News 2006

1st national team selection camp 25.-26.11.06
News 2006 >>

Those competitors aiming for the national Taekwon-Do team of Finland, gathered to the first selection camp at Tampere on the last weekend of November. These camps are open to all red and black belts willing to compete in the highest level this season or in the future. There were over 20 people participating, with 14 black belts. In the selection camps the national team head coach Mariusz Steckiewicz and coach Pekka Varis give competitors advice and ideas for their own trainings both on technical and mental sides. Also important personal feedback and instructing is available.  Saturday’s program consisted of two 1,5 hour trainings and Sunday of one 2,5 hour training with 15 min. break. On Saturday morning we concentrated on techniques. In my opinion “the thing” in this training was using mental images to create power. I believe that this is means for me and many other Finns to bring our patterns to a new level when it comes to the power of techniques. It requires training, of course, but the experiences I’ve gotten in this camp and a few trainings before it are positive. Time shows…

In between the morning and afternoon trainings we had a 3,5 break for lunch and rest. In the afternoon we continued with sparring exercises. The session was started with a funny game, where two teams hit each other with light and soft battons. When I was a kid something like this was of course forbidden, but luckily at least in the national team camp we get to beat each other from the bottom of our hearts. Since the clubs were light there were no casualties or injuries. As warm-up the game worked fantastically. In the actual training itself we concentrated on kicks and their combinations. Most exercises were carried out with partner to a kicking pad. In the end we did some exercises with sparring equipment.

Sunday’s training session was again started with some playful competitions. Our team with Saara Koivisto, Joonas Helassalo, Matti Miinala and me was just invincible in every event. Might be because of our monkey-way of moving, taller members than other teams or simply cheating. But that’s irrelevant, most important is that we got warmed up and could get to business. The first exercises were about moving, nothing new for most of us. After that we concentrated on sidekick, defending against it and continuing with techniques after that. We also did some attitude exercises with partner and finally sparring. First rounds the emphasis was on attitude and after that it was just regular sparring. When the last round was over we had one hour 45 minutes training behind us and we had a 15-minute break. On top of it all we did a couple of patterns. Without a doubt this served the best those aiming to get to the female team, since they were able to go through all the colour belt patterns in team formation. In the end the coaches told what they expect for the ones who aim for the team and what’s to come in terms of competitions and camps this spring.