The Tokon Academy Blog

The Winning Mind!

2009-08-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I 've been away from the blog for a while, primarily focussed on other things at the academy but also finding it a bit tedious trying to come up with stuff to write every week (I can understand why so many blogs are cr*p now, because their authors get into the monotony of writing cr*p for the sake of a post). Here is a truley inspiring quote (paraphrased) from a book I am really immersed in at the moment. The Winning Mind: My Inside Track on Great Leadership: Developing Inspirational Leadership and Delivering Winning Results by Lord Sebastian Coe.

----

"Success stems not only from the overall achievement, but from a profound connection with the project in hand, the professional relationships and support earned from others and the challenges that occur and are overcome along the way.

"'The road to gold' is usually bolder-strewn and there are few shortcuts. It does not run in straight line from the start line to a successful finish; it may take unforeseen twists and turns over many years and will involve planning, hard graft, daily challenges, frequent setbacks and many small wins along the way. Every one of those small moments of effort will take you closer to a winning position and your ultimate goal."

"At various stages in my life people have said to me 'it can't be done.' That just makes me try harder"

Train intelligently!

David Webb

Head Coach

The Tokon Academy

http://www.tokonacademy.com/

BJJ seminar

2009-07-13T03:40:00.001-07:00

See you there!

David Webb

Head Coach

The Tokon Academy

http://www.tokonacademy.com

"Used by date" Part one

2009-07-10T04:51:00.000-07:00

Coaches, instructors, trainers, call them what you will [provided the integrity is there] all have the same goal in mind: To produce someone better than them, someone that is able to supersede any records, achievements that they set during their own competitive days. It is that simple. If this isn’t their prime objective what right have they to be a ‘coach’.

Constantly evolving skill levels over time are the reason why records are broken and new levels of attainment are reached. However, in order for these measurements of time, distance, speed and results to constantly be improved and surpassed we must set and accomplish many short and long term goals along the way, to achieve this the athlete must be stressed and pushed to achieve these goals on a regular basis, both by the coach and by themselves.

…By themselves… It is because of this that only a small proportion of individual involved in sports actually DO achieve, the rest prefer to stick with what they know and are comfortable with. Prescribed, tried and tested routines that do not tax the system too much, convenient patterns of training that keep us safe and help maintain a certain level of fitness that is needed to keep up with the ‘herd’. People do things because they like it, they enjoy the fact that they can get by without too much effort, train and ally themselves with others for nostalgic reasons and complain when they haven’t achieved what champions can.

That’s the difference; champions’ train hard, they are out running when the rest are tucked up in bed. Champions understand vital performance based nutrition and are prepared to sacrifice over the long haul. Champions take everything to another level in pursuit of greatness, constantly striving to be better than the next, better than they were the last time they trained. Always looking for ways and means to better their current training micro and mesocycle.

Do you think Manny Pacquiao handpicks sparring partners so he’ll have an easy time in preparation for an upcoming world title fight? Do you think Lance Armstrong joined his local amateur cycling club in preparation for his 8th Tour de France attempt? How about team GB coxless fours in their prep for Olympic glory in 2000, did they let Steve Redgrave have his seat out of respect? NO! Is the answer to all of these questions – all train their nuts off to be what they are!

Why did Daley Thompson insists on training on his own on Christmas Day while his opponents were at home opening presents with their families? Why does Johnny Wilkinson kick goals on Christmas morning? Because they want to be the best and will do what it takes to achieve this. All these people got where they are because of hard work, sheer bloody mindedness, commitment, drive, ambition and the support of a coach that is adamant he/she will produce the best.

What am I getting at?

Well look at it like this, all of us have limitations in performance, all of us have a peak performance at which we will reach at some point, all of have desire to achieve (it is just buried deeper inside some more than others). This desire and this peak in performance is short lived unless we have constant motivational strategies to enlarge the desire or lengthen the peak- its like a "used by date" that needs reinvigorating all of the time. I bet if all those high achievers mentioned above were left to train with no coach, no feedback, no encouragement and no support network [all of which a coach provides] they would not be where they are now. So in that sense a coach has his or her very own "used by date". Thus, if your coach is not providing you with adequate and correct feedback, constructive criticism, ample encouragement and is not acting as a great support mechanism he or she is passed their "used by date" – move on and don’t be scared to do so.

Look at Ricky Hatton, after his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Ricky Hatton immediately looked at himself and his coaching staff. Realising he still had the potential to compete as the world best pound-for-pound boxer he sacked his coach and long time friend Billy Graham and went elsewhere – after working together for years.

If we train with certain individuals because of convenience, if we train under a coach/instructor because we enjoy the training for what it is and if we don’t constantly look for improvement in performance through achievable goals our performance capacity will plateau, training will become monotonous, a lack of competitive appetite will creep in and we will become an ‘also ran’, always the ‘nearly’ man.

But more importantly training with no goals and aspiration or training with those that aren’t going to help you realise goals and aspirations shields you from developing, it places you inside an ivory tower that sooner or later will be shattered.

