This is the Judo blog of Lance Wicks. In this blog I cover mainly Judo and related topics. My Personal blog is over at LanceWicks.com where I cover more geeky topics. Please do leave comments on what you read or use the Contact Me form to send me an email with your thoughts and ideas.
Paying the bills
JudoCoach.com Blog by Lance Wicks
July 28, 2005
FdSc Day 4
By LanceW
Another good day after a good hard Randori evening last night. Enjoyed the busy mat a lot, even used the sasae sasae counter Roy showed earlier in the week. This morning started with a session in the Dojo with Kenzo, which was good despite my bruises. We then had a lecture by Syd on technical principles of Judo. Again a fascinating lecture. Ben Then spoke on Kano's Kodokan Judo. He shared some perspectives from his time in Japan. I suppose I found this really good as we both trained under the same sensei in Japan, although at different times. In the afternoon we had Syd Hoare's final lecture with us. Based in part on the "ways of losing" section in his "teach yourself Judo" book. Really interesting, he added a bonus to the end, a piece on ettiquette (pardon spelling). Covering in discussion the procedures for rei at the start and end of sessions. Nice to discuss this one and have a consensus based on common practise and his years of experience. His suggestion that perhaps someone should define these regular things is a good one. Our final lecture was very good, though also the least pleasant. Child Protection, a horrid subject to deal with as the abuses are awful!! And the worries coaches carry about allegations etc scare anyone. Thankfully Rob was brilliant! He really covered the subject from a good perspective and was really fresh whilst still covering the "yuck" bits. Another busy but worthwhile day, worrying a bit about assignments due at the end of next week. Particularly as we seem to not have been given all we need to proceed. Also, finding the time to complete them will be a challenge given lectures and "networking" socially in evenings. Ahh welll... speaking of which, time for a meal!
* Posted on: Thu, Jul 28 2005 5:07 PM
July 27, 2005
Day Three (FdSc University of Bath)
By LanceW
This morning started with a dojo session with Kenzo Nakamura, on the Tokai tachi-waza system. He presented more in terms of the more overiding Japanese system. To break it into something I can blog easily on my phone system forgive me if I miss bits out. The initial discussion was about how in Japan players are basically given a choice of three techniques to develop as thei "pillar" upon which their Judo will be based. The three techniques are seoi nage, Uchi mata and o soto gari. Japanese players then train this technique to a high level. Added to the primary throw other techniques are added. An example shown was ashi guruma for o soto gari. This could be drilled, 2 o soto gari followed by ashi guruma. Same entry two throws. He also discussed grip patterns and the reasoning behind maintaining the traditional standard grip. The reasoning being that it allows a wider range of possible attacks, than say the over the top high collar grip. Extrapolating, the theory as I saw it is that it allows you more throws to attack with, but also gives your opponent more to worry about. He also expressed his view that uchi komi is both neglected and often poorly done by western players. (my word thereb okay!) He showed some pointers on Uchi Komi, such as the need to focus on kuzushi, the need to make large arm movements and for Uke to be focussed, co-operative and thinking. There is more, but I want to move on. The afternoon (well late morning and early afternoon) was Syd Hoare discussing the development of the Judo rules. Again from a historical perspective. Again it seemed well researched and I found it both informative and thought provoking. I suspect at this stage that my personal view of Judo etc makes me enjoy the less practical sides of the course more, the oportunity to be provoked into thought bis great. Finally this afternoon Envic Galea spoke of ethics and specifically on teaching Judo to kids. I am not sure I agree with where it was going. But this is a personal attitude to the perhaps politically correctness invading teching kids anything rather than the excellent work that Envic, the EJU and IJF seem to have been doing. Although I broadly agree with everthing that was being said, somewhere deep down I couldn't but worry about what perhaps could be the long term result of the de-emphasis on winning and perfomance. Ialways worry about where adaption becomes change. Where is the line we cross and teaching kids Judo ceases to be teaching Judo at all and just becomes entertaining or educating kids within a Judo environment. I have obviously changed the way I teach technique etc to kids over the years as is shown on my Judocoach.com website. But everytime I try or invent a new game or weird way of teaching A throw (or other Judo thing) I need to assess if I am going to far away from the original. For example is my "dinky do, dinky da" uchi mata too silly? Is it still teaching uchi mata? The games on my site, fun yes, but whn do they become mere games that entertain rather than tools to teach my sport. When does ensuring that too much emphasis on winning is not made become a case of Judo no longer being sport? When does and how do we assess/decide? At what point does losing need to be there? I also worry that we underestimate kids, Competition seems to me to be a natural thing, kids compete all the time especially whn adults are not controlling things. Pretty much all the games I played at school involved winning and losing. Hard questions, again the course is good in that it provokes just ths sort of internal dialogue. So... Off to do Randori tonight hope I feel more energetic than Monday!! :-)
* Posted on: Wed, Jul 27 2005 4:55 PM
FdSc Day two
By LanceW
Day two was interesting, Judo to start and finish, with Drugs and history filler. The morning session with Roy was interesting, but for me the strength of the day was the interesting look at Drugs use in sport. This included watching a documentary on Ben Johnson. Fascinating to look at the drivers behind his use of steroids and the impact his being caught had on the world of sport. It was in spots hard to watch, as an athlete you felt for him and it was easy to see how stepping over the ethical line might be easier than you might think at first. My personal highlight was Syd Hoares talk on the history of Judo. This started from the ancient past through the Edo period all the way to the formation of the Kodokan. It felt really well researched, and is the sort of knowledge that we should all know, but is hard toobtain authoritive information. Especially outside of Japan. The afternoon Judo session with Kenzo was as always looked forward to. The thing I am noticing about what he is teaching us, is the simplicity. A newaza masterclass so to speak, in which those fundamentals such as Kuzushi were promoted. The feeling I get is that the power of the Japanese system is the ability to stick to basics. I am writing this immediately after Kenzo's morning session (day 3). Which was on the Tokai tachi waza system. Interesting, but I'll write on that later.
* Posted on: Wed, Jul 27 2005 9:46 AM
July 26, 2005
FdSc Block 2 / Day 1
By LanceW
Hi all, well I am back in bath, enjoying the Sports performance course. Day one was good, ethics was brilliant. great to have the brain worked out. Good discussions. Attended the evening Randori, excellent, goood numbers, good talent, the Team Bath system seems to be working well. Shame I felt absolutely tired from the start, eh. Day two looks interesting.
* Posted on: Tue, Jul 26 2005 9:25 AM
July 11, 2005
Communication Article
By LanceW
Below is the text from an article I wrote on communicating with geeks, for business people. It was distributed to approx. 7,000 of the UK's leading business people.
As the IT manager for The Aziz Corporation I am caught between two
worlds, that of geeks, programmers and other IT people and that of business
leaders, clients and consultants.
On a day-to-day basis I communicate with other geeks worldwide. I do this via email, instant messaging,
newsgroups, mailing lists, websites and more. What I do not often do is pick up the phone and speak to
someone, or heaven forbid talk face to face with a fellow geek. However, working where I do I have been
forced (kicking and screaming) to communicate with people in the real world. It is often uncomfortable,
painful and just plain annoying! I am not alone in this sensation as Britain becomes more and more
reliant on knowledge workers (geeks). The question is, do business people need to change the way they
operate to suit the geeks, rather than the other way around? I think they do and changes need to be made
if they want to get the best out of IT.
Change One: Communicate in “big picture” terms - leave out the details
When speaking with your IT people, do not be tempted to try and talk details. Stick to the bigger picture.
Talk about what you want to achieve, what you “see” happening. Let your geek translate that into
technical details.
Change Two: Manage using metrics and deliverables
Meetings are the “geeks bane”; avoid dragging your geeks into a room to talk about what they are doing.
This of course infuriates most business people who like to “catch-up” regularly. Try putting procedures in
place that make reporting an automatic process.
Change Three: Everything is either a 1 or a 0.
Computing is a yes or no, black or white industry, IT people struggle with ‘grey’ areas of communication
that are unclear. Ensure that when communicating with your IT people, you make everything either one
thing or the other.
Change Four: Ethics DO matter.
Your IT Geek could cause a large amount of damage. In seconds flat they could delete all your files, post
your salary on the company intranet or send the client database to the competition. They don’t! Given
this ability, geeks react badly to managers who do not behave ethically. Little white lies, half-truths and
office politics will not be appreciated.
Change Five: You know less than they do.
Geeks are not called “knowledge workers” for nothing; they know more about all the technical aspects,
take that as fact. Never assume you know more about something than your geeks. Ask them what they
know about something, not IF they know about something.
Change Six: Respect your Geeks opinion.
IT people think logically and understand very complex technical systems. This does translate into being
able to look at real world business situations and apply the same skills. Listen; really listen, to what your
geeks say.
So there you have it, six small changes in approach that will help you to cope with the geeks in your day.
Finally I would ask that you should also forgive their messy desks, their obsession with gadgets and
penguins, their musical tastes and their dress sense.
Remember, modern business relies on their idiosyncrasies to make technology do wonderful things. So,
when communicating with your geeks you need to allow for these same quirks, as they are what make
them valuable to your organization. You need to change, not them. Or perhaps you have a different view;
Let my boss know, email khalid@azizcorp.com.
By Lance Wicks – IT Manager, The Aziz Corporation
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 11 2005 10:06 PM
Linux server article.
By LanceW
Hi all,
http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=51229
The above is a link to a short article I've thrown together on Linux replacing MS Exchange as the eMail server for a business. Take a look at let me know what you think folks.
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 11 2005 11:28 AM
July 7, 2005
We are fine. (London Bombing)
By LanceW
Just because I am getting a lot of emails and text messages, etc.
I am fine (not being in London), Sally and all my family are fine.
* Posted on: Thu, Jul 7 2005 11:58 AM
July 4, 2005
KES
By LanceW
Penultimate lesson of the Term/Year.
We had another shot at Uchi Mata, with great success. We also did some good standing Randori.
We covered Defences to O Soto Gari, including the classic spin onto your stomach. The counter with your own O Soto. Finally a nice spin out and counter with Ippon Seoi for a bit of fun.
Next week is our final week and we've decided to have a Tournament. Should be good, stay tuned.
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 4 2005 8:48 PM
Live 8
By LanceW
Well, it was well worth staying up till the end for at least.
Bit sceptical of what effect the concerts will have on the G8 leaders, they seem to have managed not to worry about Africa for quite a while now, but any move as a result of the concerts is a success in my eyes.
So first off, Queen tracks.
I heard Green Day do one in Berlin, then Robbie Williams opened with We Will Rock you.
Proving you have to be very special to do a Queen track without sounding stupid. Green Day... you sounded Stupid. Robbie, you pulled it off, the fact you cut to "Let me Entertain you" may have helped.
Robbie was sensational best act up to that point, and in terms of crowd pleasing performance, the number one of the night.
That said... The Who & Pink Floyd where the best acts of the night, IMHO.
They were worth watching all the rest for. The WHo were amazing and belted out their classics and Pink Floyd, well the were "The Floyd"!
Simply amazing!!
Other than that, I wish the BBC had had better coverage of the global events, I saw nothing from anywhere else except a little from the US.
SHame really
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 4 2005 8:46 PM
FdSc Day 4
By LanceW
Another good day after a good hard Randori evening last night. Enjoyed the busy mat a lot, even used the sasae sasae counter Roy showed earlier in the week. This morning started with a session in the Dojo with Kenzo, which was good despite my bruises. We then had a lecture by Syd on technical principles of Judo. Again a fascinating lecture. Ben Then spoke on Kano's Kodokan Judo. He shared some perspectives from his time in Japan. I suppose I found this really good as we both trained under the same sensei in Japan, although at different times. In the afternoon we had Syd Hoare's final lecture with us. Based in part on the "ways of losing" section in his "teach yourself Judo" book. Really interesting, he added a bonus to the end, a piece on ettiquette (pardon spelling). Covering in discussion the procedures for rei at the start and end of sessions. Nice to discuss this one and have a consensus based on common practise and his years of experience. His suggestion that perhaps someone should define these regular things is a good one. Our final lecture was very good, though also the least pleasant. Child Protection, a horrid subject to deal with as the abuses are awful!! And the worries coaches carry about allegations etc scare anyone. Thankfully Rob was brilliant! He really covered the subject from a good perspective and was really fresh whilst still covering the "yuck" bits. Another busy but worthwhile day, worrying a bit about assignments due at the end of next week. Particularly as we seem to not have been given all we need to proceed. Also, finding the time to complete them will be a challenge given lectures and "networking" socially in evenings. Ahh welll... speaking of which, time for a meal!
