80's Video Game Theme

Coming up! I will be posting quite a few games based off of 80's arcade games. Some of these games are relatively simple in concept, others are somewhat involved. But either way, I think these are a lot of fun, and if you are in the business of working with kids, feel free to use these ideas. I will be publishing an article soon in an article bank (not very hard to do lol) about this topic.

A Fun Game - Alley Oop!

This is a fun game that helps build focus, timing, explosiveness, teamwork, and confidence.

All one person has to do is throw a ball into the air, while the other person jumps up and slams it on a target. The next phase up is to do the same thing, except the person will have to jump up, grab the ball, and slam dunk it inside a box or container.

Simplicity. These types of games that are simple in design and construct can be some of the most enjoyable and most efficient skill builders.

I do have a slew of games that have some complexity to them, but I wanted to start out with the simple ones, because these tend to be very easy to explain and implement for any teacher, pretty much right away.

I may be a little slower getting more of these videos uploaded, but rest assured, they will all be uploaded eventually! And of course, I keep coming up with more game ideas, so stay tuned!

New Game - The Paper Race!

Just run with a piece of paper on your chest! It trains speed, focus, and gives a nice goal for the kids. And, you can recycle the paper once you are finished! A variation you could add to it is to have them turn a corner/run laps without losing the paper. I'm all about simplicity in these exercises, although there will be some complex ones coming soon.

So yeah, I just came back from my vacation in Minneapolis. My tradition is to grow a goatee whenever I'm on vacation, so hence, the facial hair (it comes off in a few hours, when I am officially off of vacation).

ANYWAYS, I just started using iMovie 09, from the iLife 09 package. This was my first time using it, and I have to say, I am liking it better than the previous version of iMovie. The only thing I haven't really played with is adding multiple audio tracks and video effects. But it definitely handles better. The direct upload to youtube is an AWESOME feature!

At any rate, I'll be trying to upload a new video of a game every other night or so. So check back here frequently! You can also follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AustinKungFu

Another Simple Drill - The Foot Pass

This one is really simple in concept, just take the ball with your feet/ankles, and give it with your feet and ankles!

But, it may take a few tries to get the coordination down. After they do, see if they can go faster and faster without dropping the ball.

I don't know how I come up with these, I just do. I mean, I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this, but I'm probably the first to really show it off like this.

For some bizarre reason, this game is making me think of that Toto Song "Africa" and I have no idea why. All I know is that I can't seem to get it out of my head today! lol How's that for a nonsequitor!

ANYWAYS! Try this game out for yourself. It's pretty good for adults, too. In fact, adults can up the ante by using a medicine ball! HAH!

New Game! Catch the Laser!

This one is really simple and fun. Just need 2 people, 1 swimming noodle, both people sitting, and one person throws the swimming noodle like a football at the other person's face. That other person rolls back and catches the noodle with his/her feet.

What's not shown on this video is that after the person has caught it, they can throw it back to their partner, and the partner then has to roll back and catch it with their feet.

Doing it that way will give a decent ab workout and develop some core strength.

From a martial arts perspective, you're also practicing dodging and timing, and developing greater coordination with leg control.

You can even do this in triads, ie, 3 people, and it works pretty well.

Have fun!

GAME - Protectors & Throwers

In this game you need 2 teams, minimum number of players would be 4.
One team will be Protectors, the other team will be Throwers. And then they change roles.

Equipment:
1. A target placed on something that is easily knocked down by throwing something light at it.
2. Have soft foam balls to throw.
3. Mark a circular boundary around the target, maybe with rope or tape or chalk
4. (optional) Gloves or shields for the protectors

Object:
Throwers try to knock the target down by throwing their foam balls at it in a set amount of time (eg 1 minute)
Protectors try to protect the target to not get knocked down in a set amount of time (eg 1 minute)

Rules:
1. Protectors and Throwers cannot cross the boundary.
2. Protectors may never face the target, their back must be to the target at all times.

Scoring:
1. Protectors get a point for never having their target knocked out in their set amount of time.
2. Throwers get a point for knocking the target down within the set amount of time.

