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Judo Games for Kids

Judo is a Japanese martial art that can be translated literally as the "gentle way." The strength in learning judo is that you do not have to be extremely powerful or have big muscles to succeed. In judo, you are to use your attacker's strength against him. The martial art is meant to bring you into a mental, emotional, physical and moral calmness. It is these factors which truly make it a worthwhile activity for kids. It is also a great way to keep kids in shape and to introduce them to new friends.

Kneeling Knockdown
- This game practices judo pinning technique and allows for students to express moral statements. Split the class into pairs of two and have both students go down on their knees. The object of the game is for one student to push or pull the other student on his back long enough to say a moral statement like "Honor means always keeping your promises." In competitive judo, one must pin an opponent for several seconds, so saying a phrase like this allows students to get used to the timing.
Protector Defender
- This warm-up game requires the group to stand in a circle. Two students are selected to be in the center and one is the protector while the other is the defender. These two students grip each other with a standard judo grip. The students on the outside of the circle have a soft ball and they try to hit the defender while passing the ball to someone else in the circle. The protector must stop the defender from being hit and the defender must try to avoid the ball hitting him. If the defender is hit, the person who threw the ball becomes the protector and the protector becomes the defender, while the previous defender becomes part of the circle.
Crawling Man
- This game also requires teams of two students. One partner begins on his hands and knees and the other stands behind that partner with her hands on the first partner's back. When you say "Go," the crawling man crawls to the other side of the room while the person behind him tries to turn the partner on the ground to his back. This game works well when instructing your students on hook techniques and other groundwork skills.
Cat &Mouse
- The kids in your group may enjoy this game so much they won't want to stop playing it. Have everyone in your group sit in a circle and choose two students. One is the cat and the other is the mouse. The cat chases the mouse around the circle. If the cat tags the mouse, they switch roles and the new cat catches the new mouse. If the mouse sits behind another classmate, the new classmate now becomes the cat and the person who was the cat becomes the mouse. This game can tire out your students if you do it too long, so make sure to pay attention to when they are warmed up and ready to move on.

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