I am proud to announce that our physical location, Valor Sports, is now open for business. We are located at the following address:
1535 Landess Ave, Ste 112, Milipitas, CA, 95035
To keep everyone safe, please schedule an appointment visit if you wish to come see our facility in person. Use the contact info listed on the right side of the webpage.
See you on the mat!
-Master Joseph
This lesson builds off of lesson 7 where we learn how to warm up our hips prior to training. I would suggest reviewing that lesson before reading/watching this one.
Now that we are more aware of the importance of warming up properly, it’s time to start training the hips directly. Stronger hip muscles results in more balance, stability, and aids in explosiveness resulting in faster and stronger kicks. Although there are many ways to strengthen the hip muscles, here are few to help you get started. They may perhaps be new or familiar to you, but are effective nonetheless.
A common misconception is that to be explosive, one has to do a lot of strength and/or speed training. The truth is that it’s a bit of a combination of both. The muscles used to produce explosive movements are the same small muscles that enable fast, sudden movements of the body. On the other hand, these speed producing muscles also need the assistance of the bigger, slower, but stronger muscles to exert power.
If one trains speed, they will lack the power needed for strong kicks, high jumps etc. If one trains power, then they will be strong, but lack the bodily reflexes to be fast. In other words, their bodies will not be able to keep up with their brains.
Whether you are a sparring athlete or a poomsae athlete, training explosiveness is key to your success in your chosen area of Taekwondo. Explosiveness enables you to kick your opponent’s quickly, yet hard. It will also assist in certain jumping kicks so that your chances of landing a headshot becomes higher. You can prevent yourself from falling on the ground with higher jumping kicks as well. For poomsae athletes, specifically Freestyle poomsae, it is essential to be able to jump high so I hope these exercises assist in your training as well.
Good luck!
- Joseph
We’ve previously talked about muscle endurance for Taekwondo, but it is NOT the same as Taekwondo leg strengthening. Endurance is how long your muscle(s) can last while strength is how much power they can exert. When you combine both, you will be able to put out strong kicks for extended periods of time. Unfortunately, many Taekwondo athletes have imbalances between the two. Some have more endurance while others have more strength.
For this lesson, all you need is your belt and a sufficient space to move your legs around. By changing your position, as well as the position of the belt, you can create resistance for your legs to strengthen specific kicks. For example, the video will cover a specific position to strengthen your cut kick.
Note that there was an error in the video. I mentioned in the 2nd exercise to use both hands/arms to hold the belt. The 2nd and 3rd exercises only require to be held with 1 hand.
Do as I do, not as I say (for this video at least).
- Joseph
Aside from our hips, the core of our body is what generates the power in our kicks. Not only do they give us the torque needed to execute our kicks, they are also responsible for keeping us balanced and stable. To be a strong, stable, and fast Taekwondo athlete, a strong core is needed. This includes but not limited to, the abs. Abs are only part of the core and we may cover the core in a future post.
This lesson will cover 2 similar exercises specifically tailored to increase balance and core strength in our kicks. If you noticed, many of these exercises involve just the chamber of the kick and not the kick itself. This is where the most core activity occurs as well as upon finishing a kick.
Good luck!
- Joseph
I remember back in the simpler days of my Taekwondo career a particular warm up called the knee rotations. Back then, I thought they were silly and didn’t do anything for my body. Now that I am older and have much more understanding about the body and biomechanics behind movements, I see now that that warm up was very effective.
This video lesson will cover 2 hip warm ups that serve to loosen the hip joints and fire up the smaller muscles surrounding it. Not only does this help reduce risk of injury, but it also strengthens the hip and aids in kicking higher.
Almost all Taekwondo athletes warm up with the same type of warm ups and stretches and while there is nothing wrong with them, there are much more effective choices out there. I hope these 2 warm ups serve you well in your training.
- Joseph
The slide back roundhouse kick, or the counter roundhouse for some, is probably the most common and staple counter attack in all of Taekwondo, both in and out of sparring. So simple, yet so many fail to get right. Today, we will learn to get the details right and correct the technique for those of you who may in fact be performing it wrong.
