The Octopus!
Here’s an awesome end-of-class kids’ karate game you can do with your youngest students, that’ll send them home with big smiles on their faces.
I thought of this one last week during my peewee class (4-7 years), and have named it The Octopus!
Be warned, your youngest karate kids will lose their freakin’ minds when they play this…
Why?
Because it combines challenge and fun, agility and speed, awareness and reaction.
It also uses the video game concept of “defeating the boss” – and let’s face it, who doesn’t like to take out The Boss against impossible odds?
I can assure you that your karate kids will – especially when they get to defeat the sensei, or in this case The Octopus!
Before You Start:
First you need some extra belts for this game. Nine in total.
Cut a 2 foot length from one of the belts. This is your “flag”. Now take the flag and tuck it in the back of your belt so it looks like this…
The other 8 belts will be your tentacles. Use different colors if you can to make it more fun, easier for your students to see, etc.
Objective:
The objective is for your students to defeat you, The Octopus!
The objective for you, The Octopus is to defeat your students.
How It Works:
Take 4 belts in each hand and hold them by the end so you have 8 tentacles.
Have your students spread out and surround you in a circle.
On your command the game begins at which point you move around and swing your arms and try to hit your students with your tentacles.
Their mission is to steal the flag from the back of your belt, which is a fatal blow to you, The Octopus.
Each student who gets hit by a tentacle is defeated and is out of the game and must sit down at the edge of the room.
The game continues until all students have been eliminated or until The Octopus has been defeated.
When swinging the belts be sure to change the angle of your strikes, forcing your students to remain alert and agile.
Make them duck, jump and move as you attack.
Of course be careful, swing the belts slowly and give your kids a chance to win.
brendan flynn
Excellent Jason,will try it out over the next few weeks.Brendan.
Jason Stanley
You’re welcome Brendan…
It’s a fun one for the little guys. An extra twist to make it more challenging for you (not that you’re going to be super competitive with 5 year olds anyway) is for you to close your eyes as you move and swing the belts.
Kids love this game…
Enjoy,
Jason
Jim Doan
I have been looking for a new game I can use for our drill night that we have once a month. Although I can’t use the Octopus for some logistical reasons, it DID inspire me to adapt the game using pool noodles.Thanks for the idea…my students will appreciate something new to try. (Too bad they will think it was MY idea).
Jason Stanley
Yes, too bad indeed!
I may have to pay a visit to Kamloops to set the record straight!
Jim Doan
Well, I know for a fact you won’t leave California in the “winter” to venture this far North! (I’ll watch for you in the Spring).