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Adult Warmup Guide

TLDR: Run the six movements below in order. Two minutes, no breaks. Get them warm, get them moving, get into games.

THE WARMUP

Section titled “THE WARMUP”

The same six movements, every class, in this order:

  1. Jog
  2. Butt kickers — heels kicking up to glutes
  3. Inside shuffle — lateral shuffle leading with the inside foot
  4. Outside shuffle — lateral shuffle leading with the outside foot
  5. Inside karaoke — grapevine with the crossing foot going in front
  6. Outside karaoke — grapevine with the crossing foot going behind

One full lap of each. Total time: approximately 2 minutes.

NOTES FOR COACHES

Section titled “NOTES FOR COACHES”
  • Start on time. Don’t wait for stragglers — latecomers jump in wherever you are.
  • No instruction needed. Demonstrate and go. If someone’s never done karaoke before, they’ll figure it out by the second lap.
  • Don’t extend it. Two minutes is the target. The warmup prepares them to play — it’s not a workout.
  • If the mat is crowded, call a direction before you start so everyone runs the same way.

WHY THIS WARMUP

Section titled “WHY THIS WARMUP”

There are two schools of thought on warmups, and it’s worth knowing both so you can make an informed call when the situation calls for it.

Doug Lemov’s lens is about routine and cognitive priming. A consistent, low-instruction warmup signals that class has started and it’s time to focus. The value isn’t in the specific movements — it’s in the predictability. Students stop thinking about their day and start orienting toward training. Our warmup does this well. It’s the same every class, requires zero explanation, and works for every fitness level.

Rob Gray’s lens is about transfer and ecological relevance. From a constraints-led perspective, even warmup time is an opportunity to build movement patterns that carry into grappling. Generic locomotion — jogging, shuffles, karaoke — doesn’t create grappling-specific affordances. A more ecologically-aligned warmup would involve contact, weight-sharing, and positional awareness: things that actually resemble what students are about to do.

Both are right. The standard warmup wins on consistency and simplicity, which matters a lot for new coaches and mixed-level classes. But there’s real value in the Gray approach when conditions allow.

OPTIONAL: PARTNER MOVEMENT EXTENSION

Section titled “OPTIONAL: PARTNER MOVEMENT EXTENSION”

When you have time and the class is experienced enough, you can follow the standard warmup with 2-3 minutes of partner movement before the first game. This bridges the gap between generic locomotion and grappling-specific readiness.

Good options:

  • Pummeling — underhook fighting from a collar tie. Simple, familiar, gets people connecting immediately.
  • Grip fighting — standing grip exchange with no throws. Builds awareness and contact comfort.
  • Partner mirroring — one person moves, the other mirrors. Develops spatial awareness and reaction time.

Keep it short and familiar. This is not a new game — it’s a movement primer. If you have to spend more than 30 seconds explaining it, pick something simpler or skip it entirely and get into the first game.