One of the most valuable skills you can develop in your Dragons is memory. It is important to have a good memory for so many reasons. Your Dragons will begin to retain techniques and lessons. Your Dragons will also begin to make smart decisions because they will remember important thing that you teach them. Parents will notice just how smart their Dragons become when they attend the class that focuses on memory.

Drill 1: Martial Arts Name Game

The instructor will give each Dragon a new name that is related to martial arts technique. Each Dragon must remember every Dragons new name.

Goal: This drill will immediately help Dragons focus on remembering things. Use this drill to stress the important of paying attention, so that they will remember more.

Set up:

Step 1: Sit all of the Dragons in a circle low rank to high rank.

Step 2: Have the first Dragon stand up and give the Dragon a new name relating to a martial arts technique.

Ex. Mr. High Block

Step 3:  Have every Dragon say hello to the Dragon using the Dragon’s new name.

Step 4:  Go around the circle until every Dragon has a new name.

Step 5:  Start back at the beginning and have the Dragon repeat the name of the Dragon next to him or her.

Step 6:  The next Dragon must repeat the names of both the first Dragon and the Dragon next to him or her.

Step 7: The next Dragon will have one more Dragon’s name to remember and so on until you have gone around the circle.

Instructor Tips:  By the time you get to the highest rank in class, that Dragon will have to remember every Dragon’s new name making their job the most challenging. If a Dragon gets stuck, have the Dragon who has the forgotten name demonstrate the technique they were named after.

Drill 2: Memory Game

The instructor will lead the Dragons through a form starting with one technique and adding one more each time through.

Goal: This is the best drill used to get the Dragons to remember their form. The Dragons will learn that through repetition, they will remember more.

Set up:

Step 1: Have all of the Dragons line up facing the mirror. 

Step 2:  Have the instructor stand in front of the Dragons facing the mirror as well.

Step 3: The instructor will demonstrate the first move in the form. 

Step 4: The Dragons will then demonstrate that move.

Step 5: The instructor will then add one more move to the form, as the Dragons demonstrate both moves.

Step 6: Repeat the process until you have completed the form.

Remember, the form should vary according to rank and style. You may have to separate the Dragons into different groups if the form requirements are different.

Instructor Tips: Have the Dragon repeat the name of the technique as they demonstrate it. The best ways to learn are by sound, visual aid, and actual participation. Don’t forget to over exaggerate to motion of each technique so that the Dragons can follow along with proper technique.

Drill 3: The Jungle Game

The instructor will take the Dragons through the jungle calling out specific animals and objects that the Dragons must respond to.

Goal: This is a very fun drill that will help the Dragons develop memory by ply. It is also a very good work out.

Set up:

Step 1:  Have all of the Dragons and the instructor make a big circle.

Step 2:  Have the Dragons jog in place as you explain to them to pretend that they are running through a jungle.

Step 3:  Explain that when they see a log in the jungle the must jump and when they see a branch they must duck.

Step 4:  Call out a few logs and have the Dragons jump. Do the same for branches.

Step 5: Repeat step 3 & 4 with various animals. Bear means the Dragons pretend to sleep. Lion means the Dragons growl loud. Cheetah means the Dragons run fast in place.

Instructor Tips: Use a lot of animation in this drill. This is one of the Dragons favorite drills. The more the instructor puts into the drill, the more the Dragons will too.

Drill 4: Circle of Dragons

The instructor will demonstrate a technique. The next Dragons will demonstrate the same technique plus add one. The drill continues until someone forgets a technique.

Goal: This drill will help the Dragons focus on memorizing combinations of martial arts techniques. This will help prepare them for the regular martial arts classes when memorizing a form is mandatory.

Set up:

Step 1:  Have the instructor and the Dragons make a big circle low rank to high rank.

Step 2:  The instructor will go first demonstrating a martial arts technique.

Step 3:  The Dragon to the immediate left will demonstrate the same technique and add another technique.

Step 4:  The Dragon to the left of the Dragon who just demonstrated will then demonstrate both of their techniques and add one more technique.

Step 5: Repeat the process until a Dragon forgets a technique. Begin from there steps 2 and on.

Instructor tips: Make sure the techniques accommodate their rank and style. The techniques should be easy to follow. Dragon are still developing their basic motor skills, so be lenient when specifying which hand and foot they demonstrate with.

Drill 5:  Dragon Form

The instructor will have each Dragon perform his or her own form for the class.

Goal: This drill will help the Dragons retain their required techniques for their rank. It will also help them learn to perform in front of people.

Set up:

Step 1:  Have the Dragons make a circle.

Step 2: Review all of the martial arts techniques required for their rank and below.

Step 2:  Have the Dragons sit down. The Dragon who is sitting the best will go first on the Dragon form.

Step 3:  The first Dragons will stand in the middle of the circle and perform a creative Dragon form using the techniques the instructor just reviewed.

Step 4:  Repeat the process until every Dragon had a chance to perform.

Step 5: Follow the Little Dragon format to find the suggested amount of time the Dragons should spend performing their form according to their rank.

Instructor tips: Enforce creativity and variety in the form. Each Dragon should demonstrate each requires technique at least once. The instructor may have to coach the Dragons while they are performing. Avoid letting any Dragon just stand there in front of their classmates and parents. If that should happen, get up there and do a creative Dragon form with them.

Memorizing martial arts techniques is the core to the physical development of your Dragons. Try to constantly encourage the Dragons to remember each technique. This skill is covered specifically for that reason. The more your Dragons retain, the better students they will become.

At the end of this class, you should reward each Dragon with an orange stripe showing that they have passed their memory 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 is designed to accommodate all ranks and styles. The higher rank the student, the more difficult techniques you should use in each drill; and the higher standards you should set for their performance.