Listen, Move, Respect

Kids fundamentals — discipline games that teach the class to run itself

Kids martial arts
Kids 5–9 · Any art
45 min
8–20 kids (helper useful above 14)
1 coach
Effort 2/5
Full mat area
littles
discipline
respect
games
listening

The MatPlans curriculum teamBJJ black belts & coaches · 12+ yrs on the mat

Kit: Mats, 8 cones or spot markers, a handful of soft belts or bibs for tails

Warm-up8 min

Coach Says

Setup: Kids on spot markers in a grid, all facing you. Bow in first — the ritual IS the lesson tonight.

How it works: Classic listening game with your art's moves: "Coach says fighting stance… coach says three jumping jacks… touch the mat" — anyone moving without "coach says" does two fun frog jumps and rejoins immediately; nobody sits out, ever. Speed up as they sharpen. Finish with the freeze test: they run on the spot until you raise a silent fist — the room should stop dead.

Rounds: The silent fist becomes your stop signal for the whole class — invest in it now, spend it all night.

What to say

“Ears first, body second — that's a martial artist.”
“Catch them being good: name the best freezer out loud, every round.”
“Whisper round: if they're listening hard, you never need to be loud.”

Easier

Slow calls, big pauses; drop the catch-outs entirely for the littlest ones.

Harder

Calls in pairs ("coach says stance THEN two jacks") — working memory joins in.

Drill10 min

Freeze Lines

Setup: Two cone lines the length of the mat. Kids travel line to line.

How it works: They cross the floor in your art's movements — stance walks, bear crawls, hop-steps, side shuffles — and on the clap (or drum, or "KIAI") they freeze in their best stance and hold for three seconds while you inspect like a general. Best statue leads the next crossing from the front spot. Rotate the movement every crossing; sneak technique corrections into the inspections.

What to say

“Freeze means feet glued, eyes on coach — check both, praise the fastest.”
“Inspect one thing per freeze: this round it's bent knees, nothing else.”
“The front spot is a job, not a prize — leaders go second-fastest so everyone stays together.”

Easier

Walk-pace crossings; freeze in any still shape, stance optional.

Harder

Freeze on ONE leg for the last two crossings; add a quiet-as-a-ninja crossing where noise restarts the line.

Drill10 min

The Respect Circle

Setup: Everyone kneeling or cross-legged in one circle, you in the circle too — not outside it.

How it works: Teach the bow properly: to the mat, to a partner, why we do it (thank you for practising with me). Then around-the-circle basics: each child performs three of tonight's technique (a jab, a front kick, a stance switch — your art's) into the middle, the circle counts them aloud in your art's language, and everyone claps once — one clap, together, on your signal. Waiting, watching and cheering a partner is the skill being drilled; the technique is almost the disguise.

Rounds: Once around the circle, no child skipped; a helper joins the circle opposite you if you have one.

What to say

“We clap once, together — a hundred claps is noise, one clap is power.”
“Eyes on the person performing — watching well is training too.”
“Give the wriggliest kid the counting job — a job beats a warning every time.”

Easier

Perform in pairs into the middle instead of solo — shyness melts in twos.

Harder

Performer names the technique's three key points before doing it.

The rest of this lesson is free — along with 3 more this week.

House lesson. Works for BJJ, karate, TKD or boxing kids' classes — swap the named stances for your art's.

Free on MatPlans — new lessons weekly.