did a search and didn't come up with much, sorry if this is a duplicate topic.


i'd be interested to know what kind of coaching methods you use with kids

what ages do you work with?
how did you introduce the judo syllabus?
does every kid wear a gi?
do you play many games or is it very judo specific?
how long did you spend teaching basic acrobatic skills ie rolls and breakfalls?
how long before you had them throwing each other, and what throws did you use?
do you allow or are you allowed to let them partake in controlled randori?
do you go into submissions or just throws and pins?

lol sorry for all the questions, coaching kids is something that interests me, i'd like to do it one day and would like to hear how you handled it?

oh one more Q, discipline wise, how did you handle unruly kids, or ones who simply didn't want to partake?

and if anyone has links to resources on coaching judo to kids (websites, books etc) please post em

This was posted by judoKid in the Media section: Play as the way 2. i remember him posting PAW 1 also but you can determine that from the link. Excellent tool!

Here's the thread for Play as the way 1 - see the URL from JudoKid

A couple others related to girls v. boys, children in competition, when is the appropriate age to teach shime/kansetuwaza, etc:

http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=156
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1397
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=19
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=2392
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=217
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=5972
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=3040
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=5404
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4838
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4876
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4664
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4004
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4207
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=3970

Try searching: children, kids, teaching, coaching (and combinations of these)
Make sure you set it to for posts older than today, otherwise, you will get nothing.

These are just a few I picked out. Will that get you started?

Updated the new links provided by Kid on those threads.

> what ages do you work with?
5-16

> how did you introduce the judo syllabus?
Not sure I undestand this question. They come to the class, we teach them Judo.

> does every kid wear a gi?
Yes. We have spares for new people until they get their own.

> do you play many games or is it very judo specific?
We play games - with 5 year olds you have to!

> how long did you spend teaching basic acrobatic skills ie rolls and breakfalls?

We practise them every class, from the beginning.

> how long before you had them throwing each other, and what throws did you use?
First few weeks, very carefully. Generally a bigger more experienced student will control the throws on beginners until they can fall reasonably. Tai-otoshi, O-goshi and a sweep (I prefer osoto-gari, but we do ouchi-gari cos the theory syllabus demans it)


> do you allow or are you allowed to let them partake in controlled randori?
Yes.

> do you go into submissions or just throws and pins?
No submissions until they're about 13. Can't use them in competition until senior (16) anyway (BJA rules)

Ragster

i pretty much agree with Ragster. however, the submission q is differnt for me. i judge each individual student as to when i will teach chokes. i show thaam to them all so they know what they are. but only certain ages can use them in practice. but in the US, we can use shime waza at 13, so at the very least, i want kids to kknow how to defend. we always practice ukemi. everybody. good ukemi is the foundation of good judo. i cannot overstress this to my kids. i tell them that at my adult BB class, we still do ukemi (zempo kaiten) at each practice. when my kids get unruly, and this is very rare, i have them bow off the mat, and sit down for a while. i have them throwing right away. they may not be thrown bythe others until they have a modicum of ukemi skill. however, i throw them in a slow and contolled manner to get them used to the movement. this helps get them more relaxed for taking falls.

<what ages do you work with?>
We usually start with the 6-7 year olds, but we have taken as young as 5.

<does every kid wear a gi? >
Yes. If the child does not have his gi, he/she is still allowed to practice. The first few weeks are dedicated to learing the warm up excercises etc., as well as learning to fall. However buy the time they are ready for Uchikomi, gi(s) are manditory. Some of the student could not afford one, we do keep several gi(s) for these situations.

<do you play many games or is it very judo specific? >
We did have several games. Two of which are: to devide the class into several groups and have them race through mat crawls etc. If they become sloppy the student goes back to the starting line. Sometimes we do the "pit". Having the calss sit in a circle w/ a student prone ready for newaza. The Sensei will circle the pit and selects the student to attack. This is done continously until the Sensei calls for another student to go prone. Everyone participates.

<how long did you spend teaching basic acrobatic skills ie rolls and breakfalls? >
As long as it takes to ensure that the child "got" it and could be safe.