* Posted on: Thu, Jul 28 2005 5:07 PM
July 27, 2005
Day Three (FdSc University of Bath)
By LanceW
This morning started with a dojo session with Kenzo Nakamura, on the Tokai tachi-waza system. He presented more in terms of the more overiding Japanese system. To break it into something I can blog easily on my phone system forgive me if I miss bits out. The initial discussion was about how in Japan players are basically given a choice of three techniques to develop as thei "pillar" upon which their Judo will be based. The three techniques are seoi nage, Uchi mata and o soto gari. Japanese players then train this technique to a high level. Added to the primary throw other techniques are added. An example shown was ashi guruma for o soto gari. This could be drilled, 2 o soto gari followed by ashi guruma. Same entry two throws. He also discussed grip patterns and the reasoning behind maintaining the traditional standard grip. The reasoning being that it allows a wider range of possible attacks, than say the over the top high collar grip. Extrapolating, the theory as I saw it is that it allows you more throws to attack with, but also gives your opponent more to worry about. He also expressed his view that uchi komi is both neglected and often poorly done by western players. (my word thereb okay!) He showed some pointers on Uchi Komi, such as the need to focus on kuzushi, the need to make large arm movements and for Uke to be focussed, co-operative and thinking. There is more, but I want to move on. The afternoon (well late morning and early afternoon) was Syd Hoare discussing the development of the Judo rules. Again from a historical perspective. Again it seemed well researched and I found it both informative and thought provoking. I suspect at this stage that my personal view of Judo etc makes me enjoy the less practical sides of the course more, the oportunity to be provoked into thought bis great. Finally this afternoon Envic Galea spoke of ethics and specifically on teaching Judo to kids. I am not sure I agree with where it was going. But this is a personal attitude to the perhaps politically correctness invading teching kids anything rather than the excellent work that Envic, the EJU and IJF seem to have been doing. Although I broadly agree with everthing that was being said, somewhere deep down I couldn't but worry about what perhaps could be the long term result of the de-emphasis on winning and perfomance. Ialways worry about where adaption becomes change. Where is the line we cross and teaching kids Judo ceases to be teaching Judo at all and just becomes entertaining or educating kids within a Judo environment. I have obviously changed the way I teach technique etc to kids over the years as is shown on my Judocoach.com website. But everytime I try or invent a new game or weird way of teaching A throw (or other Judo thing) I need to assess if I am going to far away from the original. For example is my "dinky do, dinky da" uchi mata too silly? Is it still teaching uchi mata? The games on my site, fun yes, but whn do they become mere games that entertain rather than tools to teach my sport. When does ensuring that too much emphasis on winning is not made become a case of Judo no longer being sport? When does and how do we assess/decide? At what point does losing need to be there? I also worry that we underestimate kids, Competition seems to me to be a natural thing, kids compete all the time especially whn adults are not controlling things. Pretty much all the games I played at school involved winning and losing. Hard questions, again the course is good in that it provokes just ths sort of internal dialogue. So... Off to do Randori tonight hope I feel more energetic than Monday!! :-)
* Posted on: Wed, Jul 27 2005 4:55 PM
FdSc Day two
By LanceW
Day two was interesting, Judo to start and finish, with Drugs and history filler. The morning session with Roy was interesting, but for me the strength of the day was the interesting look at Drugs use in sport. This included watching a documentary on Ben Johnson. Fascinating to look at the drivers behind his use of steroids and the impact his being caught had on the world of sport. It was in spots hard to watch, as an athlete you felt for him and it was easy to see how stepping over the ethical line might be easier than you might think at first. My personal highlight was Syd Hoares talk on the history of Judo. This started from the ancient past through the Edo period all the way to the formation of the Kodokan. It felt really well researched, and is the sort of knowledge that we should all know, but is hard toobtain authoritive information. Especially outside of Japan. The afternoon Judo session with Kenzo was as always looked forward to. The thing I am noticing about what he is teaching us, is the simplicity. A newaza masterclass so to speak, in which those fundamentals such as Kuzushi were promoted. The feeling I get is that the power of the Japanese system is the ability to stick to basics. I am writing this immediately after Kenzo's morning session (day 3). Which was on the Tokai tachi waza system. Interesting, but I'll write on that later.
* Posted on: Wed, Jul 27 2005 9:46 AM
July 26, 2005
FdSc Block 2 / Day 1
By LanceW
Hi all, well I am back in bath, enjoying the Sports performance course. Day one was good, ethics was brilliant. great to have the brain worked out. Good discussions. Attended the evening Randori, excellent, goood numbers, good talent, the Team Bath system seems to be working well. Shame I felt absolutely tired from the start, eh. Day two looks interesting.
* Posted on: Tue, Jul 26 2005 9:25 AM
July 11, 2005
Communication Article
By LanceW
Below is the text from an article I wrote on communicating with geeks, for business people. It was distributed to approx. 7,000 of the UK's leading business people.
As the IT manager for The Aziz Corporation I am caught between two
worlds, that of geeks, programmers and other IT people and that of business
leaders, clients and consultants.
On a day-to-day basis I communicate with other geeks worldwide. I do this via email, instant messaging,
newsgroups, mailing lists, websites and more. What I do not often do is pick up the phone and speak to
someone, or heaven forbid talk face to face with a fellow geek. However, working where I do I have been
forced (kicking and screaming) to communicate with people in the real world. It is often uncomfortable,
painful and just plain annoying! I am not alone in this sensation as Britain becomes more and more
reliant on knowledge workers (geeks). The question is, do business people need to change the way they
operate to suit the geeks, rather than the other way around? I think they do and changes need to be made
if they want to get the best out of IT.
Change One: Communicate in “big picture” terms - leave out the details
When speaking with your IT people, do not be tempted to try and talk details. Stick to the bigger picture.
Talk about what you want to achieve, what you “see” happening. Let your geek translate that into
technical details.
Change Two: Manage using metrics and deliverables
Meetings are the “geeks bane”; avoid dragging your geeks into a room to talk about what they are doing.
This of course infuriates most business people who like to “catch-up” regularly. Try putting procedures in
place that make reporting an automatic process.
Change Three: Everything is either a 1 or a 0.
Computing is a yes or no, black or white industry, IT people struggle with ‘grey’ areas of communication
that are unclear. Ensure that when communicating with your IT people, you make everything either one
thing or the other.
Change Four: Ethics DO matter.
Your IT Geek could cause a large amount of damage. In seconds flat they could delete all your files, post
your salary on the company intranet or send the client database to the competition. They don’t! Given
this ability, geeks react badly to managers who do not behave ethically. Little white lies, half-truths and
office politics will not be appreciated.
Change Five: You know less than they do.
Geeks are not called “knowledge workers” for nothing; they know more about all the technical aspects,
take that as fact. Never assume you know more about something than your geeks. Ask them what they
know about something, not IF they know about something.
Change Six: Respect your Geeks opinion.
IT people think logically and understand very complex technical systems. This does translate into being
able to look at real world business situations and apply the same skills. Listen; really listen, to what your
geeks say.
So there you have it, six small changes in approach that will help you to cope with the geeks in your day.
Finally I would ask that you should also forgive their messy desks, their obsession with gadgets and
penguins, their musical tastes and their dress sense.
Remember, modern business relies on their idiosyncrasies to make technology do wonderful things. So,
when communicating with your geeks you need to allow for these same quirks, as they are what make
them valuable to your organization. You need to change, not them. Or perhaps you have a different view;
Let my boss know, email khalid@azizcorp.com.
By Lance Wicks – IT Manager, The Aziz Corporation
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 11 2005 10:06 PM
Linux server article.
By LanceW
Hi all,
http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=51229
The above is a link to a short article I've thrown together on Linux replacing MS Exchange as the eMail server for a business. Take a look at let me know what you think folks.
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 11 2005 11:28 AM
July 7, 2005
We are fine. (London Bombing)
By LanceW
Just because I am getting a lot of emails and text messages, etc.
I am fine (not being in London), Sally and all my family are fine.
* Posted on: Thu, Jul 7 2005 11:58 AM
July 4, 2005
KES
By LanceW
Penultimate lesson of the Term/Year.
We had another shot at Uchi Mata, with great success. We also did some good standing Randori.
We covered Defences to O Soto Gari, including the classic spin onto your stomach. The counter with your own O Soto. Finally a nice spin out and counter with Ippon Seoi for a bit of fun.
Next week is our final week and we've decided to have a Tournament. Should be good, stay tuned.
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 4 2005 8:48 PM
Live 8
By LanceW
Well, it was well worth staying up till the end for at least.
Bit sceptical of what effect the concerts will have on the G8 leaders, they seem to have managed not to worry about Africa for quite a while now, but any move as a result of the concerts is a success in my eyes.
So first off, Queen tracks.
I heard Green Day do one in Berlin, then Robbie Williams opened with We Will Rock you.
Proving you have to be very special to do a Queen track without sounding stupid. Green Day... you sounded Stupid. Robbie, you pulled it off, the fact you cut to "Let me Entertain you" may have helped.
Robbie was sensational best act up to that point, and in terms of crowd pleasing performance, the number one of the night.
That said... The Who & Pink Floyd where the best acts of the night, IMHO.
They were worth watching all the rest for. The WHo were amazing and belted out their classics and Pink Floyd, well the were "The Floyd"!
Simply amazing!!
Other than that, I wish the BBC had had better coverage of the global events, I saw nothing from anywhere else except a little from the US.
SHame really
* Posted on: Mon, Jul 4 2005 8:46 PM
June 27, 2005
Japanese Navy + KES
By LanceW
Saturday, thanks to Michael Pring, I was invited to attend a Randori session with some of the Japanese Navy visiting Portsmouth for the Trafalgar 200 celebrations.
Very enjoyable evening at Fort Purbrook, including a nice Ju-No-Kata demonstration by some younger Portsmouth players (about 6-7 years I think they were). And a Katame No Kata demonstration by some adult blackbelts.
I very much enjoyed fighting some nice Judoka. Typically upright and positive Japanese Judo. A distinct lack of the excess grip fighting that is prevalent nowadays.
Wonderful throwing Judo, lots of throws all evening. Very enjoyable, throw, then get thrown. They way Randori should be.
I was very pleased to execute the classic Ippon Seoi after their Ippon Seoi that I think everyone has done in training.
Wonderful fun.
This afternoon, we had an enjoyable session at King Edwards School. Ippon Seoi (which I swear I had planned from last weeks cancelled session).
We discussed the scoring system in Judo and the objectives of Judo. We also did Uchi Mata, which most people picked up pretty quickly which was nice.
We had a fun Sumo to finish!
* Posted on: Mon, Jun 27 2005 9:56 PM
June 24, 2005
Last.fm - Thumbs up!
By LanceW
I have used last.fm and audioscrobbler on and off for quite a while and am back using it again. I recommend it to all those of you who like me listen to a majority of your music through your computer.
So what does it do?
Basically audioscrobbler is a plugin to most media players that keeps a track of what you listen to and posts it to an online database. RSS feeds available and all that good stuff so you can share your musical tastes with the world and his/her friend.
Last.fm uses this database to build a profile of your musical tastes and makes it easy to find other artists you might like and other people with similar tastes. It also streams music based on your profile.
So it is a great way to listen to music when your CDs get stale. Browsing the site introduces you to lots of new artists, wonderful.
Now... if this was not cool enough, they have just released a Beta player, which plays the stremas for you. You give it your username and password and it then streams your music. I like it as it means your tatstes are nice and portable.
Go to the last.fm site and give it a go.
I am "lwicks" there so feel free to visit my profile and "Friend" me
* Posted on: Fri, Jun 24 2005 3:31 PM
June 20, 2005
Cory's new book is out!!
By LanceW
Cory Doctorow's latest novel is now out, at least stateside.
I have a copy pre-ordered on Amazon and have yet to see it, but I wait patiently!
Cory is a really interesting net-celebrity, a member of the fantastic boingboing.net crowd. I have read almost everything hes published now I think, all his fiction books at least.
cruise over to http://craphound.com/someone/ and take a look!
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, Jun 20 2005 9:36 AM
June 15, 2005
Programmes for 10mile Great South Run
By LanceW
Sally will do the London -> Brighton bike ride this weekend. Go Sally!!
Braver than me, it's about 60 miles!
Me... I have, as many people know, signed up for the BUPA Great South Run. 10 Miles of running in Portsmouth, ouch!
Have been scoping the web for decent planning resources to prepare for the run, bit tricky to work out what what is good and what is bad. The quality from the rubbish, the realistic from the pie in the sky.
