Aikidoka).  Of course you
>have deal with a bunch of kids who all want to be power rangers and do
>kicks and the like ;^).  My observation is that the kids' attention
>spans present some challenges as well.
>
>BTW, there is at least one book out on teaching children Aikido (by
>Homma Sensei, I believe).  Hope this helps.
>
>Ken Sargent
>ksargent@pjc.cc.fl.us
>========================================================================
>Mickey:
>
>You mentioned meditation - there are a couple of books out by the same
>author (whose name escapes me): *Meditation for Children* and
>*Meditating With Children* (I think).  One is specifically for use in
>classroom exercises or with groups of children.  You may find it
>helpful.  I can get the particulars if you wish.
>
>regards
>Ken Sargent
>ksargent@pjc.cc.fl.us
>
>===========================================================================
>Hi Mickey!
>
>     The only one I could suggest is an exercise one of my classmates
>brought from another dojo.
>     In this exercise, two people partner up, uke then attacks with either
>a specific attack, or any attack.  The only technique nage is allowed to
>do is to move.  Out of the way or into uke. There is no throw.  Nage learns
>to move safely out of harm's way or enter in to uke's space where uke can
>not attack (ie. behind).  Again, nage does not throw uke.  Depending on
>how you want to do it, nage can use his or her arms to blend with the attack
>or not.  To make it a little harder, allow the uke(s) multiple attacks so
>nage has to think about the next attack that is coming.
>     This exercise works well in the regular classes and would probably do
>well in Kid's classes.   My apoligies if the description is a bit vague, it
>is hard to describe with out seeing the exercise done.
>     A couple of other things to keep in mind during the exercise is the time
>limit.  If done at regular speed, people tend to tire quickly.  Also make
>sure that nage(s) is keeping good balance, breathing regularly, and relaxing.
>The last thing is always make sure nage thinks about where the next attack is
>coming from.
>     I hope that helps.
>
>Peace,
>
>John Corro
>Penn State Kokikai Aikido.
>===========================================================================
>Carl Verdonck writes:
>>None of these :-) But I'm really interested in the kind of games you have in
>>mind, seeing that the kids are a bit left on their own in our dojo.  Maybe I
>
>All kinds of great games.  In fact just about any team game is great.
>The thing that you have to be careful about is that you want to
>encourage cooperation instead of competition.  This means that you work
>on "fixing" the games and selecting teams so that everything ends up in a
>tie.  Not only does this save hurt feelings and discourage bullying, but
>it makes the games more exciting because they are always close.  The
>team that is behind is always within reach of catching up.
>
>One example of a game that the kids really like is what I call the
>"Samurai Bath Game".  It is set up as follows:
>
>
>          1
>   *             *
>    *             *
>     *             *
>      *             *
>       *             *
>        *             *
>         *             *
>          *             *
>           *             *
>
>
>          3               4
>
>
>           *             *
>          *             *
>         *             *
>        *             *
>       *             *
>      *             *
>     *             *
>    *             *
>   *             *
>          2
>
>The asterisks are jos, old belts, or something that mark the edge of the path.
>
>One team lines up at 1 and the other at 2.
>
>This is a relay race where each side shikkos (knee walk) one at a time
>down the path toward the center.  They aren't supposed to touch the edge
>of the path.
>
>At the middle there is a break in the path that is where the path
>crosses a stream.  When you reach the middle you do a back roll on each
>side of the path (3 and 4) to take a bath.  Then you continue to the
>other end of the path.
>
>When you get to the far end of the path, then you turn arround and
>shikko back, taking the required baths again on the way back.  When you
>reach your own line again, then the next samurai goes.
>
>The really interesting part of this game is that the only place that
>there is room to go by the other team's player is during the bath.  This
>means that this game has an inherent tendancy to remain a tie.  I always
>require that the simultaneous baths be conducted in harmony without
>collisions or pushing.  If a pushing math starts, then I pull the both
>participants and allow them to watch the rest of the game.
>
>I suggest that for this and all other games that you have a strong
>signal that begins and stops the game for both safety and control.  I
>use the wooden clappers.  If the children hear them at any time, then
>they have to stop immediately.
