Organizing Championship 2.0

Today will be the day that I'll be organizing a championship for my students for the first time. I have thought of it for awhile and this time I actually take the bull by the horns and get it done. I've done the groundwork, get all the work done and today will be the day that determine my competency level.

I've targeted 100 participants and now I have slightly more than 70 participants, almost 30 short of my target. Nevertheless, the show must go on and I have my finger-crossed.

I'll post the outcome here.

Wish me luck people.

LET'S DO IT BABY!!!!

MSSS 2011

This year MSSS was held in Kuala Selangor. I started my journey there from home at 6 am adn went to pick my students an left for Kuala Selangor at 6.30 am. The last time that I've gone to Kuala Selangor was more than 10 years ago, so I have no idea how to go there. One of my students gave me the direction the other there but I still not confident enough. Anyway, I use the highway and followed the road sign all the way. It was quite a long journey and it took me more than an hour to reach there.

Once arrived, I told my students to settle down while I look at the bout chart. Copying my students bout number and all, then I go and meet up with them. All these while I have not had anything to eat yet. The organizer called for team manager meeting and I went down to the ring for briefing.

At 9.00 am, the MSSS began. Those involved in Poomsae will get ready in Ring A while gyorugi students will have to wait for the bout number. My first student who competing is bout number 10 in ring C and another suppose to be bout 12 in Ring E. Nevertheless, all went for warm up and stretching to get their 'engine' started. When Ring C was on bout 5, my student will have to get fully ready in gear and wait near Ring C.

Then all of the sudden my student name was called from Ring E for bout 4A. We were stunned and get all the gear and ran to the ring to show that he was here otherwise he would be disqualified. I got him suit up in the ring. He was neither warmed-up or ready to fight. He went in and fought. He lost. He was frustrated. I was frustrated. I went to the secretariat table to protest. They told be it was in the new bout chart. I demanded them to show me the 'new' bout chart. They showed me and there wasn't any bout number 4A. I then demanded an explaination and at this time the organizing chairman came and ask me what's the problem. I explained to him the unfairness of changes the bout without informing beforehand. He apologized but I couldn't accept it. This in UNFAIR. But there was nothing I can do about it.

Then came bout 10, another student went in and fight. He didn't fight as he fight in class. Probably anxiety and nervousness. He lost 2-1. Close fight, though.

The poomsae event was on-going. My students next fight was a long way to go. Bout 41, 51 and 52. Watching my students did the poomsae. After that all of them came back up to the stand. Waiting for the judges to tabulate the result for qualification to finals. Results out, 4 out of 8 students made it to the finals. The organizer decided to combine the male and female due to low number of participants. In the finals, the participants will require to perform their poomsae one-by-one.

By 12.30pm, the tournament stopped for opening ceremony. Speech after speech by the VIPs and the tired participants and coaches listened and falling asleep one-by-one. Once the opening was done, it was lunch time and competition will resume at 2 pm.

At 2.30 pm, the results of the poomsae event was announced. All of my students went our for lunch and yet to return so they were unable to collect their medals. The officials passed the medals and results to me. Once they return from lunch, I presented the medals to winners with unexpected response from them. It was quite an unexpected result. Nevertheless I still happy.

We continue to wait for the next bout and after more than 2 hours, it's their time to get ready to get into the ring. We done enough warm-up and kicking. One went in and fought. After a close contested match, there was no score of both side. So sudden death was needed to determine the winner. Still scoreless. Finally it's time for the judges to decide the winner. My student won. Quarter-final.

Later another student turn to fight. His opponent was taller than him, he was a bit worried and I tried my best to encourage him. He went into the ring and fought. His opponent was a bit scare as my student have power in his kicks but after he got kicked to the head, he kinda lost it. I tried to motivate him during the break. His opponent was much more superior due to being more experience. My student lost. Still I was happy with his performance.

Next the quarterfinal match, my student concern that his opponent was taller. I motivated him and he went into the ring and fought. He tried to get his head but got kicked on his head instead.

Scoreline after 1st round was 7-0. After the break he went in and fought more aggressively and the tie was 2-2 but he lost 9-2. Still it was a good fight.

It was a really good experience for my students in this competition as this is an eye opener for them. There were good fighters as well as bad fighter. What they lost was only lack of experience and this competition is a good platform for them to gain experience.

All in all I was proud of you guys no matter what the results. For me, the result is secondary, the important thing is your performance.

WELL DONE, YOU GUYS !!!

Also Mentor

As a Taekwondo coach/instructor, our role not just limited to just that. We are also a mentor to the students. As a mentor, it is also part of our responsibility to help to guide these students to be a better individual. Not just focus to improve them in taekwondo.

Mentor as in guiding them ans assisting them whenever they're 'lost' direction in their life. We just another avenue for them other than their parents or family members to seek advice and guidance. Then we must try our best to assist them. Due to this we ourselves have to keep in touch with the latest happening in the social world, education etc. Provide them with the best advice possible and also provide them with options or choices that they can choose. Then let them decide on their own.

