Olympic sparring

[terryl965]

How many times have you heard that your students have the tech. or your student understands everything only to find out that they simply do not. In those cases how do you make sure they really understand the drills and how to apply them in the ring. I have been working on basic footwork drills and combonations for a long time but I am not seeing the rewards for some of my students, it is so frustating to see good potential just go away because they student is simply too lazy to try new and improved ways of doing things. What is it to really get them from giving up on a tech. or drill?

 

[ATC]

You are not alone my friend. This is something that is going on in every dojang.

The main thing getting in the way is fear. I can tell you from my own experiences that fear kept me from doing what I was train or taught to do. I remember my GM coaching me many times telling me to use my axe kick and even screaming "NOW NOW NOW!" from the chair when he saw the opportunity to use it. I just did not see what he saw and always thought that if I do this now I will get hit or knocked out. So I never even attempted it.

Well one day I decided to just blindly listen to him and just do it when he said "NOW". I decided that if I get hit or even worse, KO'd oh well. Well guess what? It worked and even though the guy was kicking and I got hit, the hit was minimized because they guy stopped or disengaged his kick to try and avoid my axe hitting him in the face. His kick that tapped me was not anything to even worry about.

It took me years to listen. But once I did that is when things started to make sense. That one incident made it possible for me to attempt new things and to keep trying the new things and find out how to make them work.

Knowing this and understanding what I went through I now can manipulate my kids into doing what I want by setting up a drill before the real drill.

Example: I may have my kids partner up and have one kick to the hogu. The kid kicking must kick for real (medium power but full speed). The other kid must let the kick hit, he or she is not allowed to block or move out of the way. I may have them do this many times over many days.

Then I will at some point introduce countering to this drill. The same drill will apply with one side kicking and the other side getting kicked but now the side getting kick is allowed to move off only after taking the kick and kick back to the body only. This drill will be repeated many time over many days in conjunction with the fist drill.

Next I will have them do the first two drills still while adding to them once again. The third drill will be following up. This drill may be for the person kicking at the beginning. Person one kicks and lands on person two. Person two now moves off and counter kicks person one while at the same time person one is also kicking at the same time again (following up his first kick) thus exchanging counter kicks both scoring.

This teaches both not to hesitate and to counter and not worry about being hit. This also teaches that attacker to follow up his kick and that one kick may not get it done. The kids catch on and can see what is happening.

Later you implement the guarding while kicking to teach how to block and kick at the same time. Not one then the other as if you simply block first then kick you will most likely be too late.

All in all it is a process, and in that process you have progressions that develop muscle memory and also teach the concepts as well. It takes time but if you start the concept drills and processs at white belt, by the time they are black belts they should have it down without even knowing it. They will then have the tool of understanding and setting up techniques. This process helps them develop their own stratagies.

It is kind of cool hearing a 10 year old come back to the chair and tell you that he can get the opponent with "X" because he just move back and trys to do "Y" So "X" will work. That's when you know he gets it. But that took years to develop, starting at 6 years old (when he first started to compete).

 

[d1jinx]

from my own experience, It was doubt. I saw the opening and hesitated due to doubt that it would be there when I got there.

I wasn't afraid to get hit, but that is another reason they dont try the techniques.

I've noticed the ones who are good and win are usually the ones who do not doubt themselves or are afraid.

The Fear part, you can help fix, the doubt, well, thats totally up to themselves. My instructor used to praise me and tell me good things that made me fell good, but as soon as I got back into the ring...... the doubt returned.

 

[ATC]

from my own experience, It was doubt. I saw the opening and hesitated due to doubt that it would be there when I got there.

I wasn't afraid to get hit, but that is another reason they dont try the techniques.

I've noticed the ones who are good and win are usually the ones who do not doubt themselves or are afraid.

The Fear part, you can help fix, the doubt, well, thats totally up to themselves. My instructor used to praise me and tell me good things that made me fell good, but as soon as I got back into the ring...... the doubt returned.

Yes, doubt is another reason, but I think the same type of drills will fix doubt to. Many times people try to make the first hit or technique count. Well, most times the first or even the second technique will not connect, but that second or even third one will. That is why you have follow up drills. Sometimes you open up or create an opportunity with a fake or even a complete miss.

You can use the same drills I mentioned above and tweak it a bit, making it a new drill to have the first kicker miss as the other person moves completely out of the way before the counter and still have the first kicker follow up after the miss. So the drill would look the same but for the first kick making contact. The person being kicked would still kick back but do it while doing a slide back and kick counter. So they would not stay and take the kick then slide but slide first making the attacker miss then kick.

Same drill but now you are having the counter kicker bada chagi before getting kicked instead of after being kicked.

This is why partner drills are needed. It allows the students to simulate a scenario over and over letting them see the results of the techniques used in the drill. This in turn builds concepts and develops a fighter that can think and adjust while in combat.

This is why you have to start them young also. The younger the more time to drill as many drills as possible as many times as possible.

 

[StudentCarl]

A big lesson for me has been really sinking in the idea that the coach in the chair is the only one of us who sees the fight clearly. When I do what he says I win, though I also follow my trained instincts the rest of the time. I saw this issue lead to both wins and losses at nationals.

We've had some national team coaches put on clinics for our team, and they bring their players along. One of the messages we've heard from both coaches and athletes is that doing what your coach says is essential for success....exactly what your coach says, and immediately when they say it. They also made it clear that that kind of coach/player link must be developed and sharpened to be effective.

Carl

 

[ATC]

...They also made it clear that that kind of coach/player link must be developed and sharpened to be effective.

Carl

This is very true. Makes you wonder why coaches (good ones at that) have to give up their fighters that they have built this link with. If you know what I mean.

 

[Gorilla]

This is very true. Makes you wonder why coaches (good ones at that) have to give up their fighters that they have built this link with. If you know what I mean.

The coach that got the fighter to lets say "the Olympics". Not a National Team Coach should be the one sitting in the chair at the Olympics. This is in fact the argument that Jean Lopez used when he got the National Team Coach out in 2004. I agree with what Jean did in 2004 and he should step aside for the fighters coach when this happens in the future. He can still be the National Team Coach but the fighters actual Coach should set in the Chair in the Olympics. It should be up to the fighter who coaches him during the Olympics.