Friday 27 February 2009

Coaching A Coach

I am fortunate that as I pen this blog – yes i wrote this long hand before i entered it – I am skiing in Switzerland. Though a very good skier I always take a series of lessons when I am away for a week or more.

Why? ...... Just to ensure my technique hasn’t got sloppy. It makes me realise that practice makes permanent, only perfect practice makes perfect.

So when was the last time you were coached as a judo player? Having someone critically look at a fight, a throw or a set up you use and then give you constructive advice and help.

That is a bit of an aside as to what I wanted to talk about today....when did you as a coach did you experience life as a student, being taught or coached perhaps in a different sport.

My Swiss ski instructor doing group lessons used different coaching styles and techniques which I recognised – some applied in slightly different manners and which I thought might be useful when doing Judo. It was the handling of group dynamics I found very interesting, in one group he had a family on holiday with teenagers who skied well, a young couple and me. His reinforcing positive points of techniques – only mentioning one teaching point at at a time, building on each, giving time to practice and then feedback.

He then started getting people to observe each other and pass comment on each other. He focused on positive statements it would only be ¾ of the way through the lesson he would mention a negative in an interesting manner .......It is worth saying sometimes people do .....but I haven’t seen it in this group but please be aware if you do this.......


So my skiing is improving and my coaching is too. As I see what a coach’s job is in a different light...I wonder if it could be a tax deductible......

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Perceived Danger!!

On a flight to Switzerland I overheard a couple of people comment on a newspaper report about Chris Hoy, Olympic Gold Medallist, and a cycling accident at the Track Word Championships in The Netherlands. (Article from International Herald and Tribune

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/14/sports/CYC-Track-Cycling-World-Cup.php )

The conversation was about was it news – a dad was saying kids fall off bikes all the time, he was dismissive of it. Mum was saying she didn’t think cycling was dangerous but at the speeds they go they don’t have much protection.

This brought about a thought and a recollection of a conversation I have had whilst doing circus skills workshops and magic workshops. Jugglers train to be technically perfect, never dropping a ball, just like a tight rope walker, they don’t want to fall off or wobble. Yet in order to entertain there has to be a perception of danger for the audience, a wobble and almost stumble on the tight rope or the aborted 1st attempt at a big move, a dropped ball or club them a successful attempt.

Cycling can be dangerous but it isn’t perceived as such. Judo can be potentially dangerous but when it is televised it is becoming sanitised. Boxing, Karate have blows to the head, cage fighting with its brutality all get good TV coverage, all have strong danger elements.

When the IJF remove a throw because someone breaks a leg, saying a throw is now to dangerous ( these where world class players), this reduced potential risk, but the reverse is true people want to watch the risk. This is what TV producers might call the car crash effect. When Joe Theisman's leg broke this was a highlight on TV news now it’s on the internet...here is the link .....

http://www.extremesportclips.com/video/299/Joe-Theisman-Leg-Break.html

Did you watch it ......if so why ...... You Tube is full of these.

The IJF want to make Judo a TV sport, a sport TV companies want to cover, we have huge throws, this is great but there is NO DANGER....we minimise risk. Look on You Tube for clips of O Soto Gari knocking someone out, strangles where the player is knocked out.

These elements make TV viewing – they are the danger in Judo. Give a TV company danger and watch viewers flood in. If you have to put in one martial arts event in your schedule for your TV company , you are looking for spectacular, danger and excitement would you be choosing judo over boxing, MAA or kick boxing or Thai boxing ? NO. Why the gap between fights and lack of action ...perhaps but no danger!!!

So we are cleaning up Judo for TV .......or are we removing the elements, the characters ( don’t get me started on mat side coaches) the danger or at least perceived danger. Some of it is just marketing...in MAA they CHOKE A PLAYER OUT ( sounds bad) in Judo we get him to submit ( much weaker how – talk him to death?)

Which sound more dangerous and which one would you watch?

Just an opinion and thought for the day.

Videos

Today I thought I woudl share a project with you.

One of my Judokas at a school is a budding film maker. So I encourage him to do a promotional video for the Judo Club, I coudln't get it to load but you can see what he produced as the film producer Kit Harwood has his own blog http://www.kitharwood.blogspot.com/ with several other video on it.

Having helped with the filming and planning it has rasied a couple of questions I think are worth considering. If you are trying to promote your club what would you put in a video, would you focus on the atmosphere, impressive throws?

This was our attempt and it works I think. With the use of mobile phones as camera, the internet and U-tube it is very easy to put something together easily.

Lance Wicks www.judocoach.com will tell you this is what you need for the the modern Digital native.

I would love to see others - especially with origional video footage not just a rehash of Fighting Films DVD's (http://www.fightingfilms.com/) cut with a different sound track and a club logo.
If you have one to share please let me know.


A couple of videos worth looking at as a way of promoting Judo are by Rob Maurency

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXp3sWe_Avo&feature=channel_page

This is a video of an Australlian University Team Comp - very theatrical coloured suit etc but works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOn-o1Bl6zY&feature=channel

A great Goshin Jutsu Kata with all the boaring bits cut out - film at the Kodokan with Rob being Tori. When he showed this to a class after having done the kata they lapped it up.
All these video apper with pomissions of the creators.


All for now

Sorry Guys !!!

I have been away for a week in Switzerland, and I thought I had a number of post all loaded and they seem not to have been posted. I am on the case and hope to have them up in the next few hours.

Sorry to all who have missed my rants!

Marc