by richieforde | May 5, 2021 | Blog
Randomized v Blocked Practice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Blocked training is basically repeating the same movement sequence over & over in hope for it to become muscle memory. Of course this is very prevalent in combat sports with emphasis often on technique. It makes sense to have...
by richieforde | Apr 22, 2021 | Blog
Emotions certainly feature in our competition/training journeys. Usually the memorable times are at the either end of each extreme. Emotions are so vital as they give us ques to take action on. These emotions are almost like the dashboard on a car which signal there...
by richieforde | Apr 19, 2021 | Blog
I wanted to quit Taekwon-Do as a Green Belt… 😯⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀At some stage every Taekwon-Do student will not want to go training! Trust me, it’s inevitable for every student!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀For me, I was a green belt and...
by richieforde | Apr 16, 2021 | Blog
Jack of All Trades A regular conversation we have at TKD Coach Academy is the time spent on each facet/component of training. Most people training in Taekwon-Do in Ireland (think children, most people training in Taekwon-Do in Ireland are children!) train twice a week...
by richieforde | Apr 16, 2021 | Blog
The fundamentals are more important than any advanced skill. Of course, we all would like to do the fancy tricks and the visually appeasing things which some people can execute almost effortlessly. The truth is, the best in any field are masters of the fundamentals...
by richieforde | Apr 14, 2021 | Blog
Entries & Exits are key! In Taekwon-Do Sparring where/when we choose to engage and disengage are massive moments in any contest. Entries are the steps, techniques & movements which get us through the 3 ranges of combat in ITF ; long range, mid range and close...
by richieforde | Apr 13, 2021 | Blog
Falling into the trap – ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A common occurrence which I have noticed recently is the importance of maintaining your rhythm. At times in sparring, complacency sets in with our tempo & rhythm where we might fall into our opponents...
by richieforde | Apr 9, 2021 | Blog
Start with the end in mind – It is very important to have a clear understanding of where you want to go. What is it you want to achieve? It is said any task we complete must be done so twice, once in our minds through visualisation and then acting on it. For...
by richieforde | Apr 8, 2021 | Blog
Black Belt – Novice or Expert?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀One of the greatest misconceptions with the martial arts is the notion that all black belt holders are experts. It is understandable that those unacquinted with the martial arts might make this...
by richieforde | Apr 8, 2021 | Blog
As a young kid looking to become a sparring champion, I was always studying the best in sports to find the champion SECRETS to success. Looking back now it was very naive of me to think that a particular food, song, routine, technique would be the sole missing aspect...