Once this weekend is over (and Sally no longer dominates the "needs to train" stakes) I shall have to start training in earnest. The diet will need to get back to a decent level (bye coke cans!)
If anyone has some good website or advice I'd appreciate it!
Lance
* Posted on: Wed, Jun 15 2005 1:30 PM
June 14, 2005
KES Session
By LanceW
Last night was the second session at King Edward VII School Southampton.
After the initial warmups we had some ne-waza randori followed by a demonstration of the importance of getting "chest to chest" when doing ne-waza. I used the "experiment" of having uke lie on their back then try and spin onto their stomach when I said Hajime.
At arms length they normally get away, half arms length, the still normally make it, when my knees are touching, it's 50/50 and if I am lieing directly on them, "chest to chest", they can't turn over.
We had two brief "fitness tests", first the classic leapfrog, then crawl between the legs exercise (5 each). Then with your partner on hands and kneees, crawling underneath them first on your stomach, then through on your back (5 each).
We briefly revisited Taio Toshi (from last week), where the students without prompting remembered the "catch a fish" analogy I used last week. Before moving onto O Soto Gari.
We did static uchi komi and then static uchi komi with a "throw" on the last one. (only sets of 5) Everyone is inexperienced, so it was all light throws.
We finished with a bit of a session on bows, namely the correct way of bowing on and off the mat.
Another enjoyable session, the students are starting to get a feel for where I am coming from and my limits and vice versa.
* Posted on: Tue, Jun 14 2005 8:52 AM
June 10, 2005
Yamashita Research
By LanceW
Hi All,
I have added to the website a little research project I did. Basically I have analysed the great Yamashita-San's 203 fighht winning streak and found some things that might be of interest.
Take a look here.
* Posted on: Fri, Jun 10 2005 11:59 AM
June 6, 2005
Website & KES
By LanceW
Well, I have finally started moving my website to a nice XHTML/CSS design with the nice new logo. Lots missing in terms of content but design and navigation is there.
The other big plus of course is being CSS driven, I can clean up the style easily without having to re-edit every page. So the somewhat basic design will get pretty with time.
I also took my first session at King Edwards VII School in Southampton this afternoon. A nice bunch of people, a lot of the session was taken up with getting to grips with the levels of the students. But we did manage to fit in Taio Toshi, O Soto Gari, Ko Uchi Gari, Mune Gatame, Kesa Gatame (also the standard Taio->Kesa Gatame transition drill) and of course a game of Cat & Mouse (their first time) and Bulldogs to finish.
Too much in one session of course, but it was very fast and the aim was really to determine what level of knowledge they are at.
I very much enjoyed the session!
* Posted on: Mon, Jun 6 2005 9:12 PM
Japanese Navy + KES
By LanceW
Saturday, thanks to Michael Pring, I was invited to attend a Randori session with some of the Japanese Navy visiting Portsmouth for the Trafalgar 200 celebrations.
Very enjoyable evening at Fort Purbrook, including a nice Ju-No-Kata demonstration by some younger Portsmouth players (about 6-7 years I think they were). And a Katame No Kata demonstration by some adult blackbelts.
I very much enjoyed fighting some nice Judoka. Typically upright and positive Japanese Judo. A distinct lack of the excess grip fighting that is prevalent nowadays.
Wonderful throwing Judo, lots of throws all evening. Very enjoyable, throw, then get thrown. They way Randori should be.
I was very pleased to execute the classic Ippon Seoi after their Ippon Seoi that I think everyone has done in training.
Wonderful fun.
This afternoon, we had an enjoyable session at King Edwards School. Ippon Seoi (which I swear I had planned from last weeks cancelled session).
We discussed the scoring system in Judo and the objectives of Judo. We also did Uchi Mata, which most people picked up pretty quickly which was nice.
We had a fun Sumo to finish!
* Posted on: Mon, Jun 27 2005 9:56 PM
June 24, 2005
Last.fm - Thumbs up!
By LanceW
I have used last.fm and audioscrobbler on and off for quite a while and am back using it again. I recommend it to all those of you who like me listen to a majority of your music through your computer.
So what does it do?
Basically audioscrobbler is a plugin to most media players that keeps a track of what you listen to and posts it to an online database. RSS feeds available and all that good stuff so you can share your musical tastes with the world and his/her friend.
Last.fm uses this database to build a profile of your musical tastes and makes it easy to find other artists you might like and other people with similar tastes. It also streams music based on your profile.
So it is a great way to listen to music when your CDs get stale. Browsing the site introduces you to lots of new artists, wonderful.
Now... if this was not cool enough, they have just released a Beta player, which plays the stremas for you. You give it your username and password and it then streams your music. I like it as it means your tatstes are nice and portable.
Go to the last.fm site and give it a go.
I am "lwicks" there so feel free to visit my profile and "Friend" me
* Posted on: Fri, Jun 24 2005 3:31 PM
June 20, 2005
Cory's new book is out!!
By LanceW
Cory Doctorow's latest novel is now out, at least stateside.
I have a copy pre-ordered on Amazon and have yet to see it, but I wait patiently!
Cory is a really interesting net-celebrity, a member of the fantastic boingboing.net crowd. I have read almost everything hes published now I think, all his fiction books at least.
cruise over to http://craphound.com/someone/ and take a look!
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, Jun 20 2005 9:36 AM
June 15, 2005
Programmes for 10mile Great South Run
By LanceW
Sally will do the London -> Brighton bike ride this weekend. Go Sally!!
Braver than me, it's about 60 miles!
Me... I have, as many people know, signed up for the BUPA Great South Run. 10 Miles of running in Portsmouth, ouch!
Have been scoping the web for decent planning resources to prepare for the run, bit tricky to work out what what is good and what is bad. The quality from the rubbish, the realistic from the pie in the sky.
Once this weekend is over (and Sally no longer dominates the "needs to train" stakes) I shall have to start training in earnest. The diet will need to get back to a decent level (bye coke cans!)
If anyone has some good website or advice I'd appreciate it!
Lance
* Posted on: Wed, Jun 15 2005 1:30 PM
June 14, 2005
KES Session
By LanceW
Last night was the second session at King Edward VII School Southampton.
After the initial warmups we had some ne-waza randori followed by a demonstration of the importance of getting "chest to chest" when doing ne-waza. I used the "experiment" of having uke lie on their back then try and spin onto their stomach when I said Hajime.
At arms length they normally get away, half arms length, the still normally make it, when my knees are touching, it's 50/50 and if I am lieing directly on them, "chest to chest", they can't turn over.
We had two brief "fitness tests", first the classic leapfrog, then crawl between the legs exercise (5 each). Then with your partner on hands and kneees, crawling underneath them first on your stomach, then through on your back (5 each).
We briefly revisited Taio Toshi (from last week), where the students without prompting remembered the "catch a fish" analogy I used last week. Before moving onto O Soto Gari.
We did static uchi komi and then static uchi komi with a "throw" on the last one. (only sets of 5) Everyone is inexperienced, so it was all light throws.
We finished with a bit of a session on bows, namely the correct way of bowing on and off the mat.
Another enjoyable session, the students are starting to get a feel for where I am coming from and my limits and vice versa.
* Posted on: Tue, Jun 14 2005 8:52 AM
June 10, 2005
Yamashita Research
By LanceW
Hi All,
I have added to the website a little research project I did. Basically I have analysed the great Yamashita-San's 203 fighht winning streak and found some things that might be of interest.
Take a look here.
* Posted on: Fri, Jun 10 2005 11:59 AM
June 6, 2005
Website & KES
By LanceW
Well, I have finally started moving my website to a nice XHTML/CSS design with the nice new logo. Lots missing in terms of content but design and navigation is there.
The other big plus of course is being CSS driven, I can clean up the style easily without having to re-edit every page. So the somewhat basic design will get pretty with time.
I also took my first session at King Edwards VII School in Southampton this afternoon. A nice bunch of people, a lot of the session was taken up with getting to grips with the levels of the students. But we did manage to fit in Taio Toshi, O Soto Gari, Ko Uchi Gari, Mune Gatame, Kesa Gatame (also the standard Taio->Kesa Gatame transition drill) and of course a game of Cat & Mouse (their first time) and Bulldogs to finish.
Too much in one session of course, but it was very fast and the aim was really to determine what level of knowledge they are at.
I very much enjoyed the session!
* Posted on: Mon, Jun 6 2005 9:12 PM
May 31, 2005
FdSc Course work done!
By LanceW
I am happy to report I have emailed all my course work for my FdSc degree last night after spending most of the weekend on formatting and revising etc.
I think I am supposed to post it all as well, so am going to print them here at work and post them recorded delivery.
Having completed it all, I have to say it was really rewarding.
The player assessment form I made to help with most of the assignments is a bit of an accomplishment and I really think that with the revision ideas I have picked up from using it, I have a really useful tool there.
The Nutrition assignment was a beast, but am happy with the result. SOme good stuff there that I think is of genuine use to players.
The LWP stats stuff was less rewarding, mainly as I had the guts of it done whilst still at Bath. No earth shattering revelations discovered or anything. As for lifestyle management... hmmm, could do with some of that myself! :-)
Can't wait for the next block, the best thing about the course in many ways is the invigoration it gives me about Judo. I'm totally buzzed about Judo again and about the potential of what the course makes us do.
Thoroughly recommend it to all Judoka!
* Posted on: Tue, May 31 2005 11:24 AM
May 25, 2005
Covertec is great!
By LanceW
I recently bought a Covertec case for my mobile phone.
If you are considering buying a case for your phone, buy one from them, they are great! The leather case I bought works great, looks good, feels good etc.
But... I broke the belt clip. DOH!!
I broke it, it was not a design fault, it was just me sitting down and breaking it okay. So I looked at their website to buy a replacement, couldn't see one, so I emailed them asking how to get a new one.
About 5-10 minutes later, I receive an email from them saying a new clip is in the post!
Service, wow, service!!!
I am blown away, thank you covertec, Merci!
So... buying a case for your phone buy it from www.covertec.com
* Posted on: Wed, May 25 2005 11:54 AM
May 24, 2005
VMK is the coolest thing since sliced bread!!
By LanceW
Hi all,
Over on Boing Boing I pointed Cory/all towards VMK, the virtual magic kingdom from Disney!
I have now had a quick nosey about and it is fantatsic!
Try the fireworks show game, totally Disney! Totally fun! Well done Disney, VMK rocks!
Anyone who has yet to find it try it NOW! (its free)
LINK TO VMK
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 5:47 PM
Hello Bong Boing'ers
By LanceW
Cory over at Boing Boing just put a link I sent them on their site with a link to my site (cheers!) so traffic is going mad. WOOT!
Let me know you've been here, drop me an email and say Hi.
Tell me what you think of the VMK too.
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 1:45 PM
E-Judo - Reset underway
By LanceW
Hi all those who have been testingout the e-judo code.
Its alpha code okay, so if you are wondering why it is not working it is because I am a bit rubbish and there is a bug in the code that mucked the database up stopping you from being able to login.
I am just going to reset it, which will mean new accounts for everyone.
Lance
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 1:44 PM
New Logo
By LanceW
Hi all,
you will notice if you visit my site proper (www.judocoach.com) a nice new logo. I didn't design it myself, I bought it for $25USD from GotLogos.com as an experiment. In fact here it is:
Now... the logo is fab! One small issue, namely that it has a bloke kicking which is not a Judo thing is it. So I have asked for a revision ($10USD).
I am even though I need to have it revised, really happy with the service, I have ZERO artistic ability, so it's nice to find a service that works and is cheap and easy.
Can't wait to receive the revised version!
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 11:23 AM
May 23, 2005
Being British
By LanceW
After a very short time living in the UK you notice that the British are obsessed about two things. (probably not the two things you immediately thought of you filthy devils!)
This weekend, I discovered that I too am starting to suffer from these two obsessions. This I think indicates that I have been here far too long and that I can now call myself British. (should I want to)
Now... what were those two obsessions?
1. The Weather.
The Brits obsess over it and so do I. I watch the wweather reports I have an RSS feed of the wetaher forecast, I have a watch with a Barometer on it! I have a bookmark to a locally installed weather station. Shoot me now!
2. Birds.
The feathered type. Bird watching is bigger here than anywhere else in the world I am told. The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) is apparently the first/only society of its type. Most countries just include bird in the SPCA, but not here because they are obsessed with birds/bird watching.
I now share the obsession and can tell you that I have a nesting pair of Blue Tits, resident Robins and also Wagtails. Not to mention that damned Heron that ate all my fish!
