Talking about you - issue 2

Physical Attributes and TKD Training

Every physical pursuit demands a mix of physical and psychological attributes in order to achieve the required level of performance. In some sporting activities only a single attribute is prominent eg. marathon running and power lifting, whereas in others a complex set of attributes is necessary, eg board sailing and gymnastics. In the case of Tae Kwon Do, the blend of necessary attributes is probably as complex as it gets.

What are physical and psychological attributes? The following is my list.

Aerobic capacity
Anaerobic capacity
Flexibility
Strength
Power
Speed
Agility
Balance
Reflex
Coordination
Technical skill
Theoretical knowledge
Experience Confidence

No single attribute out weighs all the others and a deficiency in any of them will affect the others. The above list is not written in decreasing order of importance. Rather, the attributes at the top are purely physical and the ones towards the bottom are purely psychological. The ones in the middle are transitional and require a combination of physical and psychological traits.

It will be instructive for each student to go through this list and define each attribute. You will be surprised how difficult this will be. For instance, what is the difference between speed and reflex or between strength and power? Moreover, what are the relative importance of learned (psychological) and physical attributes in technical skills?

Each individual who attends the Do Jang does so with his/her own set of physical and psychological attributes. The most obvious will be differences in flexibility. TKD instructors, when taking classes, are faced with a room full of people who all differ in ability, and the task of bringing everyone up to a common standard is daunting. In reality, in any given class there will be a range of standards and each student will be better at some aspects and poorer at others. So decisions on achievement, such as those at grading, are usually taken on aggregate.

The fact is that we all, naturally, want to be the best at all aspects of TKD!

With this in mind I have the following suggestions to make to help students improve their own individual performances.

· Each student must become aware of which attribute(s) they are lacking. They must then work expressly on them. It is best to work to your weaknesses during training. Conversely, it is best to work to your strengths during grading or competition.

· Mistakes in training are often made by attempting to use TKD alone to
improve the various attributes. Obviously, the practise of TKD will help improve any weaknesses but the problem lies in that during class sessions you will try to disguise your weak areas and work to your more impressive skills.

· Most TKD classes, by nature, are aimed at improving technique. If you have a deficiency in a basic attribute then your gains in that technique will be compromised.

· You cannot expect to rectify a deficient physical trait during a TKD class. The time is too short and you may not have the opportunity to focus on your own specific training needs.

In short you must not rely solely on TKD classes for improvement. Each student should embark on his or her own personalised training program outside of classes. This program must be geared around those aspects that need the most emphasis. In particular, your must train each attribute separately using a specialised program. You can then assemble all your personal gains and bring them to your classes in order to get the most out of your TKD instruction.

Designing your own personalised training programs will not be easy. If you are deficient in aerobic fitness then the solution is obviously jogging. If your theory is substandard then you must study the prescribed texts. However, what would you do if your power needed improving or if you had poor coordination? You can get help with some of these issues by approaching your TKD instructor or perhaps a physical trainer. You may even need to alter your body composition, which will require that you address your eating habits.

An important adage is

You must not study TKD to get fit. Rather, you must get fit to study TKD.

Having mentioned the word “fit”, it is interesting to consider what fitness actually is. We usually wrongly associate the word fitness with aerobic fitness. There have been a lot of definitions offered and, at first, I found them to be rather disappointing. However, when I thought about it, the terminology is only loosely definable and should be held in context with what you are intending to do. Fitness has no strict medical or athletic definition. It simply means that you “have the capability to perform a task or activity at the intended level with relative ease and competence”.

You are probably all fit enough to sit and watch TV!! You are also all probably fit enough to work at your employment. But are you fit enough to study TKD and to perform to your best? I am sure that many of you may be dismayed at your own answer.