I, personally had provide advice and guidance to many of my students who have since either graduated or undergo undergraduate or postgraduate studies. There are a few of them who requested me to be their referee, which I'm gladly agree. They turn to be a better person. Those who graduated end up doctors, lawyers, engineers, business owners etc. I am very rpoud of them and i wish they are proud of me too.

So our role as a taekwondo coach/instructor is not just limited as coaching taekwondo skill, we also coach them about life skill and survivor skill. Students should not be shy to interact with their coaches as these coaches might be able to guide you in life.

Taekwondo Oath

After all these year of training taekwondo, only recently I found out that there's actually a taekwondo oath. I'm not sure if this is a official taekwondo oath or just something that created by someone or some organization. Anyhow I find this oath to be something all taekwondo practitioners should be abide to.

• I shall observe the tenets of Taekwondo.
• I shall respect the instructor and seniors.
• I shall never misuse Taekwondo.
• I shall be a champion of freedom and justice.
• I shall build a more peaceful world.

Sixth DAN Grading

It's been quite awhile since I took my 6th Dan grading. It was on 17 April 2011 and I was not even in my best shape then. Anyway, it was really a last minute decision and I'm glad that I took it. I was the only coach that take his grading during the centralized grading as many high-dan grading is conducted behind closed door. I feel that as a coach you should not be shy to sit for your grading in front of the juniors or your students as it is an indication of your confidence in your own ability. Doing the grading behind closed door only indicate that you do not have the confidence to show your ability.

However, although I was not in my best shape, I tried to perform to the best I can and luckily I made it through. I have passed my 6th Dan grading and now I need to write-up my thesis in order for me to apply for my Kukkiwon certificate. As I have not really write thesis for a long time, hence it is actually not easy. I have the idea in my head, but to actually bring the idea into paper is really hard. Anyhow, I have completed 4 out of the required 10 pages which is a good progress. I intend to complete my thesis by end of next week.

Running A Business

Setting taekwondo classes is like running a business taekwondo coaches also businessman trying to sell taekwondo to the people. Ironically your students are actually your clients or customers. However, most of us taekwondo coaches are better in teaching than running a business. We are technically people which have difficulty in dealing with administrative paperwork such as setting up database of your students, preparing proposals, selling your 'business' to corporate and filing.

Ideally, we just want to teach the students well and have someone doing the administrative for us but then again we too need to be business-savvy as taekwondo is our business, hence we need to run it like how business does, whether we like it or not. Learn to be a businessman while making sure our

product is still the best.

Keep learning technically and also increase your business sense cause what the use of a good product which you cannot sell.

The Five Tenets of Taekwondo

Although I have been practicing Taekwondo for more than 20 years, I am still learning and today I realized that after all these years I have never really look into the other aspect of Taekwondo which is the non-physical side. Many time I have been teaching on the physical aspect while have not really teach tenets of Taekwondo. Only today that I realized there actually have the tenets FOR TAEKWONDO.

The Five Tenets of Taekwondo are:

1. Courtesy - which covers respect of one another, be polite to one another

2. Integrity - upholding one's principle at the same time able to differentiate between right or wrong, being honest

3. Preseverance - always be patient, the time will come.

4. Self-Control - able to control one's emotion

5. Indomitable Spirit - Have a strong will to never give up

World Championship 2011

Last week the World Taekwondo Championship was held in Korea and I managed to catch some of the fights. It's actually been awhile since I watch any competitive sparring and although I do aware of the changes in point system, I have yet to watch any match with the new body protector point system.

Anyway, the first match I watch was the fly weight male and I was deeply disappointed on how the fight has become. It was not as it used to be. There was just too much hanging the leg and pushing kick instead of the old school roundhouse kicks and all. I understand that the body protector is more sensitive towards pushing than hitting with the in-step. The fight has becoming more ITF style.

Luckily, the female category was more interesting to watch as they create more actions than the males'. Also the heavier weight category provide more interesting watch than the usual lighter weight category.

Promotion Test

Promotion test or grading is the the time to determine when the students is able to be upgraded to the next belt. Many a time we, coaches prepare them by teaching them the poomsae and other components that require for the promotion test. However, it is also a time when the coaches do feel stressed by the performance of the students as they are some will end up not doing well in the test. They perform well to earn them the spot for the grading but when the actual time for the grading, many would not be able to do well as anxiety, nervousness and also the feeling of overwhelmed get the better of them.

Then the coaches will be stressed up seeing the students not performing up to mark. I, personally hate that feeling but just can't control it. Although we know that we have done our part, still it is our responsibility to ensure that they are able to do well. Failing which it is our job to find out the reason behind their dismal performance and rectify it so the next time it will be better.

Make Money or Make a Living?

As a coach we too need to survive, therefore we charge a certain amount of coaching fees in order for us to pay our bills, bring food to the table, provide for the family etc. So are do we make money or make a living?

They are coaches who just interested in making money and they are some who just want to make a living from coaching. Also they are some who wants to make money the proper way or ethically.

