Engaging Fitness Drills for Little Dragons Martial Arts Classes

Fitness is a crucial component of martial arts training, especially for young students. Here are five engaging fitness drills to keep your Little Dragons excited about exercise and martial arts.

Drill 1: Lion Push-ups

Goal: Make push-ups fun by having Dragons animate like lions.

Setup:

  1. Form a big circle with your Dragons.
  2. Have all Dragons lay on their stomachs and put their “lion paws” on the ground.
  3. Each time you count, have the Dragons do a push-up while growling like a lion.
  4. Follow the Little Dragon format to determine the number of reps according to their rank.

Instructor Tips: Animate with the Dragons to make the drill fun. Encourage effort over perfect form at this age.

Drill 2: Frog Squat-Jumps

Goal: Make squat-jumps enjoyable by having Dragons pretend to be frogs.

Setup:

  1. Form a big circle with all the Dragons.
  2. Have the Dragons put their hands on their heads, bend their knees low while keeping their back straight.
  3. Each time you count, the Dragons jump as high as they can while making a frog sound.
  4. Follow the Little Dragon format for the number of reps based on their rank.

Instructor Tips: Participate with the Dragons and encourage them to jump high.

Drill 3: Cat Sit-ups

Goal: Make sit-ups entertaining by having Dragons animate like cats.

Setup:

  1. Form a big circle with your Dragons.
  2. Have all Dragons lay on their backs.
  3. Each time you count, the Dragons do a sit-up while meowing like a cat.
  4. Follow the Little Dragon format for the number of reps according to their rank.

Instructor Tips: Animate with the Dragons to keep them engaged. Focus on effort rather than perfect form.

Drill 4: Dragon Marathon

Goal: Provide a good cardio workout through varied exercises.

Setup:

  1. Set up markers on the four corners of the classroom.
  2. Have the Dragons line up behind you.
  3. Jog around the classroom staying outside the markers.
  4. Give commands like “lion” for push-ups, “frog” for squat-jumps, and “cat” for sit-ups, with each command followed by the respective exercise.

Instructor Tips: Participate and encourage the Dragons to follow along energetically.

Drill 5: Dragon-Dragon-Turtle

Goal: Burn off excess energy with a fun variation of duck-duck-goose.

Setup:

  1. Form a big circle with the Dragons.
  2. Have the best-behaved Dragon go first, walking around the circle and tapping each Dragon on the head, saying “Dragon.”
  3. When the Dragon says “Turtle” and taps a head, the “Turtle” chases the Dragon around the circle.
  4. If tagged, the Dragon sits in the middle for tickling. Continue until every Dragon has a turn.

Instructor Tips: Ensure every Dragon gets a chance to participate and encourage cheering for classmates.

Conclusion: These drills are designed to make fitness fun and engaging for young martial artists. By incorporating imaginative play, you can foster a love for exercise and help Dragons develop essential martial arts skills.

At the end of this class, reward each Dragon with a black stripe, showing they have passed their fitness 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.