Balance

Lines, hops, and holds that teach the feet to tell the truth.

Non-slip floor. Space between warriors. Spot any eyes-closed try.

• 1Ninja's Tightrope TrekWalk the line slowly. Then try backward and sideways.

  Set up

  A low beam or a taped line.

  Do this

  Walk the line slowly. Then try backward and sideways.

  Done when · They walk the whole line without a big step-off. Then one pass backward or sideways. A fingertip on a wall still counts if the feet stay on the line.

  Little: A beanbag on the head, wide line.

  Older: Gentle turns or a small obstacle on the path.

  Play this drill
• 2Knight's Quest HopscotchHop the grid — one foot on singles, two feet on doubles.
• 3Feather Fighter's FlightTravel the line while keeping the feather up with soft blows or taps.
• 4Leap of Faith StonesStep stone to stone. Quiet feet. Controlled, not crashed.
• 5Stalwart Sentinel Stand-OffStand on one leg and count slowly to 10. Switch legs.
• 6Rooted Warrior PoseTree pose: foot on the calf or inner thigh, never on the knee. Arms overhead. Eyes on one still point.
• 7Battle Board BlitzStand on it. Make small weight shifts and feel the board answer.
• 8Beast Mode Warrior WalkCall animals. Penguin waddle, bear crawl, flamingo stand. Travel the line as that animal.
• 9Warrior's EchoThe leader moves slowly along the line. The partner mirrors every balance choice. Swap.
• 10Charge of the Courageous ClanWalk the line balancing an object, then pass it to the next teammate.