So with these two obsessions firmly underway I consider that I can now call my self "British". If I want to that is, I have no plans to give up my Kiwi status.
Eh Gads... Kiwi another bird!!
* Posted on: Mon, May 23 2005 3:01 PM
May 19, 2005
Slight web update
By LanceW
I have just updated my judocoach.com website a little.
Basically, I am about to embark on a complete revision but wanted to make a couple of tweaks. The tweaks became disasters and then I corrected the errors and simplified the CSS a little.
The background colour is based on the image bottom right and looks... well it looks okay I guess. Hopefully it is only temporary. I may have to swing by oswd.org and steal a new design.
* Posted on: Thu, May 19 2005 3:01 PM
Too Funny!!!
By LanceW
Star Wars piccies for all you fans, only hilarious!!
Zap over to worth1000 for the best contest they've had there that I have seen. (this morning at least )
* Posted on: Thu, May 19 2005 8:26 AM
May 18, 2005
CCMixter
By LanceW
COOL!
Fresh new music free and legal!
Basically a creative commons project whereby talented folk can sample happily and create music and post it back up. AWESOME as the result is an ecclectic mix of music.
So surf over to http://ccmixter.org/ and see what you find.
* Posted on: Wed, May 18 2005 11:29 PM
Weather on Bloglines!
By LanceW
Bloglines you've done it again!!
A great new feature in Bloglines this week. The Weather report.
Which is good especially if you live here in the weather obsessed UK. By the way, that should clue you into the fact that it is not just US info (like most cool tools on the web), it found the town closest to my house no problem what so ever!
Cool!
Try it now, just click the ADD link on your "My Feeds" list and then click on WEATHER, put the name of your town and up it should pop!
Lance
* Posted on: Wed, May 18 2005 7:57 AM
OutFoxed
By LanceW
Hi all,
I have been testing an interesting piece of software called OutFoxed.
Basically it's a social bookmarking extension to FireFox. Meaning that you friends share their links with you, saying if they are good bad or dangerous.
So when you visit a site you get a icon telling you if the site is good bad or dangerous according to your friends/informers.
Its in Beta at the moment so give it a go.
Here is a link to get you started: OutFoxed
* Posted on: Wed, May 18 2005 7:57 AM
May 17, 2005
Payloadz
By LanceW
Hi all,
I am playing around with the Payloadz.com system, which links into Paypal to sell electronic products for you.
I have uploaded my koga screensaver to it as a test KOGA SAVER it's only a £1, so please consider it a donation and test the system please. I'd appreciate any feedback.
For those of you short a pound, the screensaver is free to download from my projects page at www.judocoach.com
So buying from Payloadz really is just a donation.
Lance
* Posted on: Tue, May 17 2005 10:47 AM
May 16, 2005
Damn... left my email client open at home!
By LanceW
Oh dear!
I have left my email client open at home, so my remoate access mailbox is completely empty, so those emailing me please forgive me!
Reminds me I really need to think about a useful yet secure-ish way of accessing my machine when not there. (So I could close the window)
So.. anyone emailing me today, please forgive my not replying till Tuesday.
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, May 16 2005 1:17 PM
OPL Development
By LanceW
Hi all,
When I finally get around to updating the website I must add another "project", this one is automating the JMG Judo specific fitness test. But just to make it more interesting I am attempting to do it for my Nokia 9500 mobile phone.
On all the old Psion PDAs there was a built-in language called OPL, the Psion OS became Symbian, which is what my Mobile runs (series 80). And you guessed it, you can install OPL and write/run application that you write yourself!
So.. I am working my way through all the online references I can find and hope to soon have a phone based test for Judo fitness done! WOOT! Just have to write it now.
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, May 16 2005 1:12 PM
May 12, 2005
Judo Systems
By LanceW
My FDSc course along with discussion arising from the Player Assessment Project have had my brain bubbling away on whats wrong with the world and Judo specifically.
I have a thought crystalizing quietly in my head, it is an idea on how we can improve Judo performance for our players and specifically for Judo teams.
And my magic solution... good systems.
Basically, increasingly I think that where we can make big gains is in putting quality systems in place to support and develop players. An example of this would be my player assessment form, this could be used by coaches to benchmark all their players.
Another example would be to have a notation "team", that followed players and notated their performances for later assessment.
Both rely on a standard format being repeated many times to get good quantitive data.
Thoughts?
* Posted on: Thu, May 12 2005 1:21 PM
May 11, 2005
MoBlog
By LanceW
Hi all, the other thing I am trying (again following Steve Litchfields example) is MoBlogging, using the camera on my phone.
My new MoBlog is over at Moblog.co.uk do pop over by clicking that link there and take a look.
* Posted on: Wed, May 11 2005 2:18 PM
On Mobile phones
By LanceW
As some will know I have recently bought a Nokia 9500 mobile phone. Brilliant piece of Kit by the way. Solid, has a QWERTY keyboard does all sorts of good stuff out of the box like email etc.
As I have gotten to know it better I have been installing (and removing) an array of software, some good some pants.
I spend quite a bit of time on http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/ which is a site I first came across when I got a Psion organiser. Steve Litchfield who runs the site has provided some seriously good content over there.
I am now exploring programming OPL, which is a great (FREE) way to get new software on the phone.
If I have one gripe about the 9500 it is that it runs Series 80 of symbian and most stuff out there seems to be for Series 60 and they don't seem compatible, or perhaps thats just me.
My big exploration is "MoSoSo", mobile social software. This is the stuff that helps your phone find other phones and do stuff. Nokia just released their SENSOR product I already have Pantopic and have been trying others.
By the way NOKIA if you are listening, get the series 80 version of SENSOR out would ya!And while I'm at it SKYPE, please get a Series 80 version of Skype out too.
If anyone reading this has any views or experiences, let me know.
* Posted on: Wed, May 11 2005 11:23 AM
May 9, 2005
Putin on Leadership & Judo
By LanceW
Over at http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2005/may/09putin.htm there is a piece on the Russian presidents thoughts on Leadership and the effect Judo has had on him.
I've pasted it below also.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former Judo champion, says the sport is not just 'a sport but a philosophy', which taught him that strategy, not strength, matters.
You could use this, too, in your life!
Vladimir PutinWhat Judo teaches you: "Judo teaches us that a seemingly weak partner can not only resist you, but can also beat you. It is not only strength that can change the result of a match. It is also the ability to think and use the right stance. What is very improtant is to have a strong character and a strong desire for victory," Putin said on the American television network CBS' News magazine programme, 60 Minutes.
Why Judo is not a sport but a philosophy: First of all, sports like Judo teach us about relationships between people and teach you to respect your partner.
Putin's life and career strategy: Putin worked 'very hard' to become a Judo champion in Leningrad, he said. "I think that if you do something, you should do it not only for the pelasure of the process but you should be results-oriented."
Putin, who was born into a 'family of workers', said his father and mother were just ordinary people. The three of them lived in a small room in a communal apartment in Leningrad with no private facilities.
They didn't even have a bath and a shower. "My parents worked a lot," said Putin. "So I spent a lot of time on the streets with other teenagers. It was just a normal, ordinary life."
The President's hobby those days were to chase rats with a stick, which led to a 'very interesting discovery': "If you corner a rat, it turns on you and attacks you. And a rat attacks aggressively. It even chases its adversary when they run away."
When shown a picture which appeared to show him being angry, Putin said, "I don't remember one time in my five years as President of the Russian Federation that I lost my temper. I think that this [losing temper] is absolutely uancceptable."
Leadership mantras: The former KGB agent said one had to be 'tough and consistent' in their actions. Without being tough it is impossible to be a head of state.
"It is important to take responsibility, and not hide behind your government, your law enforcement agencies, or your armed forces. That is what is important."
"It is also very important to find the right people for the job. This is definitely the most difficult task for leaders. Being tough is not the most difficult task for a person who has the position I do. It is probably more difficult to be patient and forgiving. In the position that I have, it is easier to be tough or harsh," he said.
* Posted on: Mon, May 9 2005 1:31 PM
Heron, I shall have my revenge!!
By LanceW
Aaaarrgghhh!!!!
As some of you might know, I have pond of Koi Carp, which I inherited when I moved into our house. I knew nothing about keeping fish when we arrived and now I feel almost competent, too damn competent.
I walked out my door yesterday afternoon and was flapped at by a huge Heron (about my shoulder height!) as it took off from near my pond.
I sprinted to the pond to see some wonderful clear water and no fish!
So, if you spot a fat Heron flying over Hampshire let me know as I need to have serious words with it! I had about a dozen fish in there, from very small ones to quite large ones a bit longer than your hand.
Luckily, I did notice a couple of hours later my biggest Koi had survived! (about a foot in length give or take refraction) He is a big black beast who generally hangs around at the bottom of the pond not doing much, so I presume thats how he got so big.
I'll have to consider what to do now, mainly hunt down the Heron and wreak havoc on it!
* Posted on: Mon, May 9 2005 9:06 AM
FdSc Course work done!
By LanceW
I am happy to report I have emailed all my course work for my FdSc degree last night after spending most of the weekend on formatting and revising etc.
I think I am supposed to post it all as well, so am going to print them here at work and post them recorded delivery.
Having completed it all, I have to say it was really rewarding.
The player assessment form I made to help with most of the assignments is a bit of an accomplishment and I really think that with the revision ideas I have picked up from using it, I have a really useful tool there.
The Nutrition assignment was a beast, but am happy with the result. SOme good stuff there that I think is of genuine use to players.
The LWP stats stuff was less rewarding, mainly as I had the guts of it done whilst still at Bath. No earth shattering revelations discovered or anything. As for lifestyle management... hmmm, could do with some of that myself! :-)
Can't wait for the next block, the best thing about the course in many ways is the invigoration it gives me about Judo. I'm totally buzzed about Judo again and about the potential of what the course makes us do.
Thoroughly recommend it to all Judoka!
* Posted on: Tue, May 31 2005 11:24 AM
May 25, 2005
Covertec is great!
By LanceW
I recently bought a Covertec case for my mobile phone.
If you are considering buying a case for your phone, buy one from them, they are great! The leather case I bought works great, looks good, feels good etc.
But... I broke the belt clip. DOH!!
I broke it, it was not a design fault, it was just me sitting down and breaking it okay. So I looked at their website to buy a replacement, couldn't see one, so I emailed them asking how to get a new one.
About 5-10 minutes later, I receive an email from them saying a new clip is in the post!
Service, wow, service!!!
I am blown away, thank you covertec, Merci!
So... buying a case for your phone buy it from www.covertec.com
* Posted on: Wed, May 25 2005 11:54 AM
May 24, 2005
VMK is the coolest thing since sliced bread!!
By LanceW
Hi all,
Over on Boing Boing I pointed Cory/all towards VMK, the virtual magic kingdom from Disney!
I have now had a quick nosey about and it is fantatsic!
Try the fireworks show game, totally Disney! Totally fun! Well done Disney, VMK rocks!
Anyone who has yet to find it try it NOW! (its free)
LINK TO VMK
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 5:47 PM
Hello Bong Boing'ers
By LanceW
Cory over at Boing Boing just put a link I sent them on their site with a link to my site (cheers!) so traffic is going mad. WOOT!
Let me know you've been here, drop me an email and say Hi.
Tell me what you think of the VMK too.
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 1:45 PM
E-Judo - Reset underway
By LanceW
Hi all those who have been testingout the e-judo code.
Its alpha code okay, so if you are wondering why it is not working it is because I am a bit rubbish and there is a bug in the code that mucked the database up stopping you from being able to login.
I am just going to reset it, which will mean new accounts for everyone.
Lance
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 1:44 PM
New Logo
By LanceW
Hi all,
you will notice if you visit my site proper (www.judocoach.com) a nice new logo. I didn't design it myself, I bought it for $25USD from GotLogos.com as an experiment. In fact here it is:
Now... the logo is fab! One small issue, namely that it has a bloke kicking which is not a Judo thing is it. So I have asked for a revision ($10USD).
I am even though I need to have it revised, really happy with the service, I have ZERO artistic ability, so it's nice to find a service that works and is cheap and easy.
Can't wait to receive the revised version!
* Posted on: Tue, May 24 2005 11:23 AM
May 23, 2005
Being British
By LanceW
After a very short time living in the UK you notice that the British are obsessed about two things. (probably not the two things you immediately thought of you filthy devils!)
This weekend, I discovered that I too am starting to suffer from these two obsessions. This I think indicates that I have been here far too long and that I can now call myself British. (should I want to)
Now... what were those two obsessions?
