What is A-A and A-B Drill?

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Versión en español a continuación. Why do you need to know this? The more you know about the concepts of exhibition drill, the better you will be in designing a routine. This article is about A-A and A-B drill. It can be applied to both marching, body work (unarmed exhibition drill), and rifle work. In the following descriptions I use …

What is Articulation?

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Articulation is to speak so that one is understood. It is not only about speaking clearly (enunciating words), but also about speaking clearly (using words that are easily understood for your audience). Got that? (photo courtesy of stripes.com) But what does this have to do with drill? Plenty. A Driller can step onto the performance floor and not be clear; …

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How to Write Exhibition Drill: The “Boxes of Three” Method

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  How to Write Exhibition Drill (XD): The “Boxes of Three” Method When beginning any task it is always best to go from simple to difficult, even when writing drill. “But, my team already knows ‘difficult moves!” I hear you exclaim. No problem, you can still use these moves because they easily fit into a parade routine (long road that …

Routine Mapping Tool Sample

How to Write Drill

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Drill is not boring, unless you do the same thing over and over or you execute very simple moves with “dead” time in between. How can drill be “exciting”? Variation. Variation of: Hand, arm, leg and head movements Body movement Step style Tempo You can get a sample of some drill movements in Exhibition Drill For The Military Drill Team. …

How to Teach Exhibition Drill

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You may not “know the drill”… If you have my books, Exhibition Drill for the Military Drill Team, Vols I & II, you probably have an idea of the process of writing drill, (here is a simple “Boxes of Three” method for creating drill) but might not understand the application of taking what has been written on a DrillMaster Routine …

How to Create a Tetrad, a 4-Man Exhibition Team

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Drill teams come in all sizes for different reasons. Teams can range in size from nine to twenty five members with or without a commander marching outside of the formation. A tetrad, the shorter name for a four- or five-man exhibition drill team, creates a performance for small areas like a ballroom dance floor or on a stage.

Drill Team Drama

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DrillMaster, My JROTC unit recently formed a drill team but there is so much drama, no one is happy with anything. Is there any advice you could give me so that I can end the drama and continue drill without having to leave upset? The commanders are busy with color guard the cadet in charge is as childish as all …

Where’s the Power?

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Several years ago, the Wendy’s restaurant chain had a commercial with some older women asking, “Where’s the beef?” suggesting that Wendy’s competitor’s beef* patties were comparatively small. (*You would be surprised at the contents of fast food burgers.) While I do not advocate fast food at all, I do advocate asking questions and learning. Hence the title of this article, …

How to Write a Military Drill Routine: Routine Mapping Tools

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How to Write a Military Drill Routine: Routine Mapping Tools It’s that time of year again, the time to start planning your drill team, squad and solo/tandem routines- if you haven’t already. To help you along in this endeavor, years ago I developed the DrillMaster Routine Mapping Tools (RMT) to try to fit all kinds of situations. Here are the …