Always look to better yourself, better your peers, better your sparring partners, better your instructor or coach and when you have surpassed you instructor or coach move on, why stay with them for nostalgic reasoning like so many do. Look elsewhere, employ a beginner’s mentality and start a fresh or your used by date will be on top of you before you know it. Sooner or later you will better your new instructor or coach and be on the path to greatness.

In part two we'll address goals, aspirations and motivational strategies for those that do not have a 'coach' or do most of their work alone. Until then,

Train intelligently,

David Webb

Head Coach

The Tokon Academy

http://www.tokonacademy.com/

Good luck to Michael Bisping @ UFC100

2009-07-10T03:37:00.000-07:00

Do it for all all your fans at the Tokon Academy!

http://www.tokonacademy.com

7th July 2005

2009-07-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today fifty-two people died after suicide bombers detonated backpacks on board three Underground trains and a bus. Most of us seem to forget what that day was like, take a few minutes to remember those that aren't here with us today as a result.

Tokon Academy new black belts

2009-07-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Congratualtions to the 9 juniors who had their first session together as bonafide junior Dan grades on Wednesday. It was the hottest session of the year so far but well worth seeing you all with your well deserved black belts - the fun starts now!

Tokon Academy Karate programme black belts: (top row, left to right) George Costin, Noah Humphreys, Sam Price, Russ Smeaton, Sophie Allister, Rian Smeaton, Georgia DeBranco-Chessum. (bottom row, left to right) Ben Jiggins, Ben Tuck, Dave Dedman, Dave Webb, Adam Weeks, Thomas Dedman (Ross Mackenzie not pictured).

"Man in the Arena"

2009-06-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

What a great quote!

-Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)
"Citizenship in a Republic,"Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Inspirational figures #2 & #3

2009-06-29T03:24:00.002-07:00

The last time I wrote about an 'Inspirational Figure' on this blog I looked way back to the 1950's and 60's and used the NFL great Vince Lombardi as my subject. Lombardi was someone I stumbled across whilst I had a few minutes spare at home and was browsing aimlessly on the net, I was so taken by his story and its comparison to a modern day Sir Alex Ferguson decided to put it on here.

For my second blog on the subject of inspirational figures I have brought the subject more up to date and have decided to offer you two individuals. The first I saw a long time ago when someone posted a clip of the guy in question on the old SFUK.net (Submission Fighting UK - now defunct) this guy simply blew me away with his drive and committment to develop and compete regardless of his limitations. The second is a figure who has been in the news quite recently in fact and again is someone else that has dismissed his own limitations and simply 'got on with it' all whilst raised shed loads of money for others that are in the same predicament as himself. Enjoy!

Inspirational figure #2:
Kyle Maynard - born with a rare disorder called congenital amputation

Inspirational figure #3:

Major Phil Packer - former military policeman injured serving in Iraq

So the next time you're wake up for the early morning run that you've planned the night before only to find it's a little too cold or raining a little too much for your liking or when you complain that all your mates are out having a laugh while your stuck in the gym or dojo... Shut up! Just get on with it...

Train intelligently!

David Webb

Head Coach

The Tokon Academy

http://www.tokonacademy.com/

Quote of the day

2009-06-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

"Man is a goal seeking animal, his life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals" - Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC).

Jack-of-all-trades, master of none!

2009-06-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by the martial arts, way before I even thought about donning a Gi and entering my first dojo as a Karateka. At about 7 years old I used to tell friends I had started Karate and that I was going to be taking my first belt ‘real soon’. It wasn’t until they said to me “show us you Kata then?” I thought, “Damn! Now I’ve got to find a way out of this”.

My first ‘martial art’ was Shotokan Karate. I joined the best club in the area because a friend asked me to go along with him one Friday night. This friend was such a laid back kid but even at the age of 10 had an amazing physique and could parry, block and trap anything you threw at him in the school playground, this ability and his muscles [he attested] were down to Karate practice.

From the first session I took I was hooked, I remember sweating my nuts off for about an hour and a half and wanting more at the end. The club was a dojo affiliated to the Karate Union of Great Britain, which is the oldest, biggest and best Shotokan Karate association in the UK (probably Europe). It’s instructors are so dedicated and so true to their art you would be hard pushed to find a more professionally run body. Our dojo had some notoriety in the region, we always trained hard and the instructor, plainly put, was very, very good.

To cut a long story short I continued to train in Shotokan Karate, trained as many times as I could, I was the first to arrive for class and the last to leave. I would bike the 5 or so miles to train in the summer and stand in the snow in a cold sweaty Gi to be collected by my Dad in the winter. I travelled all over the UK, Europe and America to compete and train under some of the worlds best Karateka and in the process spending vast amounts of money on something I have grown to love. The kid that started me off in Karate stopped training a couple of years after I started and I progressed through all the grades with ease and so here I am with an academy of my own and a very strong bunch of dedicated training partners.