There are many unethical coaches who just coach to make money as these coaches charge a high price for non-quality coaching to the athletes/students. They just want volume, therefore they conduct classes with more than a hundred students by themselves or the most with another coach. In actual fact, they just there to collect fees and let the black belt students run the class for them. Mind you, those black belts also pay fees to train NOT to teach. How then can you justify their charges? They charge the students to be coached by their peers from the same school.

Then ethical ones get 'killed' by these unethical coaches as people will generalized us to be like them. Why they want to pay us the same amount if we are like them, which in fact we are not. We provide good coaching and at the same time we also need to earn a living. And coaching is our life. It's in our blood. We love doing what we do, and hope at the same time to make some money the ethical way to provide for our family etc.

Progression

I have planned a progressive program beginning of this year and up to now, I can see improvement in their performance. The way they perform poomsae and kicks have improve beyond my expectation. This is the progression that I am looking forward to but this is much better.

Not only their performance is improving, their training attitude has been affected as well. The students are training better now. They really put their effort and heart into it. Let just hope that it can only get better....

High Intensity Workout

It is not easy to incorporate high intensity workout into a normal taekwondo class. The workout has to be functional and specific to the taekwondo training. However, recently, I managed to come out with a series of high intensity workout to be incorporated in the taekwondo class.

The workout comprises power, speed, muscular strength and endurance and energy system. So far the students are adapting well but of course for initial part, muscle soreness is unavoidable and only a matter of time before their body can take it.

Also at the ending, they have to do at least 3x50 crunches and 2x50 back extension before we do some static stretching to end the class.

Squat-Knee-Raise

Until now, I am still going through the basic but now with more intense physical training. Many times coaches conducted physical training in Taekwondo but not able to transfer the physical training to Taekwondo techniques or movement which then affect their performance.

Functional training is when the training is able to transfer to taekwondo performance. As Taekwondo stress a lot to the lower body, then it is just logical that we have training to the lower body which consequently able to transfer to taekwondo movements. For lower body training, I am doing squat knee raise which more specific. In squat-knee-raise, in the extension process, only one leg will be extended while the other sill remain in the bent position. The extended leg is to push the other knee up.

Then combine this exercise into a kick, it can be either front kick or roundhouse kick from the guarding block position. This squat-knee-raise is to exaggerate the stretch-shortening cycle of the quadriceps to enable the execution of a more powerful kick. Also this require the movement from the hip to lift the knee of the back leg while pushing from the front leg. The power from this training is totally beyond your expectation.

The Core

Most of the time the physical training that we do when we coach a session is mostly push up, sit-up and sometimes squats. This is not sufficient and do not have direct transfer to taekwondo performance. Anyway, today I would like to post about core training.

Our core is the most important part of the body especially for taekwondo athletes as our movement involve the core. The power of the kicks is generated from the core to the leg and not just from the leg. If you think that the power of your kick is from the leg then you do not understand the technique well.

Core training is a very important or should I said vital as many of out taekwondo movement generated power from the core. Therefore, if you have a week core then you would notable to generate much power to be directed to your kicks. Also eventually you will suffer from back pain.

The core needs to be trained in order for us to be transfer the power to our kicks.

Coaching Basic

Since it is just basic training, one will think it is easy to coach or to teach. On the contrary, it is not as easy as it seems to be. For the beginners, they have not have any knowledge on the technique so you have to break it down to step-by-step. Similarly to those who have been learning. This is because, those that have been training, especially black belts, they have somewhat developed bad habit in executing the technique without them realizing it. So coaching black belts is actually much harder as we need to break their bad habits. This is also partially the coaches fault as we did not rectify their bad habit earlier.

Nevertheless, the coaching method for the juniors and seniors are the same. Break it down to step-by-step and correct them step-by-step until they are able to perform the technique flawlessly.

Basic Training

Many times when we reached black belt, we like to think that basic techniques are easy stuff. How wrong can we be? The truth is when we attained our black belt, our basics should be very solid or strong as in the structural foundation of a building. Without a strong structural foundation, the building will collapse easily. Just like in Taekwondo, without a strong basics, then the balck belt is meaningless.

At the black belt level, our basic techniques should be flawless as in close to perfect if not perfect. There should be any bad habit that can hamper the execution of the technique. When we raise our knee for front kick, it is not about how high one can raise his/her knee, but how close the heel to the butt when raising the knee. When punching, do we just punch or do we concentrate on the push/pull element?

Martial Art Vs Sport

Since the inception of Taekwondo being made the official medal event in the Olympics in Sydney 2000, Taekwondo has began to lose its martial art roots. This mean that the practitioners train Taekwondo for the sport values which is gyorugi or free-sparring instead of focusing on the martial art.

When we talk about martial art, the practitioners have to practice all aspects of Taekwondo such as Poomsae, Hansinsul, Gyorugi, etc and not just focus on one aspect which is Gyorugi.

However, as gyorugi is the more popular and appealing to the public, many coaches only focus on it with the hope that his or her athletes will be able to make it to the Olympics. With this in mind, the athletes do not train anything else in Taekwondo except gyorugi. Hence their training is sport-oriented from the physical, mental, technical and tactical.

As the shift towards sport is much greater, Taekwondo is slowly losing its martial art values...