Shrimps and Bridges: Ground Judo Warm-Up in Lanes

A ground judo warm-up done lying down, moving along lanes of mats. It prepares hips, neck and shoulders to work safely on the ground.

How to play

1. Lane setup: four rows of mats pushed together with a cone at the end of each lane; groups of 6–7 per lane (1 min).
2. Backward shrimp: lying face up, push off one foot, slide the hips out and travel head-first toward the cone; come back pushing with the other leg (2 min).
3. Bridge and roll: bridge on the shoulders, never on the head, and roll to one side until you end up on your knees; switch sides each rep (2 min).
4. Wrestler crawl: move on all fours with knees off the floor and drop into turtle position on a clap (2 min).
5. Technical stand-up: from sitting, post one hand and the opposite foot, swing the leg through and end in a ready stance facing forward (2 min).
6. Lane review: each student picks the move they do worst and repeats one lap, asking a classmate for one correction (1 min).

Rules

• Bridges rest on the shoulders and upper back; weight never goes onto the head or neck.
• One person per section of lane; the next one starts when the previous one reaches halfway.
• No shoes and nothing in pockets; hair tied back and nails short.
• Warm-up pace: clean technique before speed.

Variations

Adaptations

• Neck or back injury: replace the bridge with a hip lift with shoulders down and no roll.
• Limited lower-body mobility: shrimp using only arms and trunk, or scoot while seated with hand support.
• Visual impairment: use the lane next to the wall and have a partner call out the end of each section.

Learning goals

• Mobilize hips, spine and shoulders for ground work.
• Make the shrimp and technical stand-up automatic as a base for escapes and self-protection.
• Protect the neck in inverted positions.

Equipment for a class of 25

• mats: 16
• cones: 8

Teacher tip

If you have no judo mats, push thin gym mats together and tape them underneath with duct tape so they don't split. The classic mistake is putting the forehead down in the bridge, so watch the first few reps.

More activities like this

More warm-ups for High School