It was when I hit 3rd Kyu (brown belt) that things started to change for me. I started to think more. More about my own learning, what I wanted from my training and where I wanted my training to take me. I had always been keen on other arts but especially those that involved grappling. I had a very keen interest in Judo, especially after watching the summer Olympics and the likes of Neil Adams MBE, Ray Stevens, Karen Briggs, and old footage of Brian Jacks, Dave Starbrook to name just a handful of British Judoka. Just watching these Judoka literally throwing their Uke all over the place like they were rag dolls took me back to what first got me hooked on Karate. The athleticism, the grace and marvelling at the practitioner’s ability to make it seem easy. All this made me wonder. Why don’t we do any throws or locks in Karate?

What we have to remember is that Karate once had all the throws, pins and submissions of Judo. Tode Jitsu as it was once called encompassed all things that worked just like today’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and paradoxically so Judo once had all aspects combined (including Atemi waza or striking techniques) under the name Ju Jitsu. But the revolution of what is sport had taken these extremely effective martial arts and had moulded them into something unrecognisable and or a new phenomenon with new sets of guidelines and rules as they moved from ‘Jitsu’ to ’Do’.

It was around this time that I had purchased a couple of issues the now legendary magazine: ‘Terry O’Neill’s Fighting Arts International’ and in one particular issue it had a write up of an event called the Ultimate Fighting Championships. It was 1993 and Tony Blauer, a renowned US martial artist and self-defence expert had written a synopsis of the very first event and had small interviews and pieces on all the main players: Patrick Smith, Frank Shamrock and one Royce Gracie (I still have the magazine). Reading this interview set the seed even more inside me to eventually start a grappling art.

I never did start Judo as a 3rd Kyu my Karate simply took first place over everything. Even when I started my studies at DeMontfort University, in Bedford I never joined the best Judo dojo in the area – Bedford Judo club, I just never found time to get down there and retrospectively am kicking myself now for not doing so, since then I have fallen in love with Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I only wish I’d seen the light and practiced in earnest back then.

My Karate continued and as a result I met some fantastically skilled Karateka: Sensei’s Andy Sherry, Terry O’Neill, Bob Poynton, Billy Higgins, Bob Rhodes, Frank Brennan, Ronnie Christopher, Sean Roberts, Randolph Williams, Dave Hazard, Dave Hooper, Enoeda Sensei, Kanazawa Shihan, Minakami Shihan, Murakami Sensei, Sugimoto Sensei, Isaka Sensei, Ueki Sensei, Tabata Sensei, Ohta Sensei and I made some seriously good friends.

But one afternoon I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a guy named Miguel Camacho. Meeting Miggy seriously changed my outlook on training and what I wanted to accomplish from my training. Miggy was a Purple belt at an Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu club in Borehamwood and was very good friends with the Head Coach, Kevin Pell Soke. Miggy suggested I come along and train Ju Jitsu as it might bring another angle to my Karate training. I duly agreed and trained a few sessions but nothing too serious, seeing I was not getting much from the sessions Miggy suggested I go train at the London Shootfighters in Kilburn. WOW!

That was it; from my first session at London Shoot I had again found something I loved. Although at this stage there was no striking for me this training was on another planet, wrestling and no-Gi Jiu Jitsu every Monday night and Wednesday lunchtime. At this time London Shoot was the UK’s only undefeated gym and was at the cutting edge of British MMA (they still are) fighters such as Lee Murray, John Thorpe, Suley Mahmood, James Zikic, Michael Johnson and Mostapha Al Turk would be on the mats along with instructors Alexis, Paul and Marios for anyone that wanted humbling or was left on the mats after the warm up.

So here was me, a Karateka that was becoming a little uninterested with adhering to a set syllabus that was slightly one-dimensional and now someone back on with it. With a new avenue to explore and something to add to my Karate – another range. I’d have a look at the London Shoot website to find that all the instructors had already been there and done it all, training the world over with the likes of Mark Kerr, Royce Gracie, Marco Ruas it was like everything clicked into place.

Immediately and with every given opportunity I immersed myself in courses, seminars, books, DVD’s. I’d skip university to go train on a Judo course somewhere, I’d cancel my Karate class to train somewhere else or I’d drag my girlfriend all over London to look at the BJJ classes that were springing up everywhere and eventually I’d come to closing all of my dojo that took years of hard grasp to achieve so I could study and understand mixed martial arts.

I’d still see people that I used to train with, training partners from Karate and I’d sometimes turn up to a Karate class in shorts and a t-shirt just to spar and try out some techniques on people that liked to fight. Soon came the quips: “So, you not training anymore then? What you doing then Dave?” said one, “Mixing things around? Does that mean Monday: Judo, Tuesday: Thai boxing, Wednesday: wrestling… (Laughs)” [In fact that is what it meant] one guy even called me a “Jack of all trades, master of none?” - I didn’t mind, just smiled, as it gave me more motivation to ‘high-crotch’ him on his head the next time we sparred!

