What are your favorite drills?

[mj-hi-yah]

Do you have favorite drills to teach or participate in? I'm always looking for new drills to do with my class - timing drills, punching, kicking, ducking, speed drills etc., :jediduel:

One of my favorite drills to work with my class is an awareness/listening drill to practice SD ... one person is blindfolded in the middle of the room and everyone else is around the person holding two blockers each. The people around the "blind victim" take turns randomly clapping their blockers and call out an attack (like step through rt) and the blindfolded person has to try and turn quickly to face the direction of the noise and must do a self defense move in the air facing that direction. Some people do very well with this, but it can get very confusing to be without your eyes, and it is lots of fun.

Another favorite drill that's lots of fun is a balloon exercise for working the chamber in a front snap kick. Basically it is balloon volleyball. You stretch a string across two blockers so the string is a couple feet off the ground and two people volley the balloon (or have people work in teams) using only the ball of their foot for the return of the balloon. You are only allowed one hit per person on each side. If the balloon drops on your side you are out! Rotate in the next person or set of people, or set up a couple if there is room. It actually can be quite difficult - most people are surprised at how hard it can be, especially if you face someone with a good strong chamber. This exercise forces a chamber, because the more you chamber the better the chance of making a return - and no spiking!

These are my top two favorite fun drills, but I also really like doing other types of drills - anything. I hate the idea of getting into a funk and drilling the same type of stuff week after week with my class .

So if you'd like to please share your favorite drills. What do you like about them? What do they teach? Can you please describe how you do them?

Thanks,
MJ

 

[Tony]

My instructor always finds different and fun drills to try out. Theres this one where you stand in a line and starting with the person in front he or she has to run in and out the line of people and they have to try and stop him! and line has to keep moving so the person at the back of the line ends up at the front. It really helps you become more aware and faster on your feet.
Another one is to have two lines of facing each other. One person walks through and people from each side take turns striking teh person coming through. That person doesn't know which person is going to strike and has to try to evade or block.
Put your belt or sash tucked into your trousers at the back and your partner has to try and snatch it from you. You have to make sure he doesn't by evading him.

 

[Kenpo Mama]

Hey MJ,

I know this site has been mentioned here before, but it is worth the repeat, lots of fun drills for adults and kids, sparring and sd. Check it out. http://www.4kicks.com/

%-}

Later,

Donna

 

[mj-hi-yah]

My instructor always finds different and fun drills to try out. Theres this one where you stand in a line and starting with the person in front he or she has to run in and out the line of people and they have to try and stop him! and line has to keep moving so the person at the back of the line ends up at the front. It really helps you become more aware and faster on your feet.
Another one is to have two lines of facing each other. One person walks through and people from each side take turns striking teh person coming through. That person doesn't know which person is going to strike and has to try to evade or block.
Put your belt or sash tucked into your trousers at the back and your partner has to try and snatch it from you. You have to make sure he doesn't by evading him.

These sound like lots of fun! How far apart do you stand from each other for the first drill?

 

[mj-hi-yah]

I know this site has been mentioned here before, but it is worth the repeat, lots of fun drills for adults and kids, sparring and sd. Check it out. http://www.4kicks.com/ [Qoute]

Hey there Kenpo Mama,

I have this link buried in an unmanageably long list of MA webpage favorites. This one I've had from my days before becoming an instructor (you might have even sent me this link...I can't remember) but I'll definitely revisit it. Thanks. What's your favorite drill to teach?

Later,
MJ

 

[Tony]

These sound like lots of fun! How far apart do you stand from each other for the first drill?

You stand behind each other with just enough room for the person to come running through but at the same time you are trying to make it difficult!

 

[Taimishu]

Black and Decker
Hilti
Bosch
Ferm










Sorry couldnt resist
Was bored.

David

 

[Kenpo Mama]

Hey MJ,

My favorite drills are definitely drills that are used for sparring prep. I love attempting to grab a tissue or scarf from your opponents belt as you attempt to block their grab for your scarf. It is a lot of fun and requires a lot of focus as you throw punches high to misdirect their blocks and create an opening to grab their scarf.

I also enjoy a sort of sticky hands drill in which you alternate left and right punches to your partner as they parry block and backfist (like in the beginning of reversing mace).

