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Judo Games As Class Management & Discipline?

Judo Games As Class Management and Discipline?

Judo Games: not just an excellent education tool but also one of the most useful methods of class management available to any Judo instructor.

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If you are not playing games you are missing perfect education opportunities. Used as a tool to teach they are a fantastic medium. It is the perfect way to keep them moving. There are plenty of games books and videos around that are intended as teaching tools.

Even if you cannot find any relevant games and you can't invent some (something I struggle to think possible), then any game is the perfect reward system and sometimes punishment.

Games are fun and if it is fun then discipline is much easier to maintain.

Games As Reward

If you use games as a reward system, they must be used within a short period of time. It must not become a “Daddy will play with you when he gets home” type of event. That is, I never play a game more than 10 – 15 minutes from the time I promised it or it loses effectiveness and I lose credibility because they don't believe me.

Removing Games as Punishment

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If you use it as a punishment a minimal time delay is critical. It must not become a “wait till your father gets home” punishment. I never say to my students that there will be no game if they don't get this finished unless I genuinely intend to do the game at the end of the exercise. A game that is at the end of class is too far away for them to care.

It would have to be a really bad act for me to punish by taking away a game because the games in themselves help manage the class as it keeps them moving.

Games As An Attention-Getting Tool

One of the best ways I have found to use games is in getting children's attention. There is little that will grab a child's attention faster than to say “There is a game after {the activity} and the longer it takes for me to explain it the longer it takes to get to the game and the less time you will have for it. In fact, it is even better if they already know the game is following because then all you then need to say is: “you are wasting your own time” when they are not doing what you need them to.

Games As Bribery

Bribery works if it is done well and games are a great bribe.

Just as an aside people don't like it when you call it bribery; they prefer the term contracting or some other word. Personally I've never been able to work out the difference but whatever term you use using games as a reward is very effective.






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