Yeah that’s right ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. Blinkered, narrow minded, ignorant, bitter. Just some of the words I’d use to describe the response to my new found passion. As the months went by I’d still attend the odd Karate sessions just to spar but by now my skills had far surpassed the criticism I would once encounter and I could apply a style that covered all genres of combat, every range I could win at even the range they felt so at home fighting in.

Around this time I was training with a top Japanese master in Karate. I remember not seeing him and or the training group for about 3 years then once when I heard he was heading back to the UK for his annual tour I decided to go along a train. What was the response like? I was ignored and ostracised, not made to feel welcome and was asked: “What are you doing here? Didn’t think you did this stuff anymore?” What did the class consist of? The same drills, techniques, philosophies, and demonstrations that I had witnessed 3 years prior – stale…

My old training partners are either no longer training (in anything) or are still doing the same old stuff they have always done and will always do. Stagnant, blurred, stale and are still ignorant to a whole different concept of fighting, a whole arena of sports and arts that they do not and will not understand because they refuse to. Most if not all prefer the ‘safety’ of the ‘ivory tower’ they have created, preferring to keep the company and comfort of likeminded martial artists rather than trying something that may benefit their art or style 100%

For sure, I expect they sit and watch contests such as the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Secretly jealous that they could be doing MMA like BJ Penn, George St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida and in their heads kidding themselves that they do actually train in the same manner - that they too could be a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none!’

So what I am doing now, well I have my own academy with lots of very dedicated training partners (I prefer this term to students). I train classes in Kali, Judo, Reality-based Self-protection, no-Gi submission wrestling and I am back teaching Shotokan Karate. The Karate I teach is not what it used to be. It is completely different, the Karate of old (that was for show) that moved me to boredom, has gone. It now has purpose, has a difference – a respect for other things, a respect for other arts, styles and sports. It has knowledge of different ranges and a belief that Karate cannot exist without all the other arts and sports that come entwined with it.

I once said that I did not like Karate. For what it was and what it made of people, I have been reminded of this on several occasions. What those that remind me don’t understand is that I didn’t like the Karate and didn’t believe in the Karate I was being taught…

In almost a full-circle I have eradicated much of the training that I do not need, I now have an understanding that Karate is everything, just in the same way that Judo, BJJ, wrestling and all the other fighting styles are everything. Karate, Judo, BJJ, etc. are simple names given to varying means of accomplishment. I know have a visualisation that you must train at all ranges like a combat athlete to fully appreciate the bigger picture and no one style or methodology has all the answers.

The advice that I bestowed to myself and constantly remind myself with and that I pass on to the juniors that train with me is “Ignore the idiots, if you don’t agree with something don’t do it, if something doesn’t fit with your development don’t do it, don’t follow people for old times sake and nostalgic reasoning, understand when you have outgrown certain teachers and rituals. Look for the flaws in set syllabi and prescribed methods and understand when you are conforming to something to move and look a certain way rather than training in an effective manner more akin to your frame and mindset. Above all else know yourself, become your own coach and follow those that know their trade as those with wisdom will have no reservations about demonstrating their knowledge.”

“Let your training focus become an ever-evolving organic framework of concepts and philosophies, set achievable goals, apply basic principles of training. Steer clear of negative people; leave no stone unturned in your pursuit of knowledge and snatch opportunities wholeheartedly.”

Whether you set your goals on becoming next Ultimate Fighting Champion or just want to be extremely good at every range remove your blinkers and train like a combat athlete considering not just martial principles but sports scientific physiology, psychology, nutrition, mental preparation and conditioning and it will take you from being a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ to a ‘Master of all trades because all is one’.

Train intelligently,
David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com

Brand new online digital magazine

2009-06-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
Have you checked out the Tokon Academy's latest side project?

KombatClinic.com has been totally revamped and transformed into a bi-monthly online digital magazine dediacted to all things combat related. From Full-contact Stickfighting, Muay Thai kickboxing, Karate, Judo, Submission (no-gi) Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) you'll find it all here as well as world-class 'featured athletes' offering interviews and tips for you, the reader, into what it takes to become THE best, sponsored seminars and events with the latest reviews as well as articles and video tutorials on all things combat athletics related.

Issue # 1 (July/August 2009) is online now at http://www.kombatclinic.com. Have a look and let us know what you think.

All the best,
David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com
Follow us at Twitter: http://twitter.com/tokonacademy
Join us at FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

Quote of the day

2009-06-05T01:06:00.000-07:00

"Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts" - Dan Gable

Lance Armstrong: It's not about the bike

2009-06-03T04:32:00.001-07:00

I recently bought this book and started to read about possibly the greatest sportsmen (definitely one of the fittest) that have ever lived. Lance Armstrong - 7 times winner of the toughest cycling race in the world, the Tour de France and survivor of cancer. This year Armstrong is looking to win back the yellow jersey for an unprecedented 8th time after 3 years off due to retirement!