You alternate with your partner - 1st you throw left and right then they throw left and right. (keep this going as long as you can - needs a lot of focus and timing as it speeds up).

I also love taking the techs and doing what if scenarios; and of course the game of "no-mind" is always humbling!

Enjoy,

Donna %-}

 

[MichiganTKD]

One of my favorite drills is the sliding side kick drill. Two people stand sideways from each other in modified horseback stances. One executes a sliding side kick, the other has to get back out of the way. Contact point is the hip or the bicep. I've seen people get knocked across a room doing this. The person on offense gets to see the power he or she is developing, while the person of defense begins to understand why it is important to mainatin distance.

 

[mj-hi-yah]

Black and Decker
Hilti
Bosch
Ferm










Sorry couldnt resist
Was bored.

David

...A wise guy... eh???

OK, you'll just have to do better than that! A KAR - ROT- TE drill please!!!

 

[mj-hi-yah]

Hey MJ,

My favorite drills are definitely drills that are used for sparring prep. I love attempting to grab a tissue or scarf from your opponents belt as you attempt to block their grab for your scarf. It is a lot of fun and requires a lot of focus as you throw punches high to misdirect their blocks and create an opening to grab their scarf.

I also enjoy a sort of sticky hands drill in which you alternate left and right punches to your partner as they parry block and backfist (like in the beginning of reversing mace).

You alternate with your partner - 1st you throw left and right then they throw left and right. (keep this going as long as you can - needs a lot of focus and timing as it speeds up).

I also love taking the techs and doing what if scenarios; and of course the game of "no-mind" is always humbling!

Enjoy,

Donna %-}

I love the tissue scarf idea, and I know a similar sticky hands drill done with two parries: a regular followed by a backhand parry then the hand that first parried does an push-down and as that 's happening your other hand throws a straight punch - and alternate...definitely I agree you need to focus and it works speed and timing. No-mind is always fun! ... I also love to play...in the what if area "when Kenpo goes bad!" Thanks for sharing

see ya Donna

 

[mj-hi-yah]

One of my favorite drills is the sliding side kick drill. Two people stand sideways from each other in modified horseback stances. One executes a sliding side kick, the other has to get back out of the way. Contact point is the hip or the bicep. I've seen people get knocked across a room doing this. The person on offense gets to see the power he or she is developing, while the person of defense begins to understand why it is important to mainatin distance.

Cool drill ...I think I'll stand back a bit! It must be hard not to try and block this...when all we do is spend our days in sd mode.

 

[Tony]

Last night we were with partners and took turns to kick each other in the stomach. The person being kicked in the stomach has to breath out while the kick is coming. Then we did some blocking and evading technques!

 

[wingchunner]

My favorites are:

Pak sao drill
Double arm Chi sao
Various double arm push hands
Chen Chinna drill
and
ba gua push hands drill

Marty

 

[OC Kid]

My favorite for my students are after they did slow kicks (hold their legs out for a count of 10 and returning it for another count of 10) I have them do touch kicks foot just touches the ground and kick again usually 15-25 each leg 3 sets.

 

[TigerWoman]

My favorite for my students are after they did slow kicks (hold their legs out for a count of 10 and returning it for another count of 10) I have them do touch kicks foot just touches the ground and kick again usually 15-25 each leg 3 sets.

We've been doing those alot. We do these touch kicks 50 front, 50 round, 50 side, 50 axe or crescent on the one leg/front leg continuous, before going to the other leg. We also do slow-motion kicks to a count of 7, two sec. hold (but not in combination with touch) So I suppose after the slow kicks, the touch kicks wouldn't be as easy. I'll try that the next time, I teach. Thanks.

 

[OC Kid]

yea after holding the leg out and back the muscle get tired. Then when you add the speed to it it stregth and speed kind of like mixing weights with aerobics. I dont know the specifics just that I like it and I see progress with my students.

 

[Jissen]

I love all the counter-to-counter-to-counter-... type drills for learning to flow from technique to another.

 

[TKD USA]

My instructor likes holding out a target for one second and we have to kick it before he pulls it back, this teaches us that if we see an opening go for it and not to hesitate.

 

[dubljay]

We never do any real specific drills at my school, just generic kick/punch/block drills, but I love them anyway because by the time we are done our arms and legs feel like lead weights and sweat has soaked through out gi's.

-Josh-