After the set amount of time is over, or the Throwers knock down the target, the two team reverse roles.

The game is a lot of fun, and builds a lot of teamwork, hand-eye coordination, and agility.

Here's the youtube video of the game:

I have a BUNCH of games coming up

Not that I have (m)any readers yet, BUT, I do have a TON of kids games coming up. I'll try to post a new one every day, starting today (Thursday).

We're almost completely done filming for a while. We have a couple more to do, and then it's posting time. I'm going to try to be disciplined and only do one a day, because that is actually better for developing the blog's traffic.

And honestly, it'll be easier on me, since I do have to do some editing on each one, and I want to give a personalized intro for each one.

Summer camp's been a very interesting experience. Lots of lessons on teaching kids how to not be whiny, cry babies, how to suck up getting hurt without being all drama-queeny about it. Some of these kids had some major entitlement issues that I sort of had to, well, kill. Sometimes I used strategies like, if you say you want something, I'm gonna give you the exact opposite. When you stop making a big deal about it, then you'll probably get it.

And sometimes (regarding the entitlement issue), I'd be as blunt as saying, I really don't care, because it is not a big deal.

This, I believe, was excellent training and preparation for my own son. I have a feeling he's gonna need a lot of these lessons as well!

And that's what has been the most humanizing about all of this - I treat these kids as though they were my own. I want them to succeed. I want them to be stronger mentally, emotionally, and physically so that they will have valuable tools to navigate through this world.

And some of that doesn't come without some tough love. Fortunately, I'm a goofball, so they know I can be silly as well as strict. Everytime a boundary is pushed, I push it back down into their throats so far that I can feel their stomach from the inside. And then I make a joke about pee pee, and all is good.

Throw All Catch All

This is a game I came up with years ago, and we haven't done it since. It was a lot of fun.

You need 2 or more people in this, and one ball per person.

Have them stand in a circle or square formation (or right across from each other if there's only 2)

When the teacher/leader/coach says "Go", they throw the ball upwards to the person to their left, and catch to their right side.

Everyone will throw and catch at roughly the same time.

It looks really easy, but it takes a little practice to get it coordinated. It is a great exercise in teamwork, and multitasking!

Lots of games, coming up!!

Just shot a bunch of video footage of games we did at summer camp today!

Actually having a camera and telling the students that we're going to video tape gets them more focused, and ready to perform their best.

Haha, and they KNOW I'm going to post it! :)

I have a bunch more games to film tomorrow as well. Today I filmed 7 games/exercises. I'll see how many I'll be able to post on youtube.

A question was asked, "Aren't you afraid that people are going to really capitalize off of the information you're giving away for free?"

My answer is that I *WANT* people to take these ideas. No Charge! Games/exercises are a fun part of teaching a great kids class, but it is only one part of it. There are many variables that go into having a successful kids exercise/martial arts program. While having a diversified set of games adds value, it is not the only aspect.

I have a bit of a creative brain, so I'm always conjuring up ideas. Wait until you see the stuff I film tomorrow! It's gonna be crazy, you guys are gonna freak! lol

Some exercises and games that I know and use are protected information from the consulting company that I use, Shuman Concepts. But I am very careful to not broadcast any of their games/drills. These are things that I made up, or have learned about from friends.

Some games for kids

These are the youtube videos I posted of a few of our fun games that we do as warm ups, diversion, fun break games to blow off a little steam.

The whole point is to make sure they have some fun in the class while developing some productive attributes.

When it comes to youtube videos on kids martial arts drills, most of them are very content specific of actual martial arts techniques that require you to teach these techniques to them first.

These exercises that I am presenting require no real training of any particular techniques. Just fun exercises and games that you can use in many types of classes and contexts.

These are a few we did with swimming noodles:

TOSS -N- KICK


CHOPPING BLADES


GIANT SCISSORS

Summer Camp-o-rama

I am about to enter into the fourth and final week of summer camp, here at Austin Kung-Fu Academy. This has been my first time running a summer camp program, and I'll do an informal evaluation of myself after Friday, the last day.