I urge you to go out and buy this book or purchase it through the link below and read about this phenomenal athlete.

Here is a brief review of the book courtesy of Amazon.com:
People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong -- a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its gruelling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a hero suit. While his vocabulary is a bit on the he-man side (highest compliment to his wife: "she's a stud"), his actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him.

There's serious medical detail here, which may not be for the faint of heart; from chemo to surgical procedures to his wife's in vitro fertilization, you won't be spared a single x-ray, IV drip, or unfortunate side effect. Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living colour. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike.

Train intelligently!

Kindest regards,
David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com/

Sponsored by: KombatClinic.com & Fixahome
Full-contact Stickfighting - Muay Thai - Karate - Olympic Judo - Submission wrestling - BJJ - MMA:
"Synergy between theory & best practice"
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

'Instructor' or 'Coach'?

2009-06-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

I would imagine 100% of you reading this will, at some time or another, come across an instructor or coach. Be it during sports practice, martial arts, driving lessons or academia. The rationale behind this post is more than just a debate on the difference between the two interchangeable terms, rather it is a brief look at the role of the two and the responsibilities that exist depending on whether you class yourself as an 'Instructor' or 'Coach'.

yourdictionary.com defines an instructor as such: 'a person who instructs; teacher' simple. About 7 years ago (and I have seen many examples of this since) I was shopping in Cambridge, UK with my girlfriend when we decided to go and check out the sports centre to see what stuff was going on. We stumbled across a Karate class and at the front of the class was a balding, portly man in his mid-5o's that stood around 5' 2" tall. Whilst this post is no means meant as an ageist, heightist, fatteist attack on anyone this man exemplified 'instructor'. From the outset it was obvious he hadn't seen any active exercise for a very long time and his gi/kimono was so beautifully turned out he seemed more concerned with his appearance as the instructor than getting 'stuck in' with the class.

The session commenced whilst myself and my girlfriend rejected advances to join the class and began to watch. Grading syllabus seemed to be the order of the day: "Step forward, Hidari Gedan Barai" came the command. The whole class exploded forward with a "Kiai" and completed a downward sweeping block as commanded all stopped dead like a statue awaiting the next command- impressive stuff for a layman I thought... Nothing, absolute silence followed. The 'instructor' then pulled out what seemed like wallet of the syllabus he was there to instruct (from inside his jacket) and began to reel off each and every grades syllabus for them to perform.

Good stuff. Here is a guy, wearing a black belt who people pay money to train under who doesn't know (or maybe he is soooo good, can't remember) his own students grading syllabus. Without us getting into the pros and cons of following a set 'syllabus' against an ever-evolving organic framework of concepts; this was pathetic. What worried me more was the fact that nobody in the dojo seemed to question his apparent and blatant ignorance or total lack of ability.

Unfortunately, this is just the kind of individual I picture in my head when I think of an 'Instructor' someone more concerned with being the guy who has 'been there and done that' than actually being prepared to actively encourage class participation, promoting his 'students' self-development, guide each student as an individual and at a basic level actually do some training to support his or her grade. Surely just doing this would make all concerned respect him and his grade much more.

Once again, using yourdictionary.com as a reference point, a 'Coach' can be described as a "private tutor who prepares a student in a subject or for an examination" or "the person who is in overall charge of a team and the strategy in games often called head coach". en.wikipedia.org takes this further and says, "Coaching is a method of directing, instructing and training a person or group of people, with the aim to achieve some goal or develop specific skills. There are many ways to coach, types of coaching and methods to coaching. Direction may include motivational speaking. Training may include seminars, workshops, and supervised practice".

The two parts that stick out here for me are the issue of aiming 'to achieve some goal or develop specific skills' and the term 'motivational'. Using my example of an 'Instructor' from earlier on in the post how can his followers be inspired or motivated by someone that needs prompting from a book to advise or conduct a class?

A coach has a duty of responsibility to inspire; they must be attentive to each and every student or player of the team or academy. They need to lead by example [not only at a physical level but also from an emotional, moral and ethical standpoint], a coach is a role-model for juniors under his or her control, a coach needs to interject and immerse himself with the team/player/student and understand the difference obvious in different individuals. Let's list some individuals that have been labelled 'great' coaches, people that have inspired others to reach that required level of performance:

Dan Gable (NCAA, State, Olympic wrestling champion)

Vincent Lombardi (NFL coach)
Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United Football Club Manager 1986 - present)
Neil Adams MBE (Olympic Silver medallist & Belgium Judo Coach)
Sir Matt Busby (former Manchester United Football Club Manager [1958])
Rhadi Ferguson PhD. (2004 Olympian, 4 x National Judo Champion)
Dame Kelly Holmes (Olympic 1500m & 800m champion)
Sir Steve Redgrave (5 x Olympic rowing champion)
Arsene Wenger (Arsenal Football Club Manager 1996 - present)
Phil Jackson (Chicago Bears 1989-1998 & LA Lakers Head Coach, winner of 9 NBA titles)
Renzo Gracie (MMA athlete and one of the most revered BJJ Champions in the world)

All these people have one thing in common. They inspire others. Whether it is their need to succeed, the pinnacle of achievement they reached as a performer in their own right which has led to mentoring or their ability to 'know' the game they were involved in you would never catch them standing on the sidelines barking orders with hands on hips. What I must not forget is that many 'Coaches' actually do little in terms of active participation; nevertheless, they still encourage, motivate, define strategies and tactics and ultimately inspire their team or followers to win (unlike the short arse Karate Instructor mentioned earlier).