1. The Weather.
The Brits obsess over it and so do I. I watch the wweather reports I have an RSS feed of the wetaher forecast, I have a watch with a Barometer on it! I have a bookmark to a locally installed weather station. Shoot me now!
2. Birds.
The feathered type. Bird watching is bigger here than anywhere else in the world I am told. The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) is apparently the first/only society of its type. Most countries just include bird in the SPCA, but not here because they are obsessed with birds/bird watching.
I now share the obsession and can tell you that I have a nesting pair of Blue Tits, resident Robins and also Wagtails. Not to mention that damned Heron that ate all my fish!
So with these two obsessions firmly underway I consider that I can now call my self "British". If I want to that is, I have no plans to give up my Kiwi status.
Eh Gads... Kiwi another bird!!
* Posted on: Mon, May 23 2005 3:01 PM
May 19, 2005
Slight web update
By LanceW
I have just updated my judocoach.com website a little.
Basically, I am about to embark on a complete revision but wanted to make a couple of tweaks. The tweaks became disasters and then I corrected the errors and simplified the CSS a little.
The background colour is based on the image bottom right and looks... well it looks okay I guess. Hopefully it is only temporary. I may have to swing by oswd.org and steal a new design.
* Posted on: Thu, May 19 2005 3:01 PM
Too Funny!!!
By LanceW
Star Wars piccies for all you fans, only hilarious!!
Zap over to worth1000 for the best contest they've had there that I have seen. (this morning at least )
* Posted on: Thu, May 19 2005 8:26 AM
May 18, 2005
CCMixter
By LanceW
COOL!
Fresh new music free and legal!
Basically a creative commons project whereby talented folk can sample happily and create music and post it back up. AWESOME as the result is an ecclectic mix of music.
So surf over to http://ccmixter.org/ and see what you find.
* Posted on: Wed, May 18 2005 11:29 PM
Weather on Bloglines!
By LanceW
Bloglines you've done it again!!
A great new feature in Bloglines this week. The Weather report.
Which is good especially if you live here in the weather obsessed UK. By the way, that should clue you into the fact that it is not just US info (like most cool tools on the web), it found the town closest to my house no problem what so ever!
Cool!
Try it now, just click the ADD link on your "My Feeds" list and then click on WEATHER, put the name of your town and up it should pop!
Lance
* Posted on: Wed, May 18 2005 7:57 AM
OutFoxed
By LanceW
Hi all,
I have been testing an interesting piece of software called OutFoxed.
Basically it's a social bookmarking extension to FireFox. Meaning that you friends share their links with you, saying if they are good bad or dangerous.
So when you visit a site you get a icon telling you if the site is good bad or dangerous according to your friends/informers.
Its in Beta at the moment so give it a go.
Here is a link to get you started: OutFoxed
* Posted on: Wed, May 18 2005 7:57 AM
May 17, 2005
Payloadz
By LanceW
Hi all,
I am playing around with the Payloadz.com system, which links into Paypal to sell electronic products for you.
I have uploaded my koga screensaver to it as a test KOGA SAVER it's only a £1, so please consider it a donation and test the system please. I'd appreciate any feedback.
For those of you short a pound, the screensaver is free to download from my projects page at www.judocoach.com
So buying from Payloadz really is just a donation.
Lance
* Posted on: Tue, May 17 2005 10:47 AM
May 16, 2005
Damn... left my email client open at home!
By LanceW
Oh dear!
I have left my email client open at home, so my remoate access mailbox is completely empty, so those emailing me please forgive me!
Reminds me I really need to think about a useful yet secure-ish way of accessing my machine when not there. (So I could close the window)
So.. anyone emailing me today, please forgive my not replying till Tuesday.
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, May 16 2005 1:17 PM
OPL Development
By LanceW
Hi all,
When I finally get around to updating the website I must add another "project", this one is automating the JMG Judo specific fitness test. But just to make it more interesting I am attempting to do it for my Nokia 9500 mobile phone.
On all the old Psion PDAs there was a built-in language called OPL, the Psion OS became Symbian, which is what my Mobile runs (series 80). And you guessed it, you can install OPL and write/run application that you write yourself!
So.. I am working my way through all the online references I can find and hope to soon have a phone based test for Judo fitness done! WOOT! Just have to write it now.
Lance
* Posted on: Mon, May 16 2005 1:12 PM
May 12, 2005
Judo Systems
By LanceW
My FDSc course along with discussion arising from the Player Assessment Project have had my brain bubbling away on whats wrong with the world and Judo specifically.
I have a thought crystalizing quietly in my head, it is an idea on how we can improve Judo performance for our players and specifically for Judo teams.
And my magic solution... good systems.
Basically, increasingly I think that where we can make big gains is in putting quality systems in place to support and develop players. An example of this would be my player assessment form, this could be used by coaches to benchmark all their players.
Another example would be to have a notation "team", that followed players and notated their performances for later assessment.
Both rely on a standard format being repeated many times to get good quantitive data.
Thoughts?
* Posted on: Thu, May 12 2005 1:21 PM
May 11, 2005
MoBlog
By LanceW
Hi all, the other thing I am trying (again following Steve Litchfields example) is MoBlogging, using the camera on my phone.
My new MoBlog is over at Moblog.co.uk do pop over by clicking that link there and take a look.
* Posted on: Wed, May 11 2005 2:18 PM
On Mobile phones
By LanceW
As some will know I have recently bought a Nokia 9500 mobile phone. Brilliant piece of Kit by the way. Solid, has a QWERTY keyboard does all sorts of good stuff out of the box like email etc.
As I have gotten to know it better I have been installing (and removing) an array of software, some good some pants.
I spend quite a bit of time on http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/ which is a site I first came across when I got a Psion organiser. Steve Litchfield who runs the site has provided some seriously good content over there.
I am now exploring programming OPL, which is a great (FREE) way to get new software on the phone.
If I have one gripe about the 9500 it is that it runs Series 80 of symbian and most stuff out there seems to be for Series 60 and they don't seem compatible, or perhaps thats just me.
My big exploration is "MoSoSo", mobile social software. This is the stuff that helps your phone find other phones and do stuff. Nokia just released their SENSOR product I already have Pantopic and have been trying others.
By the way NOKIA if you are listening, get the series 80 version of SENSOR out would ya!And while I'm at it SKYPE, please get a Series 80 version of Skype out too.
If anyone reading this has any views or experiences, let me know.
* Posted on: Wed, May 11 2005 11:23 AM
May 9, 2005
Putin on Leadership & Judo
By LanceW
Over at http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2005/may/09putin.htm there is a piece on the Russian presidents thoughts on Leadership and the effect Judo has had on him.
I've pasted it below also.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former Judo champion, says the sport is not just 'a sport but a philosophy', which taught him that strategy, not strength, matters.
You could use this, too, in your life!
Vladimir PutinWhat Judo teaches you: "Judo teaches us that a seemingly weak partner can not only resist you, but can also beat you. It is not only strength that can change the result of a match. It is also the ability to think and use the right stance. What is very improtant is to have a strong character and a strong desire for victory," Putin said on the American television network CBS' News magazine programme, 60 Minutes.
Why Judo is not a sport but a philosophy: First of all, sports like Judo teach us about relationships between people and teach you to respect your partner.
Putin's life and career strategy: Putin worked 'very hard' to become a Judo champion in Leningrad, he said. "I think that if you do something, you should do it not only for the pelasure of the process but you should be results-oriented."
Putin, who was born into a 'family of workers', said his father and mother were just ordinary people. The three of them lived in a small room in a communal apartment in Leningrad with no private facilities.
They didn't even have a bath and a shower. "My parents worked a lot," said Putin. "So I spent a lot of time on the streets with other teenagers. It was just a normal, ordinary life."
The President's hobby those days were to chase rats with a stick, which led to a 'very interesting discovery': "If you corner a rat, it turns on you and attacks you. And a rat attacks aggressively. It even chases its adversary when they run away."
When shown a picture which appeared to show him being angry, Putin said, "I don't remember one time in my five years as President of the Russian Federation that I lost my temper. I think that this [losing temper] is absolutely uancceptable."
Leadership mantras: The former KGB agent said one had to be 'tough and consistent' in their actions. Without being tough it is impossible to be a head of state.
"It is important to take responsibility, and not hide behind your government, your law enforcement agencies, or your armed forces. That is what is important."
"It is also very important to find the right people for the job. This is definitely the most difficult task for leaders. Being tough is not the most difficult task for a person who has the position I do. It is probably more difficult to be patient and forgiving. In the position that I have, it is easier to be tough or harsh," he said.
* Posted on: Mon, May 9 2005 1:31 PM
Heron, I shall have my revenge!!
By LanceW
Aaaarrgghhh!!!!
As some of you might know, I have pond of Koi Carp, which I inherited when I moved into our house. I knew nothing about keeping fish when we arrived and now I feel almost competent, too damn competent.
I walked out my door yesterday afternoon and was flapped at by a huge Heron (about my shoulder height!) as it took off from near my pond.
I sprinted to the pond to see some wonderful clear water and no fish!
So, if you spot a fat Heron flying over Hampshire let me know as I need to have serious words with it! I had about a dozen fish in there, from very small ones to quite large ones a bit longer than your hand.
Luckily, I did notice a couple of hours later my biggest Koi had survived! (about a foot in length give or take refraction) He is a big black beast who generally hangs around at the bottom of the pond not doing much, so I presume thats how he got so big.
I'll have to consider what to do now, mainly hunt down the Heron and wreak havoc on it!
* Posted on: Mon, May 9 2005 9:06 AM
April 22, 2005
Gmail File System for Windows
By LanceW
Finally I have tracked down a windows app that allows you to use your google gmail account (2gb) as part of your systems normal drives.
I've been aware of Linux options for a while and had found some utilities such as filebunker that allowed you to backup to gmail, but finally I've found one that allows you to use gmail easily from windows explorer.
Go to:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/E ... sion.shtml
And you'll be able to download the installer for the system for free, then once installed you will see under "My COmputer" a Gmail Drive at the bottom of the list.
Click on this and it will ask for your login details and then as if by magic an empty 2GB folder will appear which you can fill with files.
ENJOY!
P.s. If you have not yet got a gmail account, do let me know and I can send you an invitation.
* Posted on: Fri, Apr 22 2005 7:38 AM
April 21, 2005
All too quiet
By LanceW
Sorry for the silence folks, have been busy busy busy since I returned from Bath.
I have now secured the services of three people to do my course work assessments with. (thanks folks!) and am presently finalising the paperwork that I need them to fill in.
Also I have been working on the statistics assignment and have this pretty much sorted and the outline for the report written, so it is a matter of "fleshing it out" with actual content now.
Also very busy work-wise, finalising the design for two training room's technical equipment.
Last but not least, my father has been visiting from NZ, so I have been trying to spend sometime with him in the evenings rather than sitting glueed to the computer.
So... expect more posts as the workload declines,
Lance.
* Posted on: Thu, Apr 21 2005 2:18 PM
April 11, 2005
Thoughts on "weight cycling"
By LanceW
Following on from the very good Nutrition & Hydration lectures we had on the FDSc course at Bath, I am thinking about how we might effect a culture change in Judo to better manage weights for weigh-in.
Basically, all the science says that the Judo standard weight loss methods of food and fluid restriction are dumb! That doing it affects the athletes badly and can have serious long-term consequences.
The science bods also suggested that Judoka should prepare at a weight about 2-3 kilo UNDER their existing weight and then try and boost the weight up with Glycogen stores via carbo loading to the upper weight limit.
This has the benefits of making sure the athletes are hydrated and also that their energy stores are at maximum. It's a "no-brainer" that this is what we "should" be doing.
But the big question is how do we ensure this happens? How do we change the culture of our sport?
Ideas anyone?
* Posted on: Mon, Apr 11 2005 3:05 PM
Back to reality
By LanceW
Well, Monday is here and I am back at work after the most amazing two weeks at University of Bath. The course is quite simply the best Judo and/or coaching course I have ever encountered. Despite what some may think (based on my disagreements in regard to the gym session), I have found the views and teachings of all the tutors fantastically valueable. So the hard work starts now, getting those assignments done! I am hoping to redemn myself after completely mucking up my part of the group presentation, sorry team. Luckily, the rest of the guys did so well that we still came out number one.
