Childhood Training

Yesterday I brought Noah and Jonah in to do basics at the Kung Fu school. But nothing was working this time. He wouldn't do wheels on the bus, he wouldn't listen to my choices, and he just demanded that Jonah be forced to do it first. Well Jonah is younger and I don't require him to do it yet.
All they wanted to do was the pad drill. But I wanted them to do some basics because when they run and hit the pad, they learn some things, but I feel like if that's all they do their various types of punches will not develop. Plus an adult student was there and he was done stretching so I didn't want to take up the whole floor. Noah just started crying because I had had it today and decided we would just go home instead. But then I figured, heck, the pad drill is still a drill, and something is better than nothing right? And maybe I can just bring them into the hallway. And that's what I did. Both Noah and Jonah participated. Yeah he didn't exactly throw perfect punches. But maybe we just have to work and learn within this drill, which, if done correctly is actually a very rigorous and advanced way of training. Plus they were both laughing and having fun the whole time. If only I could get them to focus on technique too. I tried to get them to go slower sometimes, but they weren't having it. At the end we did put in a good days child's play kung fu. This type of training reminds me sort of like and MMA version of Kung Fu, and indeed, there was nothing about it that was like forms. All of the stuff we did could only pertain to fighting and fighting alone. And that's what probably made it fun form them. Of course to get to the next level they need to do basics and chi gung and forms and all that. But a lot of people just do pretty much what we just did for their entire martial arts career, and even fight in cages and coach and all that. Maybe that's why MMA and simpler fighting sports are becoming more popular. It goes straight to the fun part. And in fact, if you never develop your punch well, then when you put to undeveloped punchers in a cage together, with certain rules, it's actually safer. If everyone that did MMA could punch like Mike Tyson (used to), MMA would be a lot more dangerous.
I'm not saying I'm going to put my kids in a cage. But right now if I put gloves on both of them and be a helicopter referee, they won't hurt each other too bad. Plus Noah will probably pull his punches a little. The main reason I don't have them do that, is not physical. It's that mentally they would be fighting for real, and all the nasty angry feelings that go with that. I'd rather Kung Fu be about giggling and smiling right now.