Let's use these examples so that the next time we are involved in 'coaching' we understand why we are doing something and what the performer needs from a session with our guidance.

Let's use these people as motivating factors the next time WE are at practice, the next time WE are on the mat because remember coaches' need [must] to practice as well.

Train intelligently!

David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com
Join us at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

Inspirational figures #1

2009-05-31T04:36:00.000-07:00

The Brooklyn-born Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) first entered football limelight during the mid-1930s as a guard on Fordham University's famous "Seven Blocks of Granite" line. He didn't play in the NFL but went directly into coaching. He built a sterling reputation as an assistant with several strong college teams and, in the 1950s, as the NY Giants' offensive coach under Jim Lee Howell. Meanwhile, desperation had set in with the Green Bay Packers, who were at the lowest point in their history. In 1958, they managed to win only one game. Lombardi was hired as head coach and given complete control.

It was the first time he'd been head man other than of a high school team. Lombardi traded for such young players with potential as Wille Davis, changed quarterback flop Paul Hornung into a star running back, nurtured unheralded Bart Starr into a brilliant quarterback, and drove the team mercilessly. Lombardi emphasized execution, blocking, and tackling rather than razzle-dazzle. Most important, he instilled in his players a willingness to "make the effort."

Results were instantaneous. His 1959 team won seven of 12 games. In 1960, Green Bay took its division title, but that was only the beginning. Lombardi's Packers were NFL champions in 1961 and 1962. After two years of retooling, they won titles in 1965, 1966, and 1967. The latter two teams won the first two Super Bowls. In 1969, the Washington Redskins, another team with a long losing habit, hired Lombardi to turn them around. He was well on his way to doing just that when he was fatally stricken with cancer before the 1970 season. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. He is memorialized by the Lombardi Trophy, awarded to each year's Super Bowl winner.

----

"Winning is not everything, but making the effort to win is."

"The Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price."

"None of us are born equal... rather we are born unequal... some of us are born with an inherent and competitive drive."

-Vince Lombardi

Train intelligently,

David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com

Stickfighting - Muay Thai - Karate - Olympic Judo - Submission wrestling - BJJ - MMA
"Synergy between theory & best practice"
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

Attention to detail

2009-05-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks I have noticed a great deal of improvement in my overall game from striking, vertical grappling, my takedowns and throws and of course the final range, horizontal grappling. After taking a long hard look at my training over the last 4 weeks or so and analysing some of the class notes I have taken and pondering over the times from my runs against average heart rates whilst doing these runs it is no coincidence that these improvements in efficiency and effectiveness [against training partners] is down to attention to the finer details of my work.

I have spent a great deal of time hitting my conditioning hard for about six weeks now, with that my percentage body fat has dropped markedly, my times have improved by almost one minute on some runs, my cardio has improved a great deal and as a result I am able to work harder than my training partners during hard sparring and stay at this intensity for longer.

Concentrating on compound exercises has meant my strength has improved a vastly and due to some more intense plyometric work I feel more 'athletic' (if that is possible). My greatest gains however have come about within the technical aspects of my performance - I am 'catching' people more often. Drilling has been a big issue for me in the past, all my consciousness was getting through the 'boring' drill and looking ahead to 'testing' the drill in rolling or stand up sparring. There is no coincidence in the fact that due to the time and effort I have put into the finer aspects of training whilst on the mat I have improved dramatically!

Every single book on physical education, sports science and the like will stress that same. That through drill and repetition comes mastering of skill and the more concentration we put into this drill the better and more efficient our open and closed skills become. However, most of us skip this part and yearn for the end product (or close ot it) this is the difference between recreational players and world-class performance.

Look closely at the passage below:

Finished files are the result of years of scientific study combined with the experience of many years.

How many F's did you count? 3? Look again; you should pick up six... Don't forget the F's in 'of'.

The word 'of': It may seem like a mundane, everyday word that just links words in a sentence but it counts. It counts to form sentences, narratives, paragraphs, books, journals, novels and masterpieces...

Drill practice: it may seem like a bore and monotonous repetition but it breeds skill development, it enables and lines cognitive pathways that we call on without a second thought and is paramount to development.

Train intelligently!