>
>Other good games (team and otherwise) are games like tug-of-war for
>building a strong center and sense of balance and tenacity.  Try
>variations like a rope (or belt) in each hand.  You can set up teams of
>smaller children against a single larger child.
>
>Follow-the-leader works good too.  I usually start out as the leader and
>do things like shikko, crawl, slither on my back or chest (no hands),
>slide with my back to the wall, whatever I can think of.  Then after a
>while I give up the lead to someone else.
>
>As you can probably guess I have not waited to start playing games with
>a class of 3-6 year olds, but I usually work in atleast one game into
>every class of 7-12 year olds.
>
>    Scott Hawkins
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I trained at  Aikido West in 1980/81.  Foster Gamble was teaching
>the childrens' class and would often use similar games with the
>adults.  One of the few that I remember was a great centering/balance
>game.
>
>I stand with the end of a(n extra) belt in one hand.  The belt
>goes around my koshi and then diagonally to my partner, around
>their koshi, with them holding the other end.  We both hold our
>respective end with the same hand (i.e. right/right or left/left).
>    _____
>   | o o |
>         /
>        /         The circles are supposed to be feet.  Participants
>      /           can stand with feet shoulder width apart, or in
>    /              hanmi, but they should both do the same.
>   | o o |
>    -----
>
>     Stand back so that the belt is taught.  The object is to
>     unbalance your partner, without being unbalanced, using only
>     the hips.  The hand holding the belt must stay anchored against
>      the hip, not used for yanking.
>
>     Both people are moving at the same time, so strategy can
>     sometimes backfire.  Different heights present different
>     challenges (just like in technique!).  Bending knees and
>     sinking weight helps enormously.  Getting too caught up in
>     the competition tends to bring up the shoulders and then
>     the person loses balance! (Feet must stay in one place.
>     Losing balance is defined as movig the feet.)
>
>
>     Debbie Kranzler
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Marek,
>
>That is a complicated question!  I am guessing that you have a dojo space
>already, and adults regularly training.  If that is true, I would start by
>asking who is going to teach the children.  In order for a kids program to be
>successful, the teacher has to be really dedicated to teaching kids.  Many
>dojo make the mistake of delegating the kids class to some black belt who
>isn't really interested but feels obligated because Sensei asked them to
>teach.  This is a formula for failure!  The teacher also needs to be
>consistent across time.  The kids, I find, develop a personal relationship
>with the teacher.  If they like the teacher, they stay.  So it is important
>that the teacher have a long term commitment to the project.
>
>When I started my program, I started with two classes.  One class was for
>children ages 6 - 12, and the other for older kids and adults.  This worked
>pretty well, until the numbers of bodies got too big.  Then I divided the
>kids along the lines of school grades.  Now I have 1st and 2nd graders
>together, 3,4,5th graders together, 6,7,8th graders together, and my high
>school kids train with adults.  Start with wide ages, and make it narrower if
>you have lots of kids, or the kids are clustered in certain age groups.  If
>you have a lot of young kids, 6 or 7 year olds, they need much different
>attention than the older ones.  How to split the class will make itself
>apparent.  I recommend that the children be in first grade to be able to
>start training.  If they are younger than that, they have a hard time making
>it through a class.
>
>Make sure that you schedule the classes when kids can get to them.  If they
>need to have mom or dad bring them, they have to have class at a time when
>mom and dad are available.
>
>Also be clear about the rules for your dojo.  Make the consequences of bad
>behavior clear, and be firm.  I am not strict, but I do make the boundaries
>really clear.  Children need clear limits, especially in the dojo for safe
>practice.
>
>I also play a lot of skill games with young kids.  They like learning to be
>fun, and playing games is good for that.  For example, you can play soccer
>while walking on your knees in suwariwaza.  Almost any game that kids play
>with a ball can be adjusted to fit some aikido skill.  Tag games are
>especially good for rolling practice or shikko.  I always keep on hand a
>couple of foam balls (soft, about 20 cm diameter), a blindfold, and balloons.
> If you are interested in games, there is a good book out here.  I know the
>man who wrote it, and he also teaches kids a lot.  If you are interested, you
>might write to:
>Michael Friedl
>Aikido of Ashland
>P.O. Box 33
> Ashland, Oregon 97520-0002
>U.S.A.
