WIKF USA Coaches
February 2018
Make Adjustments
We are approaching the 2nd month of the competition season; as Coaches, what adjustments needs to be made?
An interesting metric I've always kept in my mind: If a rocket going to the moon takes off with a half inch angle error (1 degree), and this course is not corrected, by the time it reaches its destination, it is now 4,169 miles off target. (Also a positive side to this too; One Degree Difference)
When the course of the season begins, directional corrections can still be made. Questions to guide the process: Are the Beginners and Novice getting the guidance they need? Are Intermediates growing? Are Advanced and Elite athletes receiving the same training or are they being differentiated? And, is there a pipeline created for Rising Star Juniors?
Onward
WIKF @ Team Trials
WIKF @ Paris Open
Irr - Reach and Rotation
Triple Impact Competitor
1. Self - We will always look for ways to improve our self.
2. Teammates - Help your teammates by positive reinforcement and prioritizing 'team success' and not only individual. It is difficult to look beyond oneself, but WIKF Athletes focus on helping others.
3. The Game - We will win with humility, and show courage and courtesy if defeated. We will compete with precision and allow the referees to experience our matches with joy. We will show how the game is played at its highest level.
More resources on the Triple Impact Competitor.
Strength & Conditioning for Karate Athletes: Start With Why
I had the opportunity to participate at the USA Karate Team Camp following the Team Trials in January. I was asked to speak about Strength & Conditioning for Karate Athletes, which was an exciting opportunity. I was allotted 30 minutes to cover that topic, which was daunting since I could probably talk for days on end about what a comprehensive Sports Performance training program (which includes strength, conditioning and other facets of physical and mental preparation) for Karate athletes should include. I’d like to share some of the content from that talk with the WIKF USA coaches, but since this is just a corner of the monthly newsletter, I’ll try to distill it down to just a portion of what I covered in my presentation. Hopefully there will be future opportunities to delve into greater detail.
So, what should strength & conditioning training look like for Karate athletes?
Simon Sinek’s famous book and TED Talk introduced the concept of “Start With Why” and the Golden Circle. Rather than first diving into WHAT to do, begin by identifying WHY – what is your core belief behind the pursuit?
So in our case, the question is “Why does a Karate athlete need sports performance training?” Many people will simply answer, “To get stronger,” or “To be faster,” or “To build endurance” or “To prevent injuries.” Those are all correct, but they don’t dig deep enough. When we get down to it – whether we’re considering Kata or Kumite – the number one differentiator between good and great athletes is the ability to apply and control quick bursts of speed throughout the competition.
So our WHY is that we need our athletes to apply and control quick bursts of speed repeatedly – in multiple directions using all 4 limbs while maintaining proper technique. Applying speed speaks to quick acceleration, effective movement, and rapid transitions. Controlling speed speaks to efficient deceleration, appropriate movement after closing the gap, and locking into the appropriate stance after transitioning in kata.
So now that we have our WHY identified, we can consider HOW we will pursue that objective. And the answer is: We will use a consistent, progressive training plan that is focused on delivering those outcomes. The first thing to notice is that we need a plan. Throwing together a workout on any given day isn’t training, that’s exercising. In order to achieve the objectives set for us in our WHY, we must have a plan that progressively challenges the athletes and consistently develops the traits they need to demonstrate.
With the WHY and HOW in place, we can finally look at WHAT we should be doing. And there are a vast supply of options we can choose from. So let’s be clear on what we will do and what we will not do: Since we are faced with time constraints for our training (and to avoid overtraining), we must focus our time & energy only on what will support our “WHY”. For example, many athletes and coaches think that to build endurance (what I refer to as Work Capacity) they should go on long runs. Old-school training and testing reinforced this view, with timed 1.5 mile or 3 mile runs on assessments and 30 minute long runs (jogs, if we’re honest) for training. Let’s consider what that is actually reinforcing. For those long jogs the athlete is putting in hundreds or thousands of reps of slow movement at unchanging speed. That doesn’t sound anything like what our WHY tells us we should be training. Instead, we want to build work capacity to repeatedly execute explosive speed – or at the very least, quick changes in speed.
Even that simple example can help narrow the scope of what training options we should be considering as we look to help our athletes develop speed and the endurance to repeatedly express that speed throughout their bouts and successive rounds.
This is simply the tip of the iceberg, and hopefully the start of conversation around how we can be helping our athletes train more efficiently and effectively. Hopefully it provides a helpful framework for assessing, prioritizing, and selecting training options for your athletes.
-Coach Chris Stratis
WKF Rule Changes
Be sure to look at:
Kumite, Article 7 - losing senshu
Kata, Article 5 - audibles are very serious fouls
Kumite, Appendix 3 - getting scored upon and feigning (exaggeration with no foul) clarification
Full document for WKF Kumite & Kata Rules
Post to Smore
Coaches and Staff, if you have pictures, memories, or other topics that you would like to submit to the monthly newsletter, please email them to Coach Garcia @ vgarciaedd@gmail.com.