David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com
Sponsored by: KombatClinic.com & Fixahome
Full-contact Stickfighting - Muay Thai - Karate - Olympic Judo - Submission wrestling - BJJ - MMA:
"Synergy between theory & best practice"
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

Satoshi Ishii road to the UFC video

2009-05-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Satoshi Ishii to the UFC

2009-05-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

According to Ishii's Facebook it seems he might be about to grace the Ultimate Fighting Championships. There was some footage of the 2008 Olympic Judo Gold medalist training with Lyoto Machida (current Light Heavyweight champion) a while back and I can't wait to see what he brings to the table in the best MMA organisation on offer!

War Ishii!!!

Kindest regards,
David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

The Tokon Academy badge

2009-05-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what's behind the Tokon Academy badge?
Click here to find out...

Kindest regards,
David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com
----
Sponsored by: KombatClinic.com & Fixahome
----
Full-contact Stickfighting - Muay Thai - Karate - Olympic Judo - Submission wrestling - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - Mixed Martial Arts:
"Synergy between theory & best practice"
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

PMA: part two

2009-05-26T01:03:00.000-07:00

Positive mental attitude part two, in my first rambling I conceptualised PMA using successful sportsmen such as Lance Armstrong and Sir Alex Ferguson as examples of individuals who have enormous amounts of self-belief and mental toughness to get on with a job no matter how hard it becomes. Imagine if you will, Lance Armstrong as he climbs Port de Lers, on the 13th stage in Le Tour. Cold and wet from the rain and perspiration that has soaked his race jersey, legs burning but still with miles to pedal and a hungry peloton breathing down his neck.

Does he give up? F*** no! "It's all about inflicting pain on my opponents" he says.

Did he give up when he was forced to have a malignant testicle removed due to cancer or did his drive subside when a CT-Scan revealed that the condition had spread into his lungs, brain and abdomen? F*** no!

These are the sort of instances and human beings that drive me to achieve what I set out to achieve. Whether it is winning more silverware for the trophy cabinet at Old Trafford and in the process overtaking Liverpool Football club with more Premier League titles for Sir Alex or telling yourself that you will beat cancer as in Armstrong’s case, self-belief and perseverance are paramount.

What do you do to reinforce positively during exercise and everyday life? I’d be interested to find out.

http://www.tokonacademy.com/

Join us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

Positive mental attitude!

2009-05-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

As a person and I don’t mind admitting, I am very negative. Not in the way that I come across as a negative individual; always putting things or others down or putting a ‘downer’ on any given situation – far from it, in this sense you cannot get a more positive individual.

What I mean is I am very self-critical, over analysing the self over and over again. My appearance, my performance, my appearance during my performance, how I look in front my peers and so on and so forth. I am the kind of individual who aspires to a high degree. In business, in athletic performance and also how I feel may be perceived by others. In about 99% of cases all things I have ever entered or started I have fulfilled, completed, passed or achieved. Dan grades in martial arts, entering MMA, taking the step into the arena of full-contact (low armour) stick fighting, driving test, academia all have been done to a decent degree with high success but in getting there I am a constant worrier.

When I embark upon a new task or attempt to kick start something I tend to sit down and write a ‘game plan’. I have a habit of writing lists and planning instances right up to their conclusions with no contingencies and or alternatives, everything has to be finely organised and executed to a tee. If it doesn’t I get mightily pissed off with myself. Whether it’s a new conditioning programme I have set myself over a period of 8-12 weeks or a session plan for the juniors and the elite performance programme at my academy everything has to be right. It is not some form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), although being a Virgo apparently means I am a perfectionist it’s more than having all the labels on tins in the cupboard facing the same way or my clothes lined up neatly and colour coded.

One thing I enjoy immensely is reading about individuals in the public eye and their success, whether it be business, sporting triumphs or the overcoming of adversity and obstacles. Meticulous sports scientific planning and its breeding of success, tactical and strategic excellence and stories of sportsmen and women ‘gritting their teeth’ and getting on with it. Sir Alex Ferguson; possibly the greatest football manager to ever live, a master of his trade (I am a Spurs fan by the way) over 1000 games in charge of Manchester United since 1986, Sir Clive Woodward; a man who is so revered in sporting circles he could put his blueprint to coaching success to anything, Lance Armstrong; seven times winner of the Tour de France and survivor of testicular cancer, the list could go on and on.

They too plan meticulously; execute the plan right down to finite proportions, nevertheless, not always have they been successful. All these individuals are different, they come from different backgrounds, some better off than others but paradoxically they have all arrived at the same place using one common denominator: positive mental attitude. Remember the old Persil advert from way back with the Dad telling his son “PMA – Positive Mental Attitude!” as he was about to enter his school sports day race? Little did the Dad realise that he was up against Linford Christie in the sack race…

What am I getting at? Well, next time something doesn’t go your way, regardless of how much you plan, list, set aims and objectives and or worry about the outcome don’t give up and forget the driving necessity that bore the idea in the first place, rather: positive mental attitude - always!

Until next time!
Dave
http://www.tokonacademy.com

Lyoto Machida - UFC LHW champion!

