Judo games at home: tail tag and the mirror
Ready when: nothing, this is the first card.
What you are learning
Quick feet, balance and listening through two judo games: the mirror (copying a partner's stance at once) and tail tag (stealing a tail without touching the body). Judo needs fast reactions and players who stop the moment they hear "mate".
Words on this card Obi, Hajime
- Obi
- The belt; its colour shows the grade.
- Hajime
- "begin" and "stop".
Set up
A belt or a rolled towel per child as a tail; a clear floor; no shoes.
Weather: any weather indoors
Show it first for the one teaching
- Natural stance: stand upright, feet a little apart. Defensive stance: feet wide, knees bent, low.
- Step one foot forward; the child copies each stance straight away.
- Tuck a towel into the back of your trousers and show how a tail is taken: a quick grab of the towel only.
Your part while they practise
Be the caller; set the rules aloud: no pushing, no grabbing clothes, stop when someone says "mate".
Step by step
- The mirror: you take a stance and the child copies at once.
- 10 changes, then swap.
- Tail tag: a towel tucked in the back of the trousers.
- Steal tails without touching the body.
How much: 10 mirror changes and 3 rounds of tag 8 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Tail tag
60 seconds to steal as many tails as you can while keeping your own.
Who plays: 2 to 4 players, each against everyone; you call "hajime" and "mate".
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Everyone tucks a tail into the back of the trousers
- On "hajime", steal tails and hold them up; a player who loses a tail tucks in a spare and keeps playing
- On "mate" after 60 seconds, everyone stops at once
- 3 rounds
- Fair play
- A grown-up plays on their knees.
- Points
- 1 point for each tail stolen; 1 point if you still have your first tail at the end.
- Fouls
- Give one stolen tail back
- Touching or pushing the body
- Grabbing clothes instead of the tail
- Moving after "mate"
- Winning
- The most points after 3 rounds.
- 2 points for 1 star
- 4 points for 2 stars
- 6 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
A smaller area.
You add a second tail.
What you will see, and what to say
- the game gets rough
Gentle hands, play fair
Take the tail, not the person. - a child will not stop when called
When I say mate, we stop
Every time, at once.
Self-check
The child stops at once on "mate" in 3 games in a row.
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 agility, listening, stance.
awiseathlete.com/sports/judo/judo-b1