7 Judo Exercises to Do at Home with Kids

Judo at Home: 7 Fun Exercises to Practice with Your Child 

Judo is a journey of physical and mental development that parents and children can embark on together. While proper judo technique training must take place only in a dojo under qualified instruction, practicing certain judo related exercises at home can reinforce skills, build confidence, and create wonderful bonding opportunities between you and your child.  

The Benefits of Practicing Judo Exercises at Home

Home practice offers several advantages for young judoka:

• Reinforces movement skills
• Develops consistency and discipline
• Creates special parent-child bonding time
• Improves body awareness
• Builds confidence

Remember, these judo exercise do to at home, are  meant to supplement, never replace, formal training under qualified instructors in a proper judo facility.

 Safety First: Setting Up a Safe Practice Area

Before beginning any judo activities at home, safety is priority:

• Clear a spacious area free of furniture, toys, and other obstacles
• Use proper judo mats or thick exercise mats (never practice on hard surfaces)
• Ensure the mats don’t slide on your floor
• Establish clear boundaries and rules before starting
• Wear appropriate clothing (judogi if possible, or comfortable sportswear)
• Remove jewelry, watches, and other potential hazards
• Always warm up properly before any exercises

 IMPORTANT: Home practice should focus on motor skills, movement, and fitness. Do NOT attempt any throwing techniques, as these require proper supervision and safety measures only available in a dojo environment.

Exercise 1: Shadow Uchi-komi (Throw Entries)

Shadow uchi-komi allows children to practice the entry movements for throws without actually performing the throw. It is an exercise that is done alone without a partner. Your partner is your imaginary “shadow”.

How to do it:

1. Have your child stand in natural posture
2. Guide them through the entry position of basic throws they’ve learned in the dojo or use one of the Koka Kids Books. 
3. Focus on proper foot placement, balance, and body position
4. Practice slow, controlled movements with emphasis on form
5. Use a countdown: “3, 2, 1, Hajime!” to make it engaging

 Safety tip: Ensure there’s enough space around your child as they practice the movements. No throwing – just turn-in and turn-out.

Exercise 2: Balance Challenges

 Balance is fundamental to judo success, and these exercises develop this crucial skill.

 How to do it:

1. Single-leg stands: Stand on one foot while maintaining good posture. Can balance be maintained with one eye shut?
2. Tiptoe walking: Walk forward, backward, and sideways on tiptoes
3. Balance beam: Use a line of tape on the mat as a “balance beam”
4. Freeze tag: Move around until you say “freeze,” then hold the position
5. Stepping stones: Place small targets on the mat to step on while maintaining balance

Safety tip: Stay close to younger children during balance exercises to catch them if needed.

 Exercise 3: Grip Strength Games

Strong grips are essential in judo, and these fun activities build hand and forearm strength.

 How to do it:

1. Judogi tug-of-war: Hold opposite ends of a rolled-up towel, or belt or judogi jacket and gently pull
2. Hanging challenge: From laying on the ground in-between your legs, how long can they hang from holding onto your hands? Or if you can wear a judogi jacket and see how long they can hang from holding the collars of the jacket.
3. Stress ball squeezes: Squeeze and release a soft stress ball

Safety tip: Ensure grip activities are age-appropriate and don’t strain young hands.

 Exercise 4: Flexibility Exercises

Flexibility improves performance and reduces injury risk in judo.

 How to do it:

1. Butterfly stretch: Sitting with soles of feet together, gently press knees toward the floor
2. Forward fold: Seated with legs extended, reach toward toes
3. Hip rotations: Standing, rotate hips in circles in both directions
4. Shoulder rolls: Roll shoulders forward and backward
5. Animal walks: Move like different animals (crab, bear, snake) to develop flexibility

Safety tip: Never force stretches—emphasize slow, gentle movement without bouncing.

 Exercise 5: Judo-inspired Fitness Circuit

This circuit builds the specific fitness needed for judo in a fun, engaging way. You can add in different stations as you like:

 How to do it:
Create stations with 30 seconds at each:

1. Judo jumps: Small jumps with feet together over a small soft object
2. Shrimping: If they have learnt “Shrimping” at judo, this is a great drill to practice at home.
3. Bear crawls forward and backward
4. Foot sweeps: Using a bean bag, sweep the bean bag around an obstacle course using the sole of your foot like you would for a Kouchi-gari or De-ashi-barai

Safety tip: Adjust repetitions and difficulty based on your child’s age and fitness level.

 Exercise 6: Solo Ukemi Practice

Ukemi (breakfalls) are crucial for judo safety, but at home, focus only on basic movements. For help use this book: Learning How to Breakfall

How to do it:

1. Practice only seated or lying breakfalls on proper mats
2. Focus on proper arm position and how you must slap the mat with an open palm (never a fist)
3. Practice “rocking chair” motion to develop rolling momentum
4. Use games like “freeze” during rolls to check position

Safety tip: Be very aware of space around the practice area, and movement of the child’s head which should be tucked in tightly throughout the whole movement; their chin tucked in towards their chest.

 Exercise 7: Visualization Techniques

Mental practice is powerful for skill development and focus.

How to do it:

1. Have your child close their eyes and visualize doing a technique like Seoi-Nage perfectly
2. Watch judo videos like these ones by Fighting Films together and discuss the movements
3. Use the “technique step-by-step cards” with drawings and notes
4. Go to the I-Dojo and watch animations of judo throws like this one!

Safety tip: This safe exercise can be done anywhere, even without mats!

 Tips for Making Home Practice Engaging and Consistent

• Keep sessions short (15-30 minutes) and fun
• Use games and challenges rather than strict drills
• Let your child lead sometimes—ask which exercises they want to do
• Join in yourself—children love when parents participate!

Home Practice compliments Dojo Training

Always remember that home practice complements but never replaces dojo training. Here’s how to connect the two:

• Ask your child’s coach which specific elements would be beneficial to practice at home
• Discuss with your child how home practice connects to what they’re learning in the dojo
• Reinforce the values taught in the dojo: respect, discipline, and perseverance

For additional structured practice ideas, the Koka Kids Book “Dojo Drills” offers excellent exercises that safely build on dojo learning. This resource provides illustrated guidance for parents wanting to support their child’s judo journey at home.

Home judo practice offers a wonderful opportunity to bond with your child while reinforcing their skills. and you’ll help your young judoka develop confidence, fitness, and a deeper connection to this beautiful sport.

Enjoy the journey with your child!  

Always consult with your child’s judo instructor before beginning any home practice routine to ensure it complements their formal training appropriately.

 For more articles like this to help Judo Parents check out this one: Judo Terminology: A Parent’s Guide