You should always have more than one activity for skills you’re helping students build. A few weeks ago I wrote about teaching adults to solo using the kuchishoka deck.
Wipe Out! is another great activity that 1) reduces the intimidation factor around soloing 2) shows how powerful ma can be and 3) builds a feel for an 8-beat phrase. Don’t let the fact that it’s a game make you think it’s only for kids! Although I originally created it for kids, I’ve done it with kids and adults and it’s always a hit.
Here’s how Wipe Out! works. You’ll need a white board.
Write the numbers 1-8 on the board.
Have the students choose straight ji or swing ji and start that ji on the shime. (For true beginners, just go with straight ji.)
Count the students in and have them play 8 don, one for every number on the board.
Erase a number from the board.
Count the students in and have them play 7 don and 1 su, placing the su on whatever number you wiped out.
For example; if you erased the 5, they’d play: don don don don su don don don.
Repeat steps 4-5 as many times as you want.
As people get more comfortable, challenge them by inviting a student to come up and do the wiping out, or by eliminating the pause/count in between the wiping out and playing the revised phrase, or by letting them change a number to ka by underlining instead of wiping out, or to doko by underlining twice (seen in the photo on the left).
It’s a little silly, it’s a lot of fun, it’s challenging but not impossible, and all of that generates an learning environment where students are more willing and able to take risks (like soloing!). Have fun with it, and happy teaching!