Class Time and Practice

Judo Games (Taken from The Holbrook Judo Club)

These Games are not only a lot of fun, but they help teach the fundamentals of Judo, balance, awareness, timing, strength and agility. (and more fun!!!)


Bull Dog
How to Play		Skills Gained
All Judoka kneel at one end of the Tatami, with one or more catchers kneeling in the middle facing the others. Upon the call Hajime, all the Judoka have ten seconds to crawl to the other end of the Tatami, while the catchers try to catch and turn each of the others and hold them down until the count of ten has been reached. Anyone that runs to the other end will be out and will have to be one of the catchers. Once the player has been caught they then help the catcher. The winner is the last one to be caught. If another game is to be played then the winner of the previous game is now the catcher.		This game teaches many things about ne waza (ground work). Firstly, for the catcher to hold and maintain a ground hold with an opponent who is struggling to get away, and also for the others in how to escape from or evade a hold down.

Sweep It Away
How to Play		Skills Gained
All Judoka start in a ring, and grips the sleeve (between the shoulder and elbow) of the person on either side of them. Upon the call Hajime, each player tries to throw one of the people next to them using only foot sweeps. When someone has been thrown, the game stops and that person is out and the game continues. If the ring is broken the game is also stopped and the two players that broke the ring are out. The game progresses like this until there are only two players are left. These two then take a normal left and right judo grip and carry on until one is left standing. Only foot sweeps are allowed.		The game teaches the correct use of foot sweeps, and also of breaking your opponents balance at the correct point of sweeping. It is also great fun to play.

Press Up Wars
How to Play		Skills Gained
All the Judoka get in pairs with someone about the same size and weight. Both Judoka get into a press-up position facing each other, with their feet together and arms shoulder width apart. Upon the call Hajime, you try to take away the arms of your opponent or pull them off balance. When they fall flat on their front they have lost.		This gane is mainly fun, but it does help to build up strength in the upper half of the body. It can also help to teach grips when you need to pull an opponent over.

Judo Rugby
How to Play		Skills Gained
The game can be played with any type of ball depending on those taking part. All Judoka are divided into two teams that are roughly equal in weight and size, and start at opposite ends of the Tatami with one foot on the edge. The ball is placed in the middle of the mat. On the call Hajime, both teams try to get the ball and touch it on the other teams edge. In order to stop the teams from doing this, you can hold them back from getting the ball by using a ground hold. In order to get the ball from one end to the other you can only roll the ball along the mat to another member of your team. Once a team has scored a point, the game stops and the ball is placed half a mats width away from the scoring team and the game starts again with the teams at either end of the mat.		As with Bull Dog, this is a great game for developing grounwork skills. In addition to this, it can also be used to get a new group to work as a team and build up friendship. This is also a game full of fun.

Catch A Tail
How to Play		Skills Gained
All Judoka remove their belts, fold them in half and place them in the back of their trousers making sure the belt hangs down, but not touching the floor. Once the belt is in place you are not allowed to touch it again until you are out of the game. Upon the call Hajime, you try to get hold of someone elses belt (tail) while at the same time preventing your tail from being pulled out. Once your belt has been removed from your trousers, you are out of the game. With a large number of players it can be played with two teams trying to get all the tails from each others team.		This game is useful in many sports, as it helps to teach that you should never turn your back on your opponent. It also helps to teach awareness of where people are around you, which can be very important in ne waza. (ground work).

Get The Peg
How To Play		Skills Gained
Divide the class into pairs and give each player a peg which they place on their Judogi anywhere they want. When Hajime is called, each player has to try and get their opponents peg whilst at the same time stopping their opponent from getting their peg. Once a peg has been won the game is over. Try placing the peg in really unusual places, e.g. the back of the calf, or the knee.		This one is all about fighting for grips whilst at the same time preventing your opponent from securing an advantageous or dominant grip over you.

(Hwy 2) 11 Duty Drive

Kingston, Ontario

K7K 7B4

Mon. 18:00-20:00 Instructional/Sparring