* Posted on: Mon, Apr 11 2005 8:16 AM
April 8, 2005
Day two - a mixed bag
By LanceW
Day two over and to be honest not a good day. Our computer/stats session was great, a wonderful exercise in analysis. Most folks working on Athens results to discover trends in the numbers. For example average age of heavy weights. As a Kiwi I took the "path less trodden" and instead decided to discover who NZ's best -73kg senior man was. Using South Island, North Island & National champs results. I think I will possibly tie this to the good info on the Judoinside.com site. Sadly though, not a lot of info on us kiwis there. (I used to feature, but no longer)
UPDATE: 8 April 2005
My post here in regard to the gym session has been the subject of great debate and I have received considerable feedback on it. After taking some of the feedback into consideration I am updating the post, as I appreciate my forthright style can raise the hackles of many people.
The gym session by Tony McConnell was in my opinion very bad.
Before writing my original post, I spoke with other course members and with the course administrator. If It had been a case of my simply disagreeing with hium, I would not have posted anything. (We all have opinions and I firmly believe that we should express them)
HOWEVER.... the session in question was very bad, and it was inappropriate for a course of this calibre. I am not a weights expert and if I am out of order I would appreciate someone pointing it out.
That said, only one person I have spoken to has come to Tony's defence in regard to the session itself. Many people have questioned my expressing my opinion so publically on this blog, but virtually no one has actually stated that what I said was wrong, just how I said it.
On this topis, I have appreciated the valid criticisms by those who actually read what I wrote, thought about it and them responded. Sadly not everyone did so, I have to say that those who have commented without reading this blog have annoyed me, two wrongs do not make a right.
--
Basically, the issue is not with Tony, or with much of what he had to share. It was and remains only the weights session that in my opinion was bad and dangerous.
The final two exercises were awful.
Bent arm pullovers and the Cheating dumbell curls, are in my opinion dangerous exercises and to have them taught on a course of this type is dreadful.
Doing these exercises in the upward pyramid system suggested is a recipe for injury.
The final exercise goes against all the science that I have been taught. It involves allowing the quite heavy weights to swing, whilst also asking the player to move there whole body in twisting movements of the spine.
This is dangerous and also goes against the principle of specificity in weight training.
It should not have been taught, in my opinion.
I was embarrassed to stand there and watch whilst standing in an excellent gym full of experiences athletes and gym instructors.
Tony has a valid place on the course, his earlier talks on his history and some of the factoprs of elite performance were great, but I repeat what I wrote in my notebook on the day.
"This man should not be allowed in a gym"
Sorry but I do feel VERY strongly on this one.
* Posted on: Fri, Apr 8 2005 10:47 AM
Day 9
By LanceW
Today all the groups made their presentations, really interesting to see where people went with their presentations. Our Presentation was on "Situations & Solutions". Being what we decided all elite players displayed, an ability to identify & create solutions for contest situations. I really enjoyed working on it as it fitted very well with my personal feelings about a coaches role. Also it relates back to my thoughts on how a modern coach should not be prescribing techniques rather assisting the players to find their "own way". I really enjoyed working with our team, and it felt very much like we worked together on one idea. The other big plus about our presentation was that it was a whole solution which is directly applicable to coaches. The demos we gave I hope showed the practical application of how one might take our concept and use it the dojo. We all await feedback on how we did from Mike & Roy. Interestingly, I think everyone started to look at the presentations in terms of who was number one. You can take the playerr out of competitions but not the competition out of the player! Interestingly, we were the only group that focussed on a single factor. Ah well, enough of that. This evening we have the course dinner at Coombe Grove Manor. Should be a good night out, like any of them havn't been so far!
* Posted on: Fri, Apr 8 2005 7:57 AM
April 7, 2005
Day 8 - "Karaoke!"
By LanceW
The day started with Judo in the Dojo with Roy. Lots going through various modern techniques. Then Graham Randall & Kate Howey took us briefly through their favourite throws. (Sumigaeshi & Morote Gari respectively) Despite having watched, fought (I bounced of the tamami if you must know) and trained with Graham in the past I have never really "learned" his Sumigaeshi before. I wish I had, it very very good. Very smooth, even when I was doing it, honest. :) Kates Morotegari was more than a little too rough for me. Very interesting to watch a throw that we would normally consider "skill less" done at such a elite level. Later we had our final nutrition sessions, getting into energy tracking such as recording your diet and also energy expenditure. All good stuff. The afternoon was spent finalising our group presentation, which I think we are all very confident with now. In the evening we had Randori which was mainly younger players. Some potential there, though perhaps some egos need checking and some players might want to do moree throwing and less grip fighting. Afterwards we went into town for a meal and a few beverages. After we ended up in a local Karaoke bar which was hilarious. I did not sing, not wise with my inability sing in tune. Happily it seems that I was not alone in this affliction and some of the Judo girls attempted to clear the bar with a rendition of "Total eclipse of the Heart" that was to be generous... awful!! I have not laughed so hard in a long time!! Thank you ladies for a fun night out! Thursday is presentations day, ulp! We are last hence my allowing myself to go out so late. Honest. ;)
* Posted on: Thu, Apr 7 2005 12:12 PM
April 5, 2005
Day7
By LanceW
Today was a good day, this morning we had Judo first thing. Later we had more nutrition which was very good. Later we had a session on eating disorders. Interesting and relevant to Judo. So far all the sports scientists have been very VERY concerned about the losing weight we do for weigh-ins. I agree so much! Large culture changes need to take place in our sport. Later, Roy Inman gave some really great insights into being coach at a senior level. Nothing like hearing some real experiences. Lastly we went through some great modern techniques in the dojo. I spent some time training with Daniel Lascau, fantastic. I was a touch worried to start with but I soon realised he is one of those guys that you can train with safely and enjoyably. (well excepting the whole prank with getting me to fall backwards onto a crash mat, which was taken away!). Daniel is a "character" and a huge prankster! A very good day all in all, so much good stuff to take away. A large amount I would love to see incorporated into national systems back home in New Zealand.
* Posted on: Tue, Apr 5 2005 6:06 PM
April 4, 2005
Days 5 & 6 (second attempt)
By LanceW
Back at Bath after a weekend with my Whanau (family). Very sad and very happy to be here all at the same time. Last Friday was a good day with a great lecture on lifestyle management. Today (Monday) has probably been the best day so far. Two good sessions in the Dojo, with World Champions (Adams and Nakamura). Also the first nutrition lecture and a fascinating talk from Kenzo Nakamura about his Judo career and thoughts on Judo. In a cunning ploy, I arranged for Nakamura San to be in the same "flat" as me, so a fascintating "chat" followed Judo. Also did the Randori session, first serious session in quite literally years. Fought pretty well considering my state of fitness and exhaustion. Was fantastic fun. After Randori, we had a few beers in the uni bar. Interesting of course. Interestingly, Nakamura San's translator also lived in the same town as me in Japan. Seemingly I am the New Zealander that went AWOL. Small world Judo eh!? Have our group presentation sorted, just have to sort my individual section for Thursday. Am finding this evening quite lonely now, missing my twins! The course itself has settled and I am very pleased with the quality. It is a terrific opportunity for all of us. I keep feeling that the things I am picking up need Kiwi application. So many great things that we could apply and improve our lot. Ah well, had better get off to bed!
* Posted on: Mon, Apr 4 2005 10:55 PM
Gmail File System for Windows
By LanceW
Finally I have tracked down a windows app that allows you to use your google gmail account (2gb) as part of your systems normal drives.
I've been aware of Linux options for a while and had found some utilities such as filebunker that allowed you to backup to gmail, but finally I've found one that allows you to use gmail easily from windows explorer.
Go to:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/E ... sion.shtml
And you'll be able to download the installer for the system for free, then once installed you will see under "My COmputer" a Gmail Drive at the bottom of the list.
Click on this and it will ask for your login details and then as if by magic an empty 2GB folder will appear which you can fill with files.
ENJOY!
P.s. If you have not yet got a gmail account, do let me know and I can send you an invitation.
* Posted on: Fri, Apr 22 2005 7:38 AM
April 21, 2005
All too quiet
By LanceW
Sorry for the silence folks, have been busy busy busy since I returned from Bath.
I have now secured the services of three people to do my course work assessments with. (thanks folks!) and am presently finalising the paperwork that I need them to fill in.
Also I have been working on the statistics assignment and have this pretty much sorted and the outline for the report written, so it is a matter of "fleshing it out" with actual content now.
Also very busy work-wise, finalising the design for two training room's technical equipment.
Last but not least, my father has been visiting from NZ, so I have been trying to spend sometime with him in the evenings rather than sitting glueed to the computer.
So... expect more posts as the workload declines,
Lance.
* Posted on: Thu, Apr 21 2005 2:18 PM
April 11, 2005
Thoughts on "weight cycling"
By LanceW
Following on from the very good Nutrition & Hydration lectures we had on the FDSc course at Bath, I am thinking about how we might effect a culture change in Judo to better manage weights for weigh-in.
Basically, all the science says that the Judo standard weight loss methods of food and fluid restriction are dumb! That doing it affects the athletes badly and can have serious long-term consequences.
The science bods also suggested that Judoka should prepare at a weight about 2-3 kilo UNDER their existing weight and then try and boost the weight up with Glycogen stores via carbo loading to the upper weight limit.
This has the benefits of making sure the athletes are hydrated and also that their energy stores are at maximum. It's a "no-brainer" that this is what we "should" be doing.
But the big question is how do we ensure this happens? How do we change the culture of our sport?
Ideas anyone?
* Posted on: Mon, Apr 11 2005 3:05 PM
Back to reality
By LanceW
Well, Monday is here and I am back at work after the most amazing two weeks at University of Bath. The course is quite simply the best Judo and/or coaching course I have ever encountered. Despite what some may think (based on my disagreements in regard to the gym session), I have found the views and teachings of all the tutors fantastically valueable. So the hard work starts now, getting those assignments done! I am hoping to redemn myself after completely mucking up my part of the group presentation, sorry team. Luckily, the rest of the guys did so well that we still came out number one.
* Posted on: Mon, Apr 11 2005 8:16 AM
April 8, 2005
Day two - a mixed bag
By LanceW
Day two over and to be honest not a good day. Our computer/stats session was great, a wonderful exercise in analysis. Most folks working on Athens results to discover trends in the numbers. For example average age of heavy weights. As a Kiwi I took the "path less trodden" and instead decided to discover who NZ's best -73kg senior man was. Using South Island, North Island & National champs results. I think I will possibly tie this to the good info on the Judoinside.com site. Sadly though, not a lot of info on us kiwis there. (I used to feature, but no longer)
UPDATE: 8 April 2005
My post here in regard to the gym session has been the subject of great debate and I have received considerable feedback on it. After taking some of the feedback into consideration I am updating the post, as I appreciate my forthright style can raise the hackles of many people.
The gym session by Tony McConnell was in my opinion very bad.
Before writing my original post, I spoke with other course members and with the course administrator. If It had been a case of my simply disagreeing with hium, I would not have posted anything. (We all have opinions and I firmly believe that we should express them)
HOWEVER.... the session in question was very bad, and it was inappropriate for a course of this calibre. I am not a weights expert and if I am out of order I would appreciate someone pointing it out.
That said, only one person I have spoken to has come to Tony's defence in regard to the session itself. Many people have questioned my expressing my opinion so publically on this blog, but virtually no one has actually stated that what I said was wrong, just how I said it.
On this topis, I have appreciated the valid criticisms by those who actually read what I wrote, thought about it and them responded. Sadly not everyone did so, I have to say that those who have commented without reading this blog have annoyed me, two wrongs do not make a right.
--
Basically, the issue is not with Tony, or with much of what he had to share. It was and remains only the weights session that in my opinion was bad and dangerous.
The final two exercises were awful.
Bent arm pullovers and the Cheating dumbell curls, are in my opinion dangerous exercises and to have them taught on a course of this type is dreadful.
Doing these exercises in the upward pyramid system suggested is a recipe for injury.
The final exercise goes against all the science that I have been taught. It involves allowing the quite heavy weights to swing, whilst also asking the player to move there whole body in twisting movements of the spine.
This is dangerous and also goes against the principle of specificity in weight training.
It should not have been taught, in my opinion.
I was embarrassed to stand there and watch whilst standing in an excellent gym full of experiences athletes and gym instructors.
Tony has a valid place on the course, his earlier talks on his history and some of the factoprs of elite performance were great, but I repeat what I wrote in my notebook on the day.
"This man should not be allowed in a gym"
Sorry but I do feel VERY strongly on this one.