But one thing for sure, it has really gotten me thinking of drills, games, and exercises on how to keep the kids engaged for basically 4 hours every day, that's 20 hours a week, all relating to martial arts.

Some were really cool and innovative, others were things I had picked up from consultants in the biz, and others were things I tried that were complete and total failures! haha

But, as I wrote on a Twitter post, the 5 Stage Process of Success I've set for myself as a philosophy is:
1) Show Up
2) Try
3) Don't Give Up
4) Learn from Mistakes and Success
5) Positive Attitude, Even if it Hurts

So for me, this has all been a learning experience that has made me stronger.

But anyways, so I have some videos on youtube, and while I know how to embed them, I thought there was something that did like, some sort of automatic type thingy...I'll have to figure that one out.

Oh, Web 2.0...you play with my emotions every day! :)

What this is all about

I have grown to love teaching kids martial arts classes. Once upon a time, I feared it and dreaded it. Then came a time where I could do it, but wasn't very into it.

AND THEN...

I had a son.

That changed everything. I now love teaching children. I have a new view of kids, parents, and families.

In this blog, I will never name any of the kids I work with, but I will talk about what I've been learning and gaining from this incredible experience.

Maybe you can use it to inform some ideas with your own kids or students. Or maybe you might just dig on my writing style, and check out what kind of craziness I've been getting myself into!

Whatever the case, I hope you find this entertaining. I will occasionally supplement some youtube videos, to showcase some of the things we've been doing in class, particularly fun games that I conjured up!

How will this work? Can I make it work?

If there's one thing life has taught me, it is to curb my enthusiasm. Which is sad, because it is a recipe for getting the life sucked out of you. However, I think I'm learning the balance to curb my enthusiasm, without losing the core of myself.

Anyways.

Let's do a little historical survey since I started AKFA. Here are my consultants:
-Joe Brignoli from MATA, got me to do a health club based MA school, and to teach children.
-Melody Shuman for a few sessions b/c I got free advising from Member Solutions, a billing company I used for 10 seconds.
-Allie Alberigo, same deal with Member Solutions, but didn't get much advice beyond getting organized.
-My teacher, Tat Mau Wong, who didn't give me a whole lot of new info, but did show me about organizing a Kung-Fu curric.
-David Ross, who gave great ideas on how to run adult classes, kind of like seminars.
-Back to Joe Brignoli, who told me I need to go up to strangers cold and solicit them.
***left the field for 6 months to work at UT***
-Nick Daugherty, who told me all about branding, social networking, answering phones, summer camp programs, tiny tots programs, scheduling, and pricing
-Currently, back with Melody Shuman full force. I am absorbing her knowledge a little better after spending some time with Nick.

Melody has awesome information on her site, and the videos help A LOT. I need more, tho. An article is all theoretical to me until I see it in action.

So my health club is getting rid of the room that I've been teaching in the last few years, and that is forcing me to find another venue/space. Hopefully this is all for the better, b/c one of my biggest challenges was to really have the right schedule that would improve my success. But I couldn't compete against classes like yoga or pilates in that room.

My summer camp and my tiny tots programs aren't going to be doing very well. I'm going to be doing them for the first time this year, and it's really just to get the experience. I don't have a lot of kids signed up for summer camp, and I've gotten no sense that anyone's interested in my tiny tots program b/c the time sucks (forced to have it at a particular time b/c of the gym).

So I get the feeling summer is going to be a bust, but I really really really want to use the summer time to get all the planning, strategizing, and preparation right for the fall. This Fall could be amazing for me, if I do it right and rise to the occasion. But I gotta really work hard and totally do it right.

So while I'm still trying to market and get more students into my summer stuff, I'm trying to learn these new concepts and plans from Melody's website. Summer will basically be my labcoat experiment for teaching and delivery methodology for the Fall.

It's such a weird place to be.

I want to succeed so bad.

I know I have what it takes to have a 100 students and a 6 figure generating school.

I just have to do the right things AND do things right.

More to come.