Stretch Yourself

Practical Application of Principles of Training, Part III

by Thomas Kurz, author of Stretching Scientifically, Secrets of Stretching, Science of Sports Training, and co-author of Basic Instincts of Self-Defense.

This is the forty-fifth installment of my column on training.

To read the previous installment click here.

In previous columns I wrote about applying principles of individualization and accessibility of training and the principle of gradual increase of loads in endurance training and in strength training. In this column I explain how those principles apply to technical training, on an example from acrobatics or gymnastics—learning a front somersault.

To do a front somersault one has to have a strong takeoff, at the correct angle and with correct body position (the hollow position). Then one has to fold forward or tuck high enough and quick enough to land with trunk nearly vertical and legs bent no more than in a 3/4 squat (the straighter the better).

To have that strong takeoff one has to have fully automatized habits of running approach (strides, and especially arm movements in the last step before jumping), and of assuming the hollow position in flight. If one does not have these habits, then the takeoff will be too low—either because of being too slow or because of wrong angle and wrong body position—and the gymnast will land poorly, in a crouch or even sitting.

An instructor of acrobatics or gymnastics who applies principles of individualization and accessibility of training and the principle of gradual increase of loads (difficulty of skills) will not push a student to do the front somersault before the student is comfortable with running and jumping, and assuming the hollow position in flight (and then just dropping down on his or her feet). Each one of these three elements of the technique should be practiced at first separately and then combined, with difficulty (speed, height) increased gradually. How gradually? As gradually as it takes for the student to absorb each skill fully (the principle of individualization).

Skipping learning stages leads to confusion and hesitation when the whole skill is to be performed at full speed—even in the safest conditions, for example, into a sponge pit. If the student is confused, he or she will be hesitant, too tense, will jump too low, and so will have to rush the folding forward and thus land poorly. Confusion and disappointment with poor performance may soon lead to anxiety about performing this skill and eventually reluctance to practice it. All of this because the skill was not made accessible by observing this student and progressing gradually enough for him or her to master all building blocks of the skill before putting them together.

How is this similar to teaching complex martial arts techniques, such as jumping kicks? Very similar: If a stance and a fist are wrong, punches are wrong. If punches are wrong, the upper body moves wrong, so a kick is wrong too. If a kick is wrong when standing on the ground it will be worse when done jumping in the air.

Each of these elementary techniques has its teaching method with lead-up exercises and standards of performance. Here is an example of such standards for forming the fist:

• Tips of the fingers have to dig into the right spots on the flesh of the palm
  
• Back of the fist (metacarpal bones) and the first phalanges of the fingers have to form a straight angle (90 degrees)
  
• Metacarpal bones and forearm must be aligned so a straight line runs from the point in center of the near end of the forearm to the point between second and third knuckles, and so on . . . .

Each of these standards has to be met before the student can be taught how to move the arm during a punch (and then, step by step, how the whole body—from toe to the knuckle—is to move to punch well).

There are exercises for teaching and enforcing each technical detail of every technique. Applying the principle of accessibility in teaching all techniques means that one should give instructions that are understandable and can be carried out well by a given student, and select the exercises that are not too difficult to be done well by this particular student (here enter both the principle of individualization of training and the principle of gradual increase of loads). It follows that principle of individualization of training requires setting the pace of teaching progression not by guess and by some arbitrary schedule but by following the student's mastery of each learning step.

If you have any questions on training you can post them at Stadion's Sports and Martial Arts Training Discussion Forum at http://www.stadion.com/phpBB2.

To read the next installment of this column click here.

This article is based on the Stadion book Science of Sports Training: How to Plan and Control Training for Peak Performance and the DVD Acrobatic Tumbling: From Rolls to Handsprings and Somersaults. Get them now and have all of the info—not just the crumbs! Order now!

Sign up to be notified of new articles on training as soon as they are posted! (Your email address is safe with us. It won't be sold or given to any other company.)

Stadion Publishing Home | What's New at Stadion | Questions & Answers on Training | The Athlete's Bookshelf | What Others Say About Our Titles | Contact Stadion Publishing
Register to be notified of free information and new products

© 2006 by Stadion Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved. This internet site is protected by copyright. Any distribution or duplication of any of its content (text or images) without written permission from Stadion Publishing Co., Inc. is prohibited by law.