* Posted on: Fri, Apr 8 2005 10:47 AM
Day 9
By LanceW
Today all the groups made their presentations, really interesting to see where people went with their presentations. Our Presentation was on "Situations & Solutions". Being what we decided all elite players displayed, an ability to identify & create solutions for contest situations. I really enjoyed working on it as it fitted very well with my personal feelings about a coaches role. Also it relates back to my thoughts on how a modern coach should not be prescribing techniques rather assisting the players to find their "own way". I really enjoyed working with our team, and it felt very much like we worked together on one idea. The other big plus about our presentation was that it was a whole solution which is directly applicable to coaches. The demos we gave I hope showed the practical application of how one might take our concept and use it the dojo. We all await feedback on how we did from Mike & Roy. Interestingly, I think everyone started to look at the presentations in terms of who was number one. You can take the playerr out of competitions but not the competition out of the player! Interestingly, we were the only group that focussed on a single factor. Ah well, enough of that. This evening we have the course dinner at Coombe Grove Manor. Should be a good night out, like any of them havn't been so far!
* Posted on: Fri, Apr 8 2005 7:57 AM
April 7, 2005
Day 8 - "Karaoke!"
By LanceW
The day started with Judo in the Dojo with Roy. Lots going through various modern techniques. Then Graham Randall & Kate Howey took us briefly through their favourite throws. (Sumigaeshi & Morote Gari respectively) Despite having watched, fought (I bounced of the tamami if you must know) and trained with Graham in the past I have never really "learned" his Sumigaeshi before. I wish I had, it very very good. Very smooth, even when I was doing it, honest. :) Kates Morotegari was more than a little too rough for me. Very interesting to watch a throw that we would normally consider "skill less" done at such a elite level. Later we had our final nutrition sessions, getting into energy tracking such as recording your diet and also energy expenditure. All good stuff. The afternoon was spent finalising our group presentation, which I think we are all very confident with now. In the evening we had Randori which was mainly younger players. Some potential there, though perhaps some egos need checking and some players might want to do moree throwing and less grip fighting. Afterwards we went into town for a meal and a few beverages. After we ended up in a local Karaoke bar which was hilarious. I did not sing, not wise with my inability sing in tune. Happily it seems that I was not alone in this affliction and some of the Judo girls attempted to clear the bar with a rendition of "Total eclipse of the Heart" that was to be generous... awful!! I have not laughed so hard in a long time!! Thank you ladies for a fun night out! Thursday is presentations day, ulp! We are last hence my allowing myself to go out so late. Honest. ;)
* Posted on: Thu, Apr 7 2005 12:12 PM
April 5, 2005
Day7
By LanceW
Today was a good day, this morning we had Judo first thing. Later we had more nutrition which was very good. Later we had a session on eating disorders. Interesting and relevant to Judo. So far all the sports scientists have been very VERY concerned about the losing weight we do for weigh-ins. I agree so much! Large culture changes need to take place in our sport. Later, Roy Inman gave some really great insights into being coach at a senior level. Nothing like hearing some real experiences. Lastly we went through some great modern techniques in the dojo. I spent some time training with Daniel Lascau, fantastic. I was a touch worried to start with but I soon realised he is one of those guys that you can train with safely and enjoyably. (well excepting the whole prank with getting me to fall backwards onto a crash mat, which was taken away!). Daniel is a "character" and a huge prankster! A very good day all in all, so much good stuff to take away. A large amount I would love to see incorporated into national systems back home in New Zealand.
* Posted on: Tue, Apr 5 2005 6:06 PM
April 4, 2005
Days 5 & 6 (second attempt)
By LanceW
Back at Bath after a weekend with my Whanau (family). Very sad and very happy to be here all at the same time. Last Friday was a good day with a great lecture on lifestyle management. Today (Monday) has probably been the best day so far. Two good sessions in the Dojo, with World Champions (Adams and Nakamura). Also the first nutrition lecture and a fascinating talk from Kenzo Nakamura about his Judo career and thoughts on Judo. In a cunning ploy, I arranged for Nakamura San to be in the same "flat" as me, so a fascintating "chat" followed Judo. Also did the Randori session, first serious session in quite literally years. Fought pretty well considering my state of fitness and exhaustion. Was fantastic fun. After Randori, we had a few beers in the uni bar. Interesting of course. Interestingly, Nakamura San's translator also lived in the same town as me in Japan. Seemingly I am the New Zealander that went AWOL. Small world Judo eh!? Have our group presentation sorted, just have to sort my individual section for Thursday. Am finding this evening quite lonely now, missing my twins! The course itself has settled and I am very pleased with the quality. It is a terrific opportunity for all of us. I keep feeling that the things I am picking up need Kiwi application. So many great things that we could apply and improve our lot. Ah well, had better get off to bed!
* Posted on: Mon, Apr 4 2005 10:55 PM
March 31, 2005
Day Four - Science is fab!
By LanceW
Lunchtime now so a quick update on how the morning went. Judo first thing with Neil Adams, not bad, but unclear what the learning outcomes were supposed to be. The second session was a lecture by Debbie Palmer on energy systems. Another good lecture, I love sports science. Shame that their research is not published yet, but will be at Cairo apparently. This afternoon, we continued work on the stats project. Working myself on identifying the NZ #1 -73kg fighter, really interesting especially when trying to factor in things that would affect the outcomes. Specifically, top players being out of NZ competing, and worse then not showing up on international results as they did not place. Also factors like is winning the South Island champs worth the same as the NZ champs or North Island champs. Friday looks good as we have Simon Hicks talking about fight notation methodology and video analysis.
* Posted on: Thu, Mar 31 2005 4:55 PM
March 30, 2005
Day three - Improving
By LanceW
Hi all, Pleased to say that the FDSc course is improving. Today we had an excellent lecture from Debbie Palmer on hydration and on weight loss. Confirming what we all know that the classic dehydration way of making weight is very bad in both the short and longterm for Judoka. The evidence she presented showed clearly the immediate performance degradation (with a quite typical Judoka weight loss through dehydration creating a near 20% decrease in performance in strength and cardiac output. Of course with every high there is a low. Oh crikey the library session hurt!! Bored to the painful level. Neil Adams took the Judo segment, which was interesting-ish. Judo-wise very much what we would expect roll over arm lock etc. But the plus was the personal perspectives which were refreshingly honest. Also his emphasis on skill being paramount for elite Judoka and movement and momentum being key in regard to actual tachi (and ne) waza. Finally, that dodgy Daniel Lascou hid my damn Pizza and worse attempted to interfere with my ingestion of a pint of much needed beer! :)
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 30 2005 9:36 PM
March 28, 2005
Day One Part 2
By LanceW
Well, the second Judo session with Tony McConnell was well okay. Abit much training and not enough teaching for me but kets let time be the judge. I know I am not the only person to share some reservations about todays sessions. Overall, so far the coaches have seemed to agree generally with what I have been saying on judocoach.com. Which is nice, sad in ways that it seems to be being presented as the latest thought in the Judo world. All in all a good opening day, the next few days will decide if it was worth attending I suppose. This evening was the typical Judo evening out. FANTASTIC! Such a diverse group of Judoka all out and having fun! So, the morning brings a Judo session with Roy Inman and Weights with zTony Mcconnell. Hmmm. Then later in the week sessions with Neil Adams and Kenzo Nakamura, should be good. Please emailme your thoughts.
* Posted on: Mon, Mar 28 2005 11:19 PM
Day One
By LanceW
Have now completed the first lecture and Judo session with Roy Inman. Very happy with the lecture, focussing on what elite level coaching is all about. That being to give support and structure to your player. Interesting review of Japanese methods. Judo session was interesting, mainly work on combinations and counters. So combination in the same or similar directions and those in opposite directions. Counters focussing, on those that are reaction based and those that are traps set for the opponent. All good stuff though less interesting as it is repetition of stuff you learn as a player. (Or should learn) All in all good stuff.
* Posted on: Mon, Mar 28 2005 2:29 PM
March 27, 2005
Arrived at Bath
By LanceW
Well, I have arrived and settled into the "Athletes Training Village" here at University of Bath. Not really done much more than get a room and card etc. But am hoping to catch up with some others and head out for a meal. Tommorow the course starts in earnest with four "Sports Performance" sessions with Roy Inman and Tony Macconnell. Am looking forward to it greatly!
* Posted on: Sun, Mar 27 2005 6:20 PM
March 22, 2005
Degree coaching course in Bath
By LanceW
Much to my suprise and joy, I have somehow earned a place on the three year coaching course at University of Bath in association with the European Judo Union!
This is an amazing opportunity for me, the calibre of teaching and fellow students is really impressive and I look forward to seeing if it lives up to my expectations. I do worry a little about the course as I have a deep down worry about the attitude towards coaching by a heck of a lot of people I see doing the job.
I have a 2 week residential block starting on the 28th of March, which is followed by "homework" assignments and another two weeks later in the year. With the same process happening over all three years.
I intend to Blog quite heavily about the course as
1) I think its interesting to the Judo community and
2) It will help me crystalise what I learn.
* Posted on: Tue, Mar 22 2005 10:50 AM
Buddy Buzz
By LanceW
BuddyBuzz.org hosts a wonderful bit of software for your Java enabled phone. I've been using it for a while now and found it really good.
BuddyBuzz is a great bit of software that displays text on your mobile really fast. So you can speed read basically. The rate starts at about 300 words per minute but you can speed it up or down to suit yourself.
There are some interesting articles there automatically, but better you can upload your own text and read that. Recently I read an article about a similar type of service in Japan where you can read books, well this is a great FREE way to do it yourself.
The project seems to be dead/slow/??? but the software is working and easy to use. It seems that hardly anyone is using it, so I thought I'd plug it here a bit. Give it a go!
* Posted on: Tue, Mar 22 2005 10:43 AM
March 16, 2005
iPod shuffle
By LanceW
Just to catch me out, my wife bought me a 1GB iPod shuffle!
So I guess I won't be keeping as many MP3s on my phone now!
The shuffle is tiny!!
So far, I am loving it!!
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 16 2005 2:50 PM
Nokia 9500 - Good first impression
By LanceW
I have recently purchased a Nokia 9500 communicator mobile phone and am really happy with it so far!
As with all new toys I have had a few problems and made a fewe messes but on the whole it has been one of my better purchases.
So what to say about this "beast".
First up, my situation. I have in the past used PDAs but was using a paper based system. I had a SE T610 mobile and an old Rio 300PMP MP3 player.
So the 9500 seemed a good way to do some convergence. I have always liked the idea of the communicator and the addition of 802.11b wireless really clinched it for me. So off I went and got one.
I have mine on Vodafone (although they come open for any network), as part of my goal is/was to get away from O2 who I can say are awful!!
So after initially getting the phone to collect my personal emails I also have it collect my work ones. It was all really simple and works over wifi or GPRS without any hassle.
After some good searching I also have the following apps installed:
AgileMessenger - Which allows me to have instant messaging anywhere!
AutoMail - Which solves the one negative about emails on the 9500. This app, downloads your emails every hour automatically.
BuddyBuzz - Which is a fab speed reading tool!
VNC - So I can see remote desktops
I tried to install Putty for the 9500 so I could SSH into machines, but couldn't get it to work.
There is less software/freeware available for the 9500 than I might like. The series 80 OS is less popular than Series 60, so their is less software.
The 9500 has a solid calender software which I am now happily using.
MP3s can be played, although the interface is a bit ugly and lacking in features. It works perfectly though.
You can also watch videos via Real Player (and some other althernatives) which is handy for Judo videos. My next project is to put some gokyo clips on it.
So... My phone, diary, contacts, emails, instant messages, Music & videos are all available to me anywhere now!
Well worth the effort!!
I shall blog more on this as I progress.
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 16 2005 2:48 PM
March 9, 2005
Fame Academy Addict!
By LanceW
Okay,
I've been keeping this quiet, but I have to come clean!
I am a Fame Academy Addict!!!!!!!!
Primarily because Adrian Edmondson is a comic genius, its all for a good cause so spend a bit a dosh of keeping him in there!!
Vote for him by calling 09011 211 206 OR text "VOTE ADRIAN" to 60077
(UK only)
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 9 2005 9:05 PM
March 7, 2005
1 week coaching programme.
By LanceW
When you get an assignment to coach a team for a week, leading up to a tournament, what can you do in that time?
What you can't do is teach them any new throws. In fact this is often the worst thing you can do as they might be foolish enough to try it in the competition!
You can't just "work them hard" as if they are sore, tired or worse yet injured you have made things worse!
So... what do you do?
Share some different perspectives on Judo, and assist them to develop a "game plan" for the competition. This will hopefully allow the players to teach themselves somethings about their own Judo and also focus them on the competition ahead, building their confidence and feeling of being prepared.