<how long before you had them throwing each other, and what throws did you use? >
Some kids learn faster and could do the needed skills required. Others are slower. So the throwing really is dependent on when their skills develop. On the average 3 to 4 weeks, give or take a few. Osoto Gari would be the first throw.

<do you allow or are you allowed to let them partake in controlled randori? >
Yes if they show skill appropirate skill levels. They may even participate in the shia towards the end of class. As others would get into tachi waza, the newer wee ones would go back to back newaza, or if they are skilled, tachi.

<do you go into submissions or just throws and pins?>
For the younger ones tachi/newaza. Submissions for the older, experienced ones.

>i'd be interested to know what kind of coaching methods you use with kids
Get a copy “Judo for the West” by Geof Gleeson

>what ages do you work with?
as young as five

>how did you introduce the judo syllabus?
The child received their judo syllabus with their judogi.

>does every kid wear a gi?
Yes. It is requriment.

>do you play many games or is it very judo specific?
Everything is judo specific, but may have application outside the dojo. Play is a fun way of learning skills.

>how long did you spend teaching basic acrobatic skills ie rolls and breakfalls?
Every class session will do ukemi (breakfalls) as part of the warms. Ukemi is everyones first judo lesson.

>how long before you had them throwing each other, and what throws did you use?
Usually by the second class session we have the kids throwing Osoto gari.

>do you allow or are you allowed to let them partake in controlled randori?
Yes. By the second or third session.

>do you go into submissions or just throws and pins?
Submissions in judo are chokes & arms. For the juniors (yonen) we only do pins.

>lol sorry for all the questions, coaching kids is something that interests me, i'd like to do it one day and would like to hear how you handled it?

Once again, read “Judo for the West” by Geof Gleeson. It is out of print but there are copies available.

>oh one more Q, discipline wise, how did you handle unruly kids, or ones who simply didn't want to partake?

They are asked to leave the mat. After a period of time off the mat, they are offered to come back on the mat if the behave.

what ages do you work with? 5 and above
how did you introduce the judo syllabus? I make grading cards (yellow belt on yellow card, orange belt on orange card, etc, and when the children join they automatically get a copy of the yellow card which they bring to training each week. I then try to make sure that evryone goes home having something ticked and signed off on their grading card. This is a big help before gradings because it enables me to see whay they have learned.

does every kid wear a gi? We always have spare gis for the kids to borrow until they get their own. When our members gis get too small they are encouraged to donate them to the club and in return they get a free lesson or two. In that way we always have a constant supply of gis for new members.

do you play many games or is it very judo specific? In a one and a half hour class we usually spend the last 15 minutes doing a judo oriented game (sumo, stalk fighting, jockeys up, bulldogs, samurai, etc). On certain occasions we may put in a short game part way through the class if it fits in with the technique being taught.

how long did you spend teaching basic acrobatic skills ie rolls and breakfalls? Whilst rest of class are doing their breakfalls, I usually take the new ones to one side and show them the basic rolling breakfall and side breakfalls. i continue this for a few lessons and make sure that the new kids are thrown safely by the higher grades until they learn the break falls sufficiently enough to begin throwing each other. When they do throws i insist on them banging the mat, etc.

how long before you had them throwing each other, and what throws did you use? they learn throws from first lesson usually against a higher grade. Usually its o soto gari or o uchi gari as those are the first two on syllabus.

do you allow or are you allowed to let them partake in controlled randori? yes, again with a higher grade for a few lessons and then we usually group them together to do light controlled randori.

do you go into submissions or just throws and pins? Submissons only for higher grades and then only with one of the coaches refereeing.


oh one more Q, discipline wise, how did you handle unruly kids, or ones who simply didn't want to partake? if they mess around I just stop them and give them a warning. If they persist then I send them off the mat for a 10 minute time out. If they dont want to partake again I ask them to sit on the side and then i do the meanest thing ever, I give the rest of the students a fun game to play and it is amazing how quickly the kid I have sent off the mat wants to join in again. As for not wanting to take part, I also ask them if they want to do judo and if they dont I would have a word with thair parent and suggest he/she doesnt come along again, but in 12 years that has only happened to one kid.

Hope this helps

Chris