TIPS ON TRAINING OUR KIDS:
Ok – first let it be known that I/we do not teach martial arts to children.

I am however a father and I have found myself doing a few things from time to time that may be something you want to try. Whatever you do to attempt to “train” your children, I will tell you this…. If it is not FUN… then it is not something they will want to do. We are not giving them battlefield skills, just some tools on building some basic skills. A “good start”….

1) The Bubble Game:

The only thing you need for this one is a bottle of bubbles and a bit of open space in your yard or garage. Have mom or dad stand about 3 to 4 feet away from your child and just start blowing bubbles with the normal “bubble wand” that comes in a jar of bubbles.

Start slow with just one or two breaths at a time, and then speed up and even change directions a bit moving back and forth.

You can break this down further into 3 different sets of drills in same game:

Popping bubbles with her first “pointer” finger (eye gouge / spear).
Popping bubbles with her open hands (slapping).
Popping bubbles with her fists (punching).
Popping bubbles with only one hand at a time.

This is a very easy drill and is absolutely fun for all.

Once they get good at it, make it a challenge for them. Something like if they pop all the bubbles in a breath or drill, then they get a small prize or snack of their choice.

HOWEVER….for every one they let touch the ground, they owe you 2 push ups each.

Try that one on for size

2) Cold Spoon Tag Drills
Fact:
The knife is the most common weapon used world- wide by criminals.

If your child goes to school then they have a very good chance of running into someone carrying or using a pocket knife.

A game that I got off our good friend and brother Tom Sotis is the “Cold Spoon Tag Game”, and it is a blast.

Very simple – you keep a pair of metal spoons in your freezer for “just that right time to play”.

When you have a few extra minutes and want to add some fun excitement (and good training in both self defense as well as coordination) to the day.

Go outside and stand in a small circle (usually we draw one with chalk on the ground or just do in the grass and agree we can not run or step away) – and have a great game of “tag”. If you have a boy (or youngster) it is even better to take off your shirts. A cold spoon landing on your belly is not only cold…but funny. We don’t really “hit or strike” with the spoons, but more try to lay them on each other, and we keep them on the skin until the other person knocks it away or moves. It ends up looking like a cross between twister with a spoon and the Matrix, but it really is fun and silly.

The only difference is instead of your hands you are using a cold spoon, and instead of running away, you can block or slap it away.

You can make MANY versions of this game and have a great time doing it. Some ways I do with my daughter:

• use Both hands to
• use one hand with no blocking
• use one hand with blocking
• on our knees
• on her back against me standing (and reverse as well)
• and many many others
Only limited by your imagination

3) The Sniper Crawl

Ok, laugh if you will, but teaching (or reminding) your child how to crawl ….and even play dead…could be a life saving skill.

There are a few different crawls that I work on with my little girl:
A) High Crawl
B) Low Crawl
C)Sniper Crawl.

They all have there own uses and advantage / disadvantages.

For anything from escaping a burning room and crawling beneath the smoke to getting under a bed or table to hide from intruders. In a horrific event like the Russian school invasion / killings to the Norweigh shooter, those that stayed below the sight line….and even those that played dead had a greater success of survival than those that ran or panic.

Even in the military we are taught that if you are wounded and can not get behind cover or return fire – we should play dead.

Most predator type actions or attacks focus on the moving, living and even fleeing versus those that are down and no longer remain a threat. Just some food for thought –

4) The Old Kung Fu Test

Remember the old TV show “Kung Fu” with David Carradine? During the opening scenes they always showed the clip of the old master holding his hand out with a pebble in his hand.

“When you can take the stone from my hand, you will be ready to leave this place Grasshopper” is what he says.

This is basically the same thing. I usually use a penny instead of a rock, but really anything.

Just hold your hand out open with something small laying in your hand. Have your child hold their hand up near their chin and at the moment of their choice, have them quickly try to snatch the object up.

This is something that will help them work on their quick reflex muscles and learn to “tactically explode” with the hands. Works their quick reaction and reflexes. They are using the mind and the body and again…. this is just another fun and silly thing to do.

All of these tasks, games and things I am talking about should be done for just short amounts of time, periodically when you can.

Don’t make it a chore, make these drills / games quick little fun breaks in the day. They should be smiling and laughing the whole time.

5) Hide & Seek for possible life saving skills
This is one of the first games we end up playing with our kids. It used to be my daughter would just hide her head under a pillow and I would pretend to not see her body sticking out.
Then it went to her being able to hide pretty well in the house. In fact a few times over this last year, she has actually frustrated me a bit because not only could I not find her, but she refused to come out.
(of course as soon as “I’m telling Santa” …she came out)
Now we are at a point where we have talked about if she heard breaking glass at night, or someone were to get in the house, she actually has a few hiding spots that are very good. She knows not to come out no matter what she hears, until the code word is said.
We have fun and do quick little “hiding drills” from time to time. She has to be in her spot in under 5 seconds and she can do it every time.