Teaching young martial artists to maintain balance is crucial for their development. Here are five effective drills to enhance balance in your Little Dragons martial arts classes.

Drill 1: Dragon Crane

Goal: Help Dragons develop balance while holding their leg up.

Setup:

  1. Have all of your Dragons sit in a circle. The instructor will stand in the middle.
  2. Select the best-behaved Dragon to go first.
  3. The first Dragon stands next to the instructor and holds their leg up for 5 seconds. If they put their foot down, have them try again.
  4. Have all the Dragons in the circle count to five.
  5. Repeat until every Dragon has had a chance to participate.
  6. Follow your Little Dragons format to find suggested rank requirements for holding their leg up.

Instructor Tips: Some Dragons may have poor balance. Help them by holding their hand, providing a confidence boost.

Drill 2: Dragon Walk

Goal: Help Dragons improve posture and balance.

Setup:

  1. Split the Dragons into two lines if you have an assistant.
  2. The first Dragon in line stands up and balances a small square target on their head for 5 seconds, then goes to the end of the line.
  3. Repeat until every Dragon has had a chance to participate.
  4. On the second round, have the Dragons walk as far as they can without dropping the target.
  5. Follow the Little Dragon format for the suggested distance according to their rank.

Instructor Tips: Help Dragons struggling to balance by slightly holding the target with your finger until they learn to balance independently.

Drill 3: Dragon Rocks

Goal: Help Dragons focus on balance while walking.

Setup:

  1. Lay out small square targets in a staggered line. You may need two lines depending on class size.
  2. Have Dragons line up in front of the targets.
  3. The first Dragon walks across the targets without putting their foot on the floor. If they do, they must start again.
  4. Repeat until every Dragon has had a chance to participate.

Instructor Tips: Add excitement by having Dragons sit on each side of the targets and pretend to be alligators. If a Dragon puts their foot on the floor, the closest Dragon can pretend to bite their foot.

Drill 4: Dragon Stances

Goal: Help Dragons use proper foot positioning in their stances.

Setup:

  1. Make two lines 2 feet apart down your floor.
  2. Have Dragons line up on one end of the lines.
  3. The first Dragon steps into a front stance with the rear foot on one line and the front foot on the other.
  4. Ensure proper foot and knee positioning.
  5. The Dragon steps forward into another front stance, repeating steps 3 & 4.
  6. Repeat with each Dragon until everyone has participated.
  7. Repeat the drill using additional stances such as back stance, middle stance, and rear stance.

Instructor Tips: Ensure smooth transitions from one stance to another with minimal adjustments to feet, knees, and posture. Maintain proper hand guarding positions.

Drill 5: Dragon Kicks

Goal: Help Dragons work on proper chambers in their kicks and improve repetitious kicks.

Setup:

  1. Have all Dragons sit in a circle with the instructor in the middle.
  2. Select the best-behaved Dragon to go first.
  3. The first Dragon stands next to the instructor and kicks the target five times without putting their leg down. If they do, have them try again.
  4. Have all Dragons in the circle count to five.
  5. Repeat until every Dragon has had a chance to participate.
  6. Follow your Little Dragons format to find suggested rank requirements for the number of repetitions.

Instructor Tips: Help Dragons with poor balance by holding their hand. This confidence boost can significantly improve their balance.

Conclusion: Developing balance in young martial artists is essential. These drills are designed to make learning fun while instilling important skills in your Little Dragons. At the end of this class, reward each Dragon with a yellow stripe to show they have passed their balance requirement for that belt. At testing time, you can select one or more of these drills to demonstrate in front of the judges. Each drill accommodates all ranks and styles, with higher ranks using more difficult techniques and meeting higher performance standards.