This sort of environment is not the place to be an "instructor" and try and teach the players new exciting techniques you know. You need to put your "coach" hat on and focus on trying to get the players to improve their way of fighting.
In my recent stint with the Royal Navy I shared several ideas and new perspectives all built around the idea of encouraging the players to adopt a simple plan/strategy for each (and every) fight.
The strategy is as follows:
* Bow
* Grip
* Move
* Attack1
* Attack2
* Ne-waza follow-up
It is a simple plan, which is applicable to the mix of levels in attendance. During the week we covered various movement patterns and throwing theories. But the backbone was the strategy above.
Although I demonstrated with primarily Taio, I was not actually ever teaching Taio or any other throw, grip or ne-waza technique. I was trying to expose the team to a variety of methods and styles which they then could adopt.
By adopting a approach of opening up new ideas, we were able to help the players to discover refinements to their existing techniques. These added to what they already had much practise at and hence were not dangerous new techniques they were not overly familiar with.
Ideally, the concepts would be introduced earlier and with more repetition over time. As we discussed during the week, the idea was to get the players to create their own unique sequence of techniques from Grip to Ne-waza. This technique would be second nature to them, so that with 30 seconds on the clock, in a state of exhaustion and possible concussion, they would excecute the strategy almost on auto-pilot.
Obviously over the course of one short week it is not possible to fully embed this idea. But you can plant the seeds whilst some refinements are made to existing technique.
Also, the work on a planned sequence and strategy builds confidence, which is an essential fuel to victory.
So... there you have it.
COmments are as always welcomed!
* Posted on: Mon, Mar 7 2005 2:01 PM
March 6, 2005
Royal Navy Judo
By LanceW
Well folks,
Back after a week at HMS Nelson with the Royal Navy Judo Team. A enjoyable rewarding week with a great bunch of people!
The inter-services competition was held on Saturday and although the Navy team didn't do as well as one might have hoped I was pleased that everyone gave it their all and performed really well!
The training itself focussed on development rather than trying to teach them stuff they already knew. Over the next week I shall write a couple of things on...
1) What we worked on and
2) The abismal referees at the competition!
Finally to the RN Team, many thanks, I really enjoyed getting to know you all and look forward to seeing you again. (Sorry I missed the social!)
Lance
* Posted on: Sun, Mar 6 2005 2:46 PM
Day Four - Science is fab!
By LanceW
Lunchtime now so a quick update on how the morning went. Judo first thing with Neil Adams, not bad, but unclear what the learning outcomes were supposed to be. The second session was a lecture by Debbie Palmer on energy systems. Another good lecture, I love sports science. Shame that their research is not published yet, but will be at Cairo apparently. This afternoon, we continued work on the stats project. Working myself on identifying the NZ #1 -73kg fighter, really interesting especially when trying to factor in things that would affect the outcomes. Specifically, top players being out of NZ competing, and worse then not showing up on international results as they did not place. Also factors like is winning the South Island champs worth the same as the NZ champs or North Island champs. Friday looks good as we have Simon Hicks talking about fight notation methodology and video analysis.
* Posted on: Thu, Mar 31 2005 4:55 PM
March 30, 2005
Day three - Improving
By LanceW
Hi all, Pleased to say that the FDSc course is improving. Today we had an excellent lecture from Debbie Palmer on hydration and on weight loss. Confirming what we all know that the classic dehydration way of making weight is very bad in both the short and longterm for Judoka. The evidence she presented showed clearly the immediate performance degradation (with a quite typical Judoka weight loss through dehydration creating a near 20% decrease in performance in strength and cardiac output. Of course with every high there is a low. Oh crikey the library session hurt!! Bored to the painful level. Neil Adams took the Judo segment, which was interesting-ish. Judo-wise very much what we would expect roll over arm lock etc. But the plus was the personal perspectives which were refreshingly honest. Also his emphasis on skill being paramount for elite Judoka and movement and momentum being key in regard to actual tachi (and ne) waza. Finally, that dodgy Daniel Lascou hid my damn Pizza and worse attempted to interfere with my ingestion of a pint of much needed beer! :)
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 30 2005 9:36 PM
March 28, 2005
Day One Part 2
By LanceW
Well, the second Judo session with Tony McConnell was well okay. Abit much training and not enough teaching for me but kets let time be the judge. I know I am not the only person to share some reservations about todays sessions. Overall, so far the coaches have seemed to agree generally with what I have been saying on judocoach.com. Which is nice, sad in ways that it seems to be being presented as the latest thought in the Judo world. All in all a good opening day, the next few days will decide if it was worth attending I suppose. This evening was the typical Judo evening out. FANTASTIC! Such a diverse group of Judoka all out and having fun! So, the morning brings a Judo session with Roy Inman and Weights with zTony Mcconnell. Hmmm. Then later in the week sessions with Neil Adams and Kenzo Nakamura, should be good. Please emailme your thoughts.
* Posted on: Mon, Mar 28 2005 11:19 PM
Day One
By LanceW
Have now completed the first lecture and Judo session with Roy Inman. Very happy with the lecture, focussing on what elite level coaching is all about. That being to give support and structure to your player. Interesting review of Japanese methods. Judo session was interesting, mainly work on combinations and counters. So combination in the same or similar directions and those in opposite directions. Counters focussing, on those that are reaction based and those that are traps set for the opponent. All good stuff though less interesting as it is repetition of stuff you learn as a player. (Or should learn) All in all good stuff.
* Posted on: Mon, Mar 28 2005 2:29 PM
March 27, 2005
Arrived at Bath
By LanceW
Well, I have arrived and settled into the "Athletes Training Village" here at University of Bath. Not really done much more than get a room and card etc. But am hoping to catch up with some others and head out for a meal. Tommorow the course starts in earnest with four "Sports Performance" sessions with Roy Inman and Tony Macconnell. Am looking forward to it greatly!
* Posted on: Sun, Mar 27 2005 6:20 PM
March 22, 2005
Degree coaching course in Bath
By LanceW
Much to my suprise and joy, I have somehow earned a place on the three year coaching course at University of Bath in association with the European Judo Union!
This is an amazing opportunity for me, the calibre of teaching and fellow students is really impressive and I look forward to seeing if it lives up to my expectations. I do worry a little about the course as I have a deep down worry about the attitude towards coaching by a heck of a lot of people I see doing the job.
I have a 2 week residential block starting on the 28th of March, which is followed by "homework" assignments and another two weeks later in the year. With the same process happening over all three years.
I intend to Blog quite heavily about the course as
1) I think its interesting to the Judo community and
2) It will help me crystalise what I learn.
* Posted on: Tue, Mar 22 2005 10:50 AM
Buddy Buzz
By LanceW
BuddyBuzz.org hosts a wonderful bit of software for your Java enabled phone. I've been using it for a while now and found it really good.
BuddyBuzz is a great bit of software that displays text on your mobile really fast. So you can speed read basically. The rate starts at about 300 words per minute but you can speed it up or down to suit yourself.
There are some interesting articles there automatically, but better you can upload your own text and read that. Recently I read an article about a similar type of service in Japan where you can read books, well this is a great FREE way to do it yourself.
The project seems to be dead/slow/??? but the software is working and easy to use. It seems that hardly anyone is using it, so I thought I'd plug it here a bit. Give it a go!
* Posted on: Tue, Mar 22 2005 10:43 AM
March 16, 2005
iPod shuffle
By LanceW
Just to catch me out, my wife bought me a 1GB iPod shuffle!
So I guess I won't be keeping as many MP3s on my phone now!
The shuffle is tiny!!
So far, I am loving it!!
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 16 2005 2:50 PM
Nokia 9500 - Good first impression
By LanceW
I have recently purchased a Nokia 9500 communicator mobile phone and am really happy with it so far!
As with all new toys I have had a few problems and made a fewe messes but on the whole it has been one of my better purchases.
So what to say about this "beast".
First up, my situation. I have in the past used PDAs but was using a paper based system. I had a SE T610 mobile and an old Rio 300PMP MP3 player.
So the 9500 seemed a good way to do some convergence. I have always liked the idea of the communicator and the addition of 802.11b wireless really clinched it for me. So off I went and got one.
I have mine on Vodafone (although they come open for any network), as part of my goal is/was to get away from O2 who I can say are awful!!
So after initially getting the phone to collect my personal emails I also have it collect my work ones. It was all really simple and works over wifi or GPRS without any hassle.
After some good searching I also have the following apps installed:
AgileMessenger - Which allows me to have instant messaging anywhere!
AutoMail - Which solves the one negative about emails on the 9500. This app, downloads your emails every hour automatically.
BuddyBuzz - Which is a fab speed reading tool!
VNC - So I can see remote desktops
I tried to install Putty for the 9500 so I could SSH into machines, but couldn't get it to work.
There is less software/freeware available for the 9500 than I might like. The series 80 OS is less popular than Series 60, so their is less software.
The 9500 has a solid calender software which I am now happily using.
MP3s can be played, although the interface is a bit ugly and lacking in features. It works perfectly though.
You can also watch videos via Real Player (and some other althernatives) which is handy for Judo videos. My next project is to put some gokyo clips on it.
So... My phone, diary, contacts, emails, instant messages, Music & videos are all available to me anywhere now!
Well worth the effort!!
I shall blog more on this as I progress.
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 16 2005 2:48 PM
March 9, 2005
Fame Academy Addict!
By LanceW
Okay,
I've been keeping this quiet, but I have to come clean!
I am a Fame Academy Addict!!!!!!!!
Primarily because Adrian Edmondson is a comic genius, its all for a good cause so spend a bit a dosh of keeping him in there!!
Vote for him by calling 09011 211 206 OR text "VOTE ADRIAN" to 60077
(UK only)
* Posted on: Wed, Mar 9 2005 9:05 PM
March 7, 2005
1 week coaching programme.
By LanceW
When you get an assignment to coach a team for a week, leading up to a tournament, what can you do in that time?
What you can't do is teach them any new throws. In fact this is often the worst thing you can do as they might be foolish enough to try it in the competition!
You can't just "work them hard" as if they are sore, tired or worse yet injured you have made things worse!
So... what do you do?
Share some different perspectives on Judo, and assist them to develop a "game plan" for the competition. This will hopefully allow the players to teach themselves somethings about their own Judo and also focus them on the competition ahead, building their confidence and feeling of being prepared.
This sort of environment is not the place to be an "instructor" and try and teach the players new exciting techniques you know. You need to put your "coach" hat on and focus on trying to get the players to improve their way of fighting.
In my recent stint with the Royal Navy I shared several ideas and new perspectives all built around the idea of encouraging the players to adopt a simple plan/strategy for each (and every) fight.
The strategy is as follows:
* Bow
* Grip
* Move
* Attack1
* Attack2
* Ne-waza follow-up
It is a simple plan, which is applicable to the mix of levels in attendance. During the week we covered various movement patterns and throwing theories. But the backbone was the strategy above.
Although I demonstrated with primarily Taio, I was not actually ever teaching Taio or any other throw, grip or ne-waza technique. I was trying to expose the team to a variety of methods and styles which they then could adopt.
By adopting a approach of opening up new ideas, we were able to help the players to discover refinements to their existing techniques. These added to what they already had much practise at and hence were not dangerous new techniques they were not overly familiar with.
Ideally, the concepts would be introduced earlier and with more repetition over time. As we discussed during the week, the idea was to get the players to create their own unique sequence of techniques from Grip to Ne-waza. This technique would be second nature to them, so that with 30 seconds on the clock, in a state of exhaustion and possible concussion, they would excecute the strategy almost on auto-pilot.
Obviously over the course of one short week it is not possible to fully embed this idea. But you can plant the seeds whilst some refinements are made to existing technique.
Also, the work on a planned sequence and strategy builds confidence, which is an essential fuel to victory.
So... there you have it.
COmments are as always welcomed!
* Posted on: Mon, Mar 7 2005 2:01 PM
March 6, 2005
Royal Navy Judo
By LanceW
Well folks,
Back after a week at HMS Nelson with the Royal Navy Judo Team. A enjoyable rewarding week with a great bunch of people!
The inter-services competition was held on Saturday and although the Navy team didn't do as well as one might have hoped I was pleased that everyone gave it their all and performed really well!
The training itself focussed on development rather than trying to teach them stuff they already knew. Over the next week I shall write a couple of things on...
1) What we worked on and
2) The abismal referees at the competition!
Finally to the RN Team, many thanks, I really enjoyed getting to know you all and look forward to seeing you again. (Sorry I missed the social!)
Lance
* Posted on: Sun, Mar 6 2005 2:46 PM
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