It is recommended to practice both the body and headshot versions of the kick as well as the switch variant (also body and headshot) 5 sets of 10 repetitions each leg. Be sure to pay attention to your posture and how much you are actually moving backward. Again, get the details right and then add more speed. Practice makes perfect!
If you could only do 2 exercises to train for Taekwondo that aren’t kicking drills, what would you choose? As you know, Taekwondo is primarily focused on kicks and therefore the legs which helps narrow down your choices. Personally, I would choose squats and burpees as they are both versatile and reliable choices for training.
Squats would for sure be the number 1 pick because if done right, they work the entire lower body. However, most fail to get the form of the squat right and thus they don’t reap the full benefits. Watch the video lesson below to learn how to squat correctly.
Burpees not only work the whole body, but also trains cardio which can help if you are unable to go out running or do not own a jump rope. The most important part of the burpee is the push up portion because sparring in today’s competition requires athletes to have strong pushing strength to push their opponent. The video lesson below will go over more details.
Some other variations of these exercises include:
Jump squats: Jump after squatting down and land as lightly as possible. Repeat
One legged squats
Weighted squats and squat jumps: You can hold a dumbbell(s) or wear a backpack filled with stuff to add weight to your squats
High knee jump burpees: On the jumping portion of the burpee, bring your knees to your chest
Mountain climber burpees: After doing the push up, add mountain climbers to add more core training
Good luck!
- Joseph
In today’s video we talk about muscle endurance and it’s impact on stamina. While athlete’s can have great cardiovascular endurance, they can also have poor muscular endurance simultaneously.
Cardiovascular endurance is how well one’s lungs can function during strenuous physical activity. The greater the cardio endurance, the longer the lungs can can operate at a high level. Muscular endurance is similar except it involves the muscles of the body. Depending on the muscles used, they can either naturally low or high endurance.
Large muscles such as the leg muscles tend to have naturally low endurance and so it is important to constantly train and condition them to perform for long periods of time. Watch the video lesson to learn about one exercise that can help build the leg endurance needed for both sparring and poomsae. Good luck and train hard!
- Joseph
Today we go over how to train movement while in the confines of your home. Be sure to adjust depending on the amount of space you have available.
Movement training is tricky because most people require large amounts of space to move around. While this is true more so for safety reasons, training in a smaller space can help teach athletes to be more precise and efficient with their movements rather than large, slow movements.
Some key things to keep in mind is that while in motion, be sure to keep your body upright and not lean back or forward. Allow your legs to move you and keep your hands up. The most important part of this training is the mind. Picture an opponent in front of you and perform your movements in relation to your imaginary opponent. Do not move just for the sake of moving, but rather with intent and thought behind it. After all, the ultimate goal in sparring is to score.
Be sure to implement the previous lessons in your training since these lessons build off of each other. Good luck!
- Joseph
In today’s lesson, we go over the cut kick and how to keep our weight forward to maximize reach and maintain our momentum when in motion. Many Taekwondo athletes tend to bend down and press their weight into the floor with their balancing leg. The proper execution involves straightening the balancing leg and falling forward toward the target. for more details, see the video in the school YouTube channel linked below.
There are 3 stages shown in the video and it is recommended to do each exercise in 3 sets of 10 reps in rotational order. One set is: x10 easy, x10 medium, and x10 hard. The second set would start back again from the easy version. Rinse and repeat.
With the recent events surrounding the Coronavirus, it is advisable to stay at home as much as possible in order to “flatten the curve”, meaning keeping the number of ill people low enough so that medical facilities can accommodate patients at a manageable level and until a vaccine is developed. Until then, you may be worried about you or your child(ren)’s Taekwondo training. With the right exercises, it is completely possible to maintain and even build up one’s Taekwondo skills even at home.
It is times such as this that we must be willing to be more open minded, creative, and innovative with how we can train. Below, you can view our first at-home lesson at our YouTube channel titled: “Valor Taekwondo Lesson 1”.
