One-Step Sparring

Teaching 1-step sparring sound easy but in actual fact it is one of the hardest component to teach as the students tend to remember the techniques than to understand the purpose of it. One-step sparring is actually a self-defense technique where the students learn to protect themselves using the basic block and counter-attack. By focusing too much on remembering the technique itself rather than the big picture of its' usage will defeat the purpose of it.

The students have to understand that the 1-step sparring is not just for passing their test but it is the self-defense techniques in Taekwondo training that one day might be needed to protect themselves. Therefore, they should understand the concept of it and not just treat it as part of a test component.

Intensity and Volume

I am using the same approach for all the classes that I'm conducting but implementing different intensity and volume. This is because there are many differences in every classes. The differences consist of age, level of training, training age and different capability.

The intensity and volume of the exercises are very important to elicit training effect to the students. Depending on their level, too much will hamper their development and too little will not be enough to elicit adaptation. Therefore, we have to find an optimal level of intensity and volume of exercises which is effective to their progress.

My New Approach

Lessons have begun for two weeks now and I am still experimenting with my new training approach.

Last year, I am only begin training for poomsae one month towards grading but this year I am begin poomsae training from the beginning. we'll be doing one poomsae a week until the practitioners' own poomsae. Even then, the practitioners will have to practice all the poomsae below theirs in order for them to remember and master all the poomsae. Poomsae training will only be done at the end of the training.

My approach will also focus on their physical aspects and sparring. The physical part will be covered at the beginning of the lesson with dynamic warm-up followed by sports-specific endurance. For the start now we will be working on one basic upper body and lower body strength training which is the push up and squats. Not forgetting the core strength using sit up upon competing the poomsae training.

After that, we will work on some basic free-sparring movements. The focus is on the techniques and the movement speed.

This way, I feel that all the components are covered for the general training. However, this program only can run on the maximum of 6 weeks before moving on to a new program. Otherwise, it'll become redundant and getting bored. Nevertheless, the sequence will be the same and they still have to do poomsae after free-sparring training.

2010

It's been a long while since I last updated my blog. All the gradings for the year 2009 had ended lessons for the year 2010 has just began. As it was a 1st week of lessons, therefore training was light and just a lil' bit of physical with a lil' bit of skill training.

For this year I'll be taking a new approach in conducting my classes. I had just taken my first step this week and will try to keep it going and see how it goes.

It was an eventful week seeing old faces turning up for training and also a couple of new faces trying out for training. Students returning from oversea and will join back the classes. There was also an accident happened in one of the classes where 2 girls fell down and cried.

Well, all and all, it's a good start of the year and I wish the momentum will continue....

Grading, Grading, Grading

The year is coming to an end and I am trying to finish all the grading before the year end. The will be a few more grading to go for all classes. There's going to be one grading this saturday follow by another middle of next month and the final one on the last day of class. So meanwhile, I will be busy preparing them for these grading.

Grading Venue

All this while Sunway Lagoon Club has been playing host for the ceentralized grading everytime due to the most number of students from the club are involve in the grading and also the generousity of the club's management. However, this time around the management has change their mind in providing the venue for the grading as they feel the number of students training at the club are not so great as to some complaints by the members who do not get to use the hall.

The club is not able to provide the hall for the grading and give us an alternative venue which is the function room that is smaller than the hall. My inspection of the room tells me that only those who are involve are to be in the room while those who are waiting have to be outside the room. Also, I was told that the management wanted to charge us. Anyway, I shall be at the club to negotiate this as I have been supporting the club in their activities by sponsoring monetary and material requested by them. The club have to show their support to their activities they are offering.

The worst scenario is that we'll be using my training hall for the grading which of course will be even much smaller. This I feel will reflect badly to the club. If they do not care about this then there is nothing much I can do about it.

Grading

On the 15 November will be the last centralized grading of the year and up to today, my students preparation is going well. Majority of them are around 80% ready for the grading while there are a few who still need to have more training. We have been doing free sparring more this time around as I have prepare their poomsae much earlier. However, for these two weeks we will be doing trial grading, having them to perform every components required for the grading and asess them from there.

The selection will be done this week and the grading will be on next week. We hope that the students do their own training and make our life a bit easier. We only can tell if they do practice and train this week.