Kid's Karate Games

Teaching karate to children is rarely about self-defense. Young children lack the judgment to properly use violent techniques and very young children lack the motor skills in the first place. Teaching kids karate should focus on developing body control, personal discipline and a sense of fair play. Good instructors introduce and repeat these concepts through in-class games that engage their students.

  1. Sensei Says

    • This is "Simon Says" adapted for the dojo. If "Sensei says" to make a motion, all students must comply. If Sensei doesn't say, students who make that motion are out. Since it's karate class, motions should be stances, blocks, strikes and techniques the students know. This is an excellent game for getting repetitions of basic skills.

    Stance Walls

    • Select four commands such as "one" through "four," or use the four directions. Each command means the entire class must run to a specific wall and stand in a specific stance. For example, "green" could mean run to the north wall and stand at attention while "blue" means sit cross-legged at the south wall. Each time a command is called, the last student to get in position is either out or does a few pushups before rejoining the game. Throw some wrenches into the game by occasionally calling out words that sound similar to the commands, such as "shoe" instead of "blue."

    Jumping Game

    • Place one kick shield in the center of the deck with all students lined up on one wall. Students take turns running across the deck and jumping over the shield. Once all students are across, stack an additional shield on top of the first. If a student knocks down the stacked shields or lands on anything other than her feet, that student is out. The winner is the last student standing. Vary this game by requiring jumping kicks or acrobatic landings.