It is advised that the each exercise be done in at least 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Each lesson contains an easy, medium, and hard version of the exercises and they should be done in rotational order starting with easy, then medium, then hard. Of course, feel free to do more as desired and adjust based on the amount of space you have available in the comfort of your home. Lessons will also include advice on how you can make use of small or larger spaces to complete the training exercises.
Good luck, stay healthy, and wash your hands!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnvzy9oGPGNbn_42x_DGLVA/featured
We all want results. We all want that hot new thing. We want 2-day shipping. We want what they have. We want that title. We want it now, and I mean NOW. This is the trap that many fall into and it jeopardizes the development of one’s Taekwondo skills. In recent years, this trap has been appearing in the form of training and many aspiring athletes and their parents do not see how it affects the future.
When it comes to training, the most important thing is to determine what kind of training the athlete wants. Second is the purpose of the training and how it will help them. Lastly, the question that should be asked is, “Is this the training that they actually need?” Many parents ignore step 3 which in actuality is the most important step. This is where the trap of instant gratification comes in.
For many, if it doesn’t appear that the athlete is exhausted or hasn’t worked hard enough in the training, the training is useless. This mindset prevents them from participating in developmental training sessions and limits their growth. If the goal was to simply get tired and sweat, then the athlete doesn’t need Taekwondo and they should instead be attending a fitness class. After all, they want to feel like they worked hard and to sweat.
To succeed in Taekwondo, especially Olympic Taekwondo, one needs both high conditioning and a well-developed set of skills that took hours and hours to perfect and master. Those who fall into the trap of instant gratification only possess the conditioning needed to succeed in Olympic Taekwondo. This will only get them so far against someone who possesses both great conditioning and great technique.
Developmental training can be slow and boring at times but it serves the purpose of building one’s skill set. Thus, it cannot be neglected in favor of fast-paced, high-intensity workouts that only serve to give one the illusion that they made progress in their training when in reality they have made zero progress in becoming a better, smarter, and cleaner fighter.
One truly defining aspect of a master that separates them from their students is their mastery of the basics. It matters not what kind of fancy, secret techniques is out there that seems to work for some people. Those are defined as special cases in which they are not for everybody. However, the one thing that is universal and consistent throughout all of Taekwondo that anyone can use to be successful is the basics.
The basics are the foundation of anyone’s Taekwondo journey and serve as the base of their style. One cannot develop their own style without first mastering these basics. Just as one cannot kick without learning the basics, one cannot hope to perform well in sport Taekwondo (Sport Poomsae/Sparring) without them.
This is why it is very important for new students to be taught the basics the correct way the first time so that it easily becomes second nature to them. It is much more difficult for students to relearn their basics if they were taught them in a different way.
What are the basics you might ask? Well, it depends, but the most commonly accepted basics are as follows: Front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, axe kick, back kick, punch, slide forward, slide back, and sidestep. These kicks combined with the movements mentioned serve as the foundation to any Taekwondo athlete and can be reliably used at any time.
Of course, training the basics constantly can become stale very quickly so it is important to change up one’s training by practicing the basics in different ways. Of course, it is not taboo to practice the other advanced tricks and techniques that are out there. What’s most important is that these sort of techniques should take the backseat in training with the basics always being the crux of one’s repertoire.
As Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”.
For many years, ranking in Taekwondo has always been about results in tournaments. However, in each country, making onto their national team boiled down to winning either their own national championship, or a team trial. USA has done this for many years but recently switched to making the point system doubly serve as who gets to be on the national team. While in theory this makes sense because of results, it also excludes many athletes.
By turning the team selection process into ranking, numbers, and points, making team can only be made if these athletes are able to compete in many tournaments. Unfortunately, many of these weighted tournaments take place in far places, necessitating the need for travel AKA money. Only those with a lot of money and or large amounts of funding can afford to compete in an abundance of tournaments in an attempt to make team.
