Lesson Notes from a Koike Sensei Children's Class in 2010

Having just written up my 'Hints and Tips for Teaching Children - Koike Sensei 5th Dan' blog I thought I would also type up and post notes I made on a course in Nottingham, June 2010, taught by Koike Sensei specifically aimed at children.

Children's class

Warm-up

The 'Belt Game' (this is one of the favourite games the kid's have when I teach!)

• Children running in a circle.
• Sensei is in the middle swinging the belt in a circular motion high/low, up/down, fast slow.

Relays

1. Run to Sensei and Kiai.
2. Knees high and Kiai.
3. Heel touch bottom and Kiai
4. Hands forward, foot touching hands.
5. Hands to the side, foot touching hands.
6. Bunny hops, soft landing, arms swing back and forward.
7. 'Hop scotch' - feet together/open moving forward punching choku-zuki at the same time
8. Lay on stomach - pulling body forward (e.g like breast stroke in swimming).
9. Sitting on the floor,face backwards with legs up in the air straight and push yourself backwards.

Team Games

4 mattes out for the teams.

• Run to edge of the matte and do 2 choku-zuki's, roly poly forward on the matte, stand up and do 2 more choku-zuki's. If the child is too scared to roly poly then they just do 10 choku-zuki's instead.
• Run to edge of the matte and do 2 mae-geri's, roly poly forward on the matte, stand up and do 2 more mae-geri's. If the child is too scared to roly poly then they just do 10 mae-geri's instead.

LOTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM KOIKE SENSEI!

Kata

• Lay down - eyes closed - Heian Shodan in your mind.
• Heian Shodan slow to count.
• Heian Shodan focus on front stance - sit on the front leg of the stance (half the class do the Kata/half sit on front leg to make sure the stance is strong).
• Heian Shodan focus on kime - push against block/punch (opposite direction) *RESISTANCE TRAINING.*

Working in pairs/groups = INTERACTION!

Kihon

Hold hands to make a circle.

Choku-zuki

• 10 punches.
• Ask children how to make them stronger.
• Tell them strength in your triceps/arms.
• "Lets do push-ups!!!"

          - 10 normal (on knees).

          - 3 on finger tips

• Then roll wrists and shake off

• Sensei... "now I check punch" - hikite practice. Koike tries to catch punchers hand so hikite must be fast. *FUN*

Mae-geri

• Relaxed knees/ankles - slow mae-geri.
• Bend knees and balance on balls of feet - mae-geri (practice balance!)
• Kick 1 time mae-geri each leg...
• Kick 2 times mae-geri each leg.... then 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 etc.
• Hold hands in circle - 10 times mae-geri keeping knee up - "don't disturb balance."

At the end of the lesson ask.... "What did we learn?"