Posts Tagged ‘jack Dempsey’
Is there such a thing as sport specific training?
The (insert sport here) specific agility programme
Or, endurance, or power or speed and so on.This is what is advertised, and it is what sports people want. Basketball specific, tennis specific and so on. But the question I always have is.
Is it Athlete specific?
Whether you are running after a rugby ball, basketball or tennis ball, the initial start is the same. Recently working on some fundamental movements with athletes from different sports has been interesting. Not only are some sports more open minded, but also athletes within those sports.
Read MoreStrength and conditioning qualifications in the U.K.
“You have to work hard at being a coach”
was my constant refrain over the course of the weekend’s Level 1 Strength and Conditioning course held at Derby University.
Read MoreMadden on footwork
In “One knee equals two feet”, John Madden talks about footwork for linebackers. Madden was talking to a linebacker and asked him to analyse what he did…
“My feet and shoulders are lined up together, one told me. My first step is short, only 6 inches, then my next step is...”
Read MoreStrength and conditioning coaching course reflections
“Plyometricky: an exercise that purports to be elastic, but is performed slowly”
a new phrase coined last week on the level 2 Coaching Strength and Conditioning for Sport at Oxford Brookes University.
The candidates came up with that term when we were discussing the myriad of “power” exercises that are just slow jumps.
Read MoreMartial Arts- enhance or inhibit natural movement?
I was recently asked about using Martial Arts training to help a sports academy with their movement patterns. This is ironic because a lot of M.A. training actually inhibits natural movement patterns.
In fact, these artificial movements become more and more exaggerated, and then become the object of the training, rather than an aid to being a better fighter.
Read MoreHow to get fit for tennis
On Monday we looked at the demands of tennis, now we look at putting that into practice. With a nation inspired by British hopes at Wimbledon, start getting fit now.
How can I get fit for tennis?
Start with flexibility and build from there. Every player needs to have a foundation of mobility and flexibility to build upwards from. This needs to be worked on regularly, not something that is done once a week or when you feel tight.
Read MoreBruce Lee on agility
Traditional Martial Arts Training = Organised Despair
According to Bruce Lee in the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, where he talks about traditional martial arts training and refers to it as organised despair.
“Instead of facing combat in its suchness, then, most systems of martial art accumulate a fancy mess that distorts and cramps their practitioners and distracts them from the actual reality of combat, which is simple and direct.
Read MoreHow do you coach a visual learner who is blind?
This came up last week in conversation with 2 of the England Blind Football Team. I was unable to physically demonstrate some exercises to Dan James the goalkeeper, (who is sighted) and is a clear example of someone who learns by watching.
Later that day I was working with Robin Williams (blind) who has never been able to see demos, so has to learn by auditory cues and feel.
How would I be able to coach Robin if he was a Visual learner like Dan?
Read MoreHow to get more agile- use your head
I used this theme when presenting at the Active Devon Coaching Conference last weekend.
Do you do endless footwork drills in order to get more agile? Bruce Lee called this organised despair- it looks really productive and efficient, but it has very little transference to open, fast moving situations in a game.
Read MoreTradition is the scourge of endeavour
A quote taken from Terry Pratchett’s “Unseen Academicals”.
Think about that.
Having been in a few environments where tradition has been deemed important, I can empathise with this quote. In fact, the hierachy of “people in charge” who have wanted to remain traditional have stamped on any signs of endeavour.
This could be in Karate- where bastardised forms of fighting have been put in sequences and ritualised beyond all recognition oif actual fighting.
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