Already, this shows the flaw in this new selection process. Just because the athletes who are able to compete often earn these points, it does not necessarily mean that they are the best choice to represent the USA. There many fighters who are more talented but lack the funding needed to earn points. This was perfectly shown in the 2019 National Championships in Minnesota. Many of the top seeds across all of the divisions lost to those of lower seeding even though they are supposed to be the best in their division. Although these athletes earned their spots as required, it does not mean they are the best in the nation in their respective divisions.
I believe that in order for the point system to work, a team trial is still necessary. The top 4 athletes in each division by a certain date will be eligible to compete in a team trial and only the winners of this team trial will be allowed to represent USA.
If one were to look at Taekwondo as just a martial art, then training frequently in all of its ways and forms would be enough. However, the aim of my blog is targeted towards Olympic Taekwondo. Looking at it from this perspective and after many years of training and fighting, training only in Taekwondo is not enough to excel in it as a sport. To improve in anything that one does in life, supplements are needed.
Analyze what exactly makes up Olympic Taekwondo, aka sparring: fighters need to be strong, have lots of stamina, and need great footwork to move around the ring, their opponent, and combine their kicks together. To gain all of this from just Taekwondo practice is simply impossible to do in an efficient and timely manner. In order to make great gains in these aspects, dedicated training days focusing on these elements are needed.
When it comes to weight training, make sure that you know proper weight lifting techniques to maximize strength gains and reduce risk of injury. Even though Taekwondo primarily uses the legs, it is not recommended to turn one’s focus on just the legs but rather the entire body.
Although there are different ways to motion and make feints in a sparring match, it is important to supplement one’s footwork with coordination drills. Great examples include ladder drills or even a simple game of tag as both require and engaged mind and quick thinking.
Improving stamina is more than just kicking until one cannot kick anymore and even requires aspects of weight training. Rather than lifting as much weight as possible, adding a little bit of weight will test one’s endurance. For example, it is much easier to run on flat ground rather than uphill. There is more weight for the legs to push up uphill than on a flat surface. A common misconception is that stamina comes from the lungs when in reality stamina involves both cardio and muscle endurance.
The end of the year is a time of great joy, no matter who you are. It is the time of the year to spend time with family and be jolly. That said, in regards to Taekwondo athletes, it can be detrimental to their skills and possibly a hindrance. With events such as the US Open just a couple of weeks away, the end of the year holidays can distract athletes from their training and cause their skills to regress. This is due to more time spent with family instead of training and eating foods that athletes would not normally eat, especially in large quantities.
One question remains, however: Should I or should I not be training during the holiday season?
Yes and no.
Due to many tournaments (both big and small) being held shortly after the new year, it is vital to be keeping up with training. However, neglecting time with family to have fun and relax can be harmful to one’s Taekwondo venture in the long one. This is especially true for younger athletes such as Cadets and Juniors. Over time, many of these young athletes will prefer not to train during the holidays after spending several years missing out on them. Not every athlete is willing to give up the holiday season to do more training.
Personally, I have missed many opportunities to go out and not think about Taekwondo in my Junior division days during the holidays. This was because I had a goal and was willing to do anything for that goal. That said, if other athletes are driven enough, then yes, training during the holiday season if possible is recommended.
Overall, there needs to be a balance between training and relaxing. This holds true for anything that is in excess. I personally suggest a slight shift in relaxation compared to training since athletes would most likely have been training hard all year long. They deserve to have some leeway at some point during the year and the holidays are the perfect time.
Sparring can be fun to outright terrifying for many kids. There is the fear of getting hurt, losing, or simply not finding sparring to be enjoyable. Regardless of the reason, there are 4 attributes that anyone can train in to spar at a respectable level. The most important thing when starting out is a solid foundation. This applies not only to physical objects such as buildings, but non-physical ones such as a person’s individual skills. Basics are essential in order to build up on them and allow one to grow individually in their own unique way. Although many will have similar foundations, their growth and their results will become their own. These attributes do not require experience with sparring and thus are attainable by anyone.
