Training Drills: Set 1

Belt sparring  

Equipment Setup: Cut old belts into 14" belt lengths. Put red tape on the tips of four of them (labels them and helps prevent unraveling). Use black tape another four pieces.  Make as many 8 piece sets as you need. Divide students into two teams (may also team students against parents). Each student will place belt pieces of the same color under the current belt (2 in front and 2 in back). Rules: no punching, kicking, biting, choking, or crying. May only use open hand block or parry to avoid their pieces from being taken. Call everyone to Attention! bow! Fighting stance! and Begin! Students try to pull all of the opponents’ belt pieces and throw them on the floor. Winning teams advance to new levels just like sparring DO AS MANY ROUNDS AS YOU NEED TO GET A CHAMPION. Replace any missing pieces before next match.

Ribbon Sparring Cut 4" lengths of a durable type of ribbon. Place a small piece double-sided tape the top of each ribbon. Stick a ribbon over each child's solar plexus. Student’s spar by trying to grab the opponent’s ribbon. For longer rounds, you may add a ribbon to one or two shoulders or to the back (for students who continually turn their backs to opponents). Exercise is excellent for teaching timing and movement, since grabbing motion is similar to punching.

Through the loop

Line up students. Staff personnel on each end of a long rope turn it in the direction of the line of students. One at a time, each student tries to run through the rope without being hit by the rope. If rope touches them, they are out. As the students get better in their timing, the speed of the turning may be increased.

Master says

A Taekwondo version of Simon Says. Instruct the class not to move or speak unless "Master says" to do so. Take the children through various movements, attempting to trick them along the way. They are to sit down if they move or speak inappropriately. Note: In this drill, as well as all others, make sure the children understand and play by the honor system. The honor system means that the children do not wait for the instructor to tell them they are out. They sit down on their own, as they know they have made a mistake; knowing that it does not mean a thing to win a game dishonestly. It is much better to be the first one sitting down honestly, than it would be to the last one standing and have cheated along the way.