> The book is called Ah...To be a Kid and is full of aikido games for children.
>
>Martha Levenson
>===========================================================================
>Sorry to be so late with a couple of ideas.  I'm rarely involved with kids'
>class at our dojo, and I only remembered seeing these "games" when I read
>your compilation of people's suggestions.
>
>1) What's the name of the old game where kids line up along opposite sides
>of the gym and throw balls at each other, trying to hit someone, thereby
>"removing" them from the game?  A version of this is played occasionally.
> We use pillows that are sitting around the dojo (for guests' comfort).  The
>kids must throw the pillows along the mat, that is, _low_.  To avoid getting
>hit, a kid must _roll_ out of the way.  Naturally, this game is sort of
>wild, and care must be taken to avoid pillows thrown high and kids rolling
>into each other.  But, under control, it works and is fun.
>
>2) Obstacle/circuit course.  Each kid goes around the mat, performing a task
>at each "station."  Some examples of tasks:  picking up a bokken and making
>several kinds of cuts in reasonably decent form; taking a forward roll over
>a jo; performing a specified technique on a teacher/helper; dodging or
>jumping over a bokken/jo that is being wielded by teacher/helper.  Lots of
>things can be thrown in.
>
>I'll relay your compilation to our kids class instructor.  If he has any
>comments, I'll get back to you.
>
>Jayson Chung
>===========================================================================
>The children (age 6 to 12) in our dojo (Ken
>Mon Kan in Shropshire, UK) love to play a game called "Sensei Says"
>which is based on Simon Says. All the children line up in the dojo
>and perform the exercises Sensei calls out eg. "Sensei says Forward
>Ukemi", "Sensei says Backwards Ukemi", "Sensei says Backfoot Irimi
>Tenkan".  The children concentrate very hard because if Sensei calls
>out "Tenkan" without the prefix "Sensei says" there must be no
>movement - anyone that moves is out and sits at the edge of the mat
>in seiza until the game is over. Also if you do a different exercise
>to the one called out - it's the end of the game for you.
>
>There will be anything from 10 to 30 children on the mat and a game
>will last about 10 minutes.
>
>I find it best to adjust my perception of movement to the standard
>of student, a twitch is enough to dismiss a high grade junior
>whereas a beginner gets quite a few chances. The children expect
>this and show the same tolerance themselves which I always find very
>satisfying.
>
>"Sensei Says" really helps to keep the childrens' attention focused
>and rewards them after a long session of Ikkyo which they don't
>find quite so much fun.
>
>Best regards... Paul Castle
>======================================================================== 35
>Marc writes:
>>      Basically, it comes down to attention span -- for the most
>> part, they have very little.
>
>The club here doesn't have a separate class for kids (although we do
>occasionally get one or two kids in the class), so my experience with
>kids in MA is mostly from karate classes I used to teach.
>
>I'm curious to see if anyone else has noticed this or tried it in an
>aikido setting.  I found from watching other instructors that if you
>run the kids right into the ground at the beginning of class, they pay
>attention a lot better when you start trying to teach them actual
>technique.  They recover pretty quickly, but it gives you some time to
>get them involved in what's going on.  The higher ranks are generally
>better conditioned as a result, and this is okay since they also have
>better self-discipline.
>
>The other nice thing (from the parents point of view) is that all they
>want to do when they get home is sit in one place and relax. :-)
>======================================================================== 31
>The main teacher of our kids class has the kids do a little meditation.
> They sit in seiza, as still and quiet as they can.  The teacher often gives
>them some idea for focusing their minds, so they're not sitting there all
>hard and tense and itchy.  It's just for a minute or two.  Sometimes he asks
>them to give him another 20-30 seconds where _everyone_ is perfectly still
>and quiet.
>
>Most of the class is pretty, well, kid-paced, but this exercise is a useful
>counterbalance and certainly gives the kids a unadulterated look at a
>fundamental part of martial arts.  It's part of the teacher's expectation of
>what the kids will practice, so the kids just do it, though for some it's
>not easy.  I get the impression the parents love it.
>
>Jayson