The first and most important one is technique. Techniques are a fighter’s weapons and without weapons, one cannot fight. The quality of a technique is vital for optimal speed, power, and protection. Techniques that are not practiced well will never be as effective as a mastered technique and a fighter will find it difficult to execute them in the heat of a fight without muscle memory. A fighter will also have less confidence in their own abilities if they are not well trained in at least 1 technique.
Power is the next attribute and is the most simple one. Training for power simply comes with performing one’s techniques with maximum effort as many times as possible. In other words, repetition training. Technique ties into power because a properly executed technique will allow one to achieve maximum power.
Building off of power is speed. The more effort a person exerts, more speed is generated which then leads to more powerful techniques. However, it is possible to be fast and slow at the same time. Take a plane for example, it is slow to start but fast once it takes off. The same principle can be applied to techniques. It is not enough to simply be fast at performing a technique, one must also be fast at starting and finishing a technique.
The last essential basic is footwork. Staying stationary makes one predictable and an easy target, therefore one needs to be able to move around their opponents and perform their techniques while doing so. Once the basic idea is grasped, speed must be added.
All 4 components are related and build off of one another. One major problem with many athletes in today’s modern sport style Taekwondo is the over emphasis on techniques. While techniques are important, the other attributes are neglected which ironically make the techniques less effective. In addition, the same technique is over emphasized: the front leg. Having a foundation that encompasses the entirety of Taekwondo’s arsenal of kicks and mastering them as much as possible will go a long way compared to practicing a singular technique and variations of it.
When it comes to combat sports, the most important thing is fairness. It wouldn't be much of a competition for a 12-year-old to be competing against a 17-year-old. This is where weight classes come in and is a concern for all parents whose kids compete in sparring. As you might guess, the most commonly asked question is: "What weight class should my child compete in?".
In my opinion, the answer is simple: Let your child fight at the weight they naturally weigh at.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. If your child is only 1 or 2 pounds over a weight class, then it is perfectly acceptable to lose that small amount of weight. Another exception would be if your child is overweight and needs to lose weight for health reasons.
Weight is usually followed by height and the heavier a kid is, the taller they usually are assuming they aren't overweight. This is why many parents tend to have their kids lose weight so that they don't have to fight taller and possibly older kids while at the same time fighting shorter kids. Normally, this would be an advantage but in reality this isn't always the case.
Kids under 18-years-old are continuously growing and denying them sufficient food and nutrients for a few competitions is not worth it. Not only will they come to hate cutting weight, but their physical growth can potentially be compromised as well as their success in future tournaments when they are older.
It is understandable that we want our kids to succeed, but starving them short term will negatively affect their performance and attitudes in the long run.
This past week was both personal and important for me at the USAT Nationals. Not only did I compete again at this event after 3 years, but athletes that I have aided in their Taekwondo journeys performed wonderfully. Although some of their performances did not necessarily result in a 1st place finish, those athletes showed how much they have improved in the past few months despite their result and that is what truly matters. So long as they are growing, evolving, and changing both as athletes and in their skills, they will go far.
My own competition result wasn't ideal as well. However, I am happy with my performance regardless because of how I felt in the ring. It was the best I have ever felt in a long time and I hope to get that feeling back the next time I compete. I was especially happy about myself because I was able to overcome some personal struggles prior to the competition and not let it affect my tournament mindset. I feel as if I have grown a little both in mind and spirit from this experience.
I'd like to personally thank the parents of the athletes I have worked with for believing in me and my ability to train their kids. It was a wonderful opportunity that I won't forget and I hope to help more athletes like them in the future.
Valor Taekwondo School
Valor Sports valortaekwondo@gmail.com
Joseph Ong (Head Instructor)
+1 (650) 704 4561
josephnong@gmail.com
Susan Ong (Business Manager) +1 (650) 714-6803 susanaong@gmail.com
Felix Ong (General Manager) +1 (650) 714-6802 fcong1@sbcglobal.net
1535 Landess Ave, STE 112, Milpitas, CA, 95035
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