2009-05-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

Okay the emails and private messages have started. "I told you there was nothing wrong with Karate", "all that time rolling around in those tight pants, you should have carried on with Karate"...

Machida put on a great show last night, he made Rashad Evans look like a guy with no clue and more importantly, a fighter so far removed from the guy we saw dominate Forest Griffin for the LHW title and win TUF 2 it was unreal. Using better Maai (distance) and Tai Sabaki (body evasions) Machida was in control the whole fight, his elusiveness was something to behold. I feel a great sense of pride knowing that Shotokan Karate has taken a huge step back into the 'mix' of all things concerning functional combat.

There is nothing wrong with Shotokan Karate and its effectiveness, there never has been. You have to look no further than the likes of British Karateka such as Dave Hazard, Ronnie Christopher and Terry O'Neill to understand that. However, those individuals that practice the watered down variety of Karate [or any style of combat for that matter] where points and Kata are the only aim or the lining of their pockets through 'nice Karate' do nothing but add to the queue of criticisms. Although Machida's performance was first rate last night and his record is still unblemished (15-0-0), those now touting Karate's supremacy should remember whay he is so good: his Jiu Jitsu, his Karate, his Judo, his Muay Thai and his wrestling and the training partners that play such a vital role in his development and support don't do a bad job either...

Until next time!

David Webb

Head Coach

The Tokon Academy

http://www.tokonacademy.com

Being the 'best' is not all it seems

2009-05-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

We do a lot of Karate here at the Tokon Academy; we hold regular courses and seminars with Karateka that are revered the world over. Karate is the most popular programme here at the academy with 150 juniors training just in Karate. As a result of teaching and training I obviously know of others that training and coach the same. As with all the other martial arts/sport or combat athletics (call then what you want) I train I love the passion that people have for their chosen art/sport, the reasons that people give for constantly pounding the dojo/gym floor or mats but what drives me insane [and I have experienced this from mostly Karateka – apologies if that offends] is the blatant ignorance and blinkered approach to training and the nonchalant dislike for anything other that Karate.

I have been enthralled by mixed martial arts and in particular Vale Tudo since I saw my first video of Federico Lapenda’s World Vale Tudo Championships bout between the decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter Fabio Gurgel and Olympic wrestler and former UFC Champion, American, Mark Kerr. The fight lasted 30 solid minutes Gurgel took a horrendous beating but refused to submit and came close, at one stage to catching Kerr in an arm-bar from the bottom (Juji Gatame). From this first WVC video I was hooked and spent every free minute in Cambridge HMV scanning the shelves to see if they had any other WVC in stock and indeed started training in MMA straight away (1999/2000).

From the moment training partners from Karate knew that I was into MMA the wise cracks started, slagging off the grappling stuff I was getting into and remarking that all that MMA was just a ‘five minute wonder’. Well, here we are UFC 98 and those same people have now jumped on the bandwagon, are teaching ‘UFC fighting’ in their dojo and or fumbling around on the ground during sparring trying to emulate the techniques they have seen on television (although they still haven’t taken the plunge and tried learning the techniques from a qualified grappling coach, ivory towers springs to mind).

More to the point, all I hear now from these blinkered idiots is one name, Lyoto Machida. “Did you know he is a Karate man?” Yes I did, comes my answer. “See we told you there was nothing wrong with Karate, you’ve been wasting you time”.

My response?

Yeah Machida is a great fighter, a great Karateka who is doing wonders to establish that Karate should be taken as serious as other tried and tested fighting styles. But what these people seem to forget is that Machida is training with the likes of UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, has been sought as a training partner for Olympic gold medallist, Judoka Satoshi Ishii. Machida cross trains twice per day, six days per week as a professional athlete should, in all disciplines needed to reach the top of the tree in the world best fighting organisation and he is only able to fight in such a way [that is so different to everyone else’s style] because he is so good at the other ranges taken into the arena where he plies his trade.

The argument has never been about the style of martial art you train; rather the training mechanism within it used to develop and indeed the naïve idiots that train in this manner and believe it to be the be all and end all.
The answer: train intelligently at all ranges and open your eyes – until next time!

David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com

Full-contact Stickfighting - Muay Thai - Karate - Olympic Judo - Submission wrestling - BJJ - MMA:
"Synergy between theory & best practice"
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2403992214

Functional circuit training

2009-05-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!
David Webb
Head Coach
The Tokon Academy
http://www.tokonacademy.com

Sport is all about rising to the challenge...

2009-05-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Sport is all about rising to the challenge, whether it is laid down by your own limitations, the prowess of your opposition or the magnitude of the event; to win you have to have the ability to overcome. Though it may be years in the creation, for many sportspeople their chance to win is minutes or even seconds long. The efforts of a champion marksman, a field athlete in their throes or a sprinter might be a fleeting experience by which they are indelibly remembered and admired. Matthew Pinsent, 2009.

Beautifully summed up. Click here for Pinsent's article on Oscar Pistorius the South African Paralympic athlete.