Developing coordination in young martial arts students is crucial for their overall growth and proficiency. Here are five effective drills to enhance coordination in your Little Dragons martial arts classes.

Drill 1: Left Hand-Right Hand

Goal: Help Dragons differentiate between their left and right hands while striking a target.

Setup:

  1. Line up the Dragons in front of you with two square targets or mitts.
  2. The first Dragon strikes the left target with their left hand and the right target with their right hand.
  3. Repeat this twice for each Dragon.
  4. On the third turn, call out "left" or "right" four times, and the Dragon must strike the correct target.
  5. Repeat step 4 twice for each Dragon.

Instructor Tips: Keep the line moving quickly. If a Dragon uses the wrong hand, move the target to prevent a mistake.

Drill 2: Left Foot-Right Foot

Goal: Help Dragons differentiate between their left and right feet while kicking a target.

Setup:

  1. Line up the Dragons with two square targets or mitts.
  2. The first Dragon kicks the left target with their left foot and the right target with their right foot.
  3. Repeat this twice for each Dragon.
  4. On the third turn, call out "left" or "right" four times, and the Dragon must kick the correct target.
  5. Repeat step 4 twice for each Dragon.

Instructor Tips: Keep the line moving quickly. If a Dragon uses the wrong foot, move the target to prevent a mistake.

Drill 3: Jump and Move

Goal: Develop agility by having Dragons dodge hand targets.

Setup:

  1. Line up the Dragons with two square targets or mitts.
  2. The first Dragon ducks as you swing a target by their head.
  3. Repeat this twice for each Dragon.
  4. On the third turn, swing the target by the Dragon’s chest, and they must dodge it.
  5. Combine steps 2 and 4, repeating twice for each Dragon.

Instructor Tips: Keep the line moving quickly. Ensure Dragons always keep their hands on each side of their jaw.

Drill 4: Dragon Kickboxing

Goal: Prepare Dragons for sparring by practicing combinations on hand targets.

Setup:

  1. Line up the Dragons with two square targets or mitts.
  2. The first Dragon punches the left target with their left hand, the right target with their right hand, then ducks as you swing a target by their head.
  3. Repeat this twice for each Dragon.
  4. On the third turn, the Dragon kicks the left target with their left foot, the right target with their right foot, then dodges a swing to their chest.
  5. Combine steps 2 and 4, repeating twice for each Dragon.

Instructor Tips: Coach Dragons through this drill, reinforcing proper combinations.

Drill 5: Dragon Noodle

Goal: Develop coordination by having Dragons jump over a noodle and demonstrate various techniques.

Setup:

  1. Line up the Dragons.
  2. The first Dragon jumps over the noodle.
  3. On the second turn, the Dragons jump and kick over the noodle.
  4. On the third turn, they jump and punch over the noodle.
  5. On the fourth turn, they kick and punch while jumping over the noodle.

Instructor Tips: Keep the line moving quickly. Emphasize effort over perfect technique. With practice, their skills will improve.

Conclusion

Working on coordination can be fun and challenging for Dragons. These drills will not only enhance their coordination but also keep them engaged and excited about martial arts. At the end of this class, reward each Dragon with a brown stripe to show they have passed their coordination requirement for that belt. During testing, select one or more of these drills to demonstrate in front of judges, adjusting techniques and standards based on their rank.