Commands and timing
Ready when: The five parts of the stroke on land (b1) started.
What you are learning
The calls a drummer uses and paddling in time with others. A crew starts, stops and rests on the calls, and every paddler copies the one in front, so all the blades go in at the same moment.
Words on this card Paddle, Drummer, Stroke, Catch, In time, Piece, Set
- Paddle
- The paddle has one flat end, the blade, which goes in the water.
- Drummer
- The person at the front who beats the drum and calls the commands.
- Stroke
- One full movement of the paddle through the water and back.
- Catch
- The moment the blade goes into the water, fully and without splash.
- In time
- Every paddler's blade entering the water at the same moment.
- Piece
- One effort on the water, paddled hard from start to finish.
- Set
- Common calls. Set: paddles across the laps. All up: paddles held ready at the catch. Take it away: start paddling together. Let it run: stop paddling, blades out, let the boat glide. All down: rest.
Set up
A line of stools; a drum or a tin; sticks as paddles.
Weather: any weather
Show it first for the one teaching
- Sit on the front stool with a stick and show each call: "Set", paddle across the lap; "All up", paddle held ready at the catch.
- "Take it away": start paddling on the drum beat. "Let it run": stop, blade up. "All down": rest.
- Paddle 5 strokes on the drum while the children watch the timing.
Your part while they practise
Be the drummer and caller.
Step by step
- Sit in line on the stools.
- Practise each call: Set, All up, Take it away, Let it run, All down.
- 10 strokes in time with the drum, copying the paddler in front.
- Stop on "Let it run".
How much: 10 starts and stops 8 min a session once a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Wrong call
Mix the order of the calls; anyone who moves on the wrong call sits out one start.
Who plays: 3 or more paddlers; you call.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Paddlers sit in a line on the stools
- Give the calls in a mixed order, sometimes calling one twice
- Anyone who moves before the call, or does the wrong thing, sits out the next start
- 10 calls
- Fair play
- A grown-up paddler sits at the back, where it is hardest to hear.
- Points
- 1 point to each paddler for each call done right and on time.
- Fouls
- Sit out the next start
- Paddling before "Take it away"
- Doing a different call's move
- Getting ahead of the paddler in front
- Winning
- The most points after 10 calls.
- 4 points for 1 star
- 7 points for 2 stars
- 10 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
A slow drum.
Change the beat during the piece.
What you will see, and what to say
- paddles go in before the call
Wait for 'take it away'
Only that call starts the boat. - a paddler is ahead of the others
Copy the paddler in front
Watch their blade, not your own.
Self-check
The group starts together on the call 5 times in a row.
Stop and get a coach when
The club uses other calls; use theirs.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains timing, listening, commands.
awiseathlete.com/sports/dragon-boat/dragon-boat-b2