It's now Easter break, meaning that many kids and teens will be looking for some Easter fun, so why not bring the Easter fun to their martial arts classes? In this blog, we are going to give you some egg-citing Easter warm-ups for all those young students inside your classes.
Bunny Hop Sparring
Encourage your students to enter the Easter break with fun bunny-like sparring. Have the students place their sparring gear on (only foot, shin and hand guards, chestplate if you use them), the aim is to hit your opponent in the chest area while hopping like bunnies. While this may sound weird, there is some reasons why this can help your students.
- Be Inventive - As there is only one target, sparrers have to be inventive as how their going to open up opportunities to hit the target.
- Calf Workout - Constantly hopping on the ball of your feet can help build up calf strength and endurance for actual sparring.
- Speed Training - In point-based sparring, the aim is to get as many points as you can, and so this is a fun activity to help train your students' speed and reactions.
Egg Roll Challenge
This activity is for those who want to practice guarding and the theory behind their guard. The aim is to get students to roll and practice getting back up in a guarding position of their choice. You can then ask them questions about what parts of their body their guard is utilising and what important parts it's protecting.
Basket Guard Game
This activity is aimed at martial arts that deal with grappling and maneuvering techniques. The aim is to get your students into groups of two; each group then has a basket with some "eggs" inside. The aim is to have one student guard the basket using a range of controlled grappling techniques while the other one of the group tries to steal eggs from another group. The winner is the one with the most eggs in their basket.
The Bunny Trials
In this game, you split your students into two groups, and each of them lines up, 3 students from each group grab some paddles (or pads if you don't use paddles) and line up in front of their group of students. The ones with the pads or paddles are the group testers. Each person has to hit each pad using a kick of the pad holder's choice; however, it's a race against the other team to get to the other side and back. The Twist? Each person has to do a regular kick, a jumping kick, and a spinning kick. Let the Trial Begin!
Bunny Defence Drill
In this game, one student is chosen to be the "bunny" and must be protected from the others. The rules are simple: 2 students have to protect the bunny while the bunny moves around the dojo (or dojang), and two or more students are designated as the attackers. Using light and controlled moves, the attackers simulate attacks while trying to touch the bunny with their kicks, while the defenders attempt to block and counter the attackers. The Catch? If an attacker or defender is hit once in a target area then they have been defeated and are removed from the game. This game promotes teamwork and helps students learn how they might use their martial arts skills to defend someone other than themself. The game ends if the bunny gets hit or the attackers are defeated. The bunny cannot attack or defend themself.
I hope that you come away from this blog with some new ideas on how you can teach your younger students the art of martial arts, all while having a little bit of Easter fun!
Stay disciplined, stay strong, and I'll see you next time!
