Back to Basic - 2011 FUNdamental Training Program

At this time of the year during my break, I reflect on the training that I had conducted throughout 2010. While the training program for 2010 was not bad but there are still plenty of room for improvement. For one, the training program should be more consistent and with continuity. Therefore, right now I have somehow planned the general program for 2011.

I have to go back to basic. Most of time we coaches are so engrossed into coaching advanced techniques to our athletes or students that we do not spend enough time on their basics. We have to work more on their fundamental before progressing to advance techniques.

Fundamental training do not only cover basic techniques but also their basic physical capabilities. We spent too much time of techniques and less time on physical conditioning, hence the athletes lacking the physical attribute in executing the techniques.

So for 2011, I will begin our training with more physical conditioning and basic techniques to build a strong fundamental and foundation for better performance.

Year End Break

Every year, after a tiring year of coaching it is time for us coaches to have a break from coaching to spend time with our loved ones. It is always good not just for the athletes or students to take a break but also for us, coaches to have a break in order to recover and regenerate especially at the end of the year or end of season. This break will do us a lot of benefits as when we resume our duty, our mental and physical are well-rested to brace a new year or new season.

Taekwondo Training Workshop

Last Sunday, 19 Dec, I rushed to conduct a workshop on Functional Training for Taekwondo Performance to a group of Taekwondo Instructors/Coaches. There were about 16 of them, all very enthusiastic to learn.

I gave them a new insight into physical training that is applicable in Taekwondo training in order to improve performance of their athletes. I did not change what they do but just provide them with new ideas and training methods that they can add to their training program.

Train the way it should be trained and do not do just because other people is doing it. This is to eliminate the MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO syndrome.

Well, I hope they can go far with what they have learned.

Self - Defense Workshop

Last Thursday on the 16 Dec, I conducted a self-defense workshop at Petronas Tower, KLCC to a group of corporate people. It is always refreshing to conduct workshop to different kind of audience and that was my 2nd time conducting to corporate people. The last one was quite some time ago in Maybank HQ.

Anyway, it is always a new experience everytime I conduct a workshop as you have different audience, different environment and different kind of people. The last time I've conducted, there was only slide presentation, this time we have some demo and practical. The people actually get a taste of the techniques.

Also I had two students who were kind enough to assist me in the workshop. Thanks to them the workshop was a success.

Asian Games 2010

The Taekwondo event for the Guangzhou Asian Games, came and gone. The Malaysian contingent ended empty-handed and the best performance was only one athlete who qualified for the quarter-final. They are supposed to be the best Taekwondo exponents in the country and yet they only rely on one athlete to contribute a medal.

The athletes took part in the India Open and Korea Open and came back with a couple of Gold medals. They went for intensive training in Korea prior to the Games. They have enough warm-up and training for the Games and yet there was no performance to show.

What went wrong?

Probably it's time to review the training program that they had gone through throughout the year. Why are the athletes couldn't perform on the big stage? Is it something to do with their physical, mental, technical or tactical? Had the coach done enough prior to the Games? How about they periodization plan? Anyhow, it's time to go back to the white board.

Open-Ended

In the last post, I've talked about closed-ended and it is just natural that I'll also talk on open-ended. Open-ended is the opposite of closed ended. It is when the training is conducted in an unstable or unpredictable environment. After going through closed-ended training, then the athletes will have to undergo open-ended training, where neither will now what techniques they will be doing.

Open-ended training is to get the athletes to be able to react the unpredictable situation just as in the competition. In the competition, nobody knows what going to happen. So by going through open-ended training, at least the athletes will get to understand the situation that they will be in during competition, so that they are able to response to it.

Closed-Ended

Closed-ended or closed-chain training is when the situation is fixed by the coach in order for the athletes to practice a certain technique in a certain situation. In this training, the athletes and their partner know exactly what each other is going to do, hence the precaution and preparation to face the situation is already set.

This type of training is usually done when a new technique or tactic is being introduced by the coach so that the athletes will be familiarized with that situation and 'hope' that the athletes know how to respond and react when the situation occur in real competition.

All of us coaches will have go through this process of coaching but a visionary coach can see beyond closed-ended training situation. How many of us had really look beyond this training in order for the athletes to perform in real competition mode?