Showing posts with label warm-up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label warm-up. Show all posts
The Scherma Italiana Way - Technology Applied
The Tailored Approach In-Action — The Scherma Italiana Way
As previously mentioned, per discussed with Coach Aspromonte, just like other cities we previously organized camps, there are of quite a room for improvement in terms of fencing culture, methodology, approach and mentality of fencers and parents.
Applied Technology to Training
In Scherma Italiana, technology is one of the major areas on overall adaptation. It is not about fancy machines and gimmick features in the club, nor expecting fencers to invest in unnecessary apps/equipments.
It is about applying sufficient, existing technology on attendance tracking, training hour tracking, scoring equipment, supports on regular activities within the club. By applying the technologies regularly to fencers, we are able to ensure our training are conducted in the result-oriented, cost-effective and time-efficient ways.
Virtual Warm-Up Coaching
For example, instead of leading fencers to warm-up by the coach in very limited timeframe, maybe less than 20 mins. It is surely not enough for serious athlete. Yet due to the fact that fencers are paying for more advanced training, not warm-up, there has been comments on whether warm-up should be reduced or excluded in the session.
We have discussed seriously about this issue since we heard this comment from the parents. We see there is a way to accommodate both sides.
Fencers should come to the club at least 30 minutes before the session starts. That is, if his session is 4pm, he should come before 3:30pm. We will allow the fencers to get warmed up virtually leading by our pre-recorded warm-up sessions by Coach Aspromonte.
We will upload the warm-up videos on youtube, our fencers will have accesses to those videos. We will announce which warm-up video is appropriate for today’s training and let the fencers to play those on our devices or theirs in the free wi-fi venue.
So before the training session, they will have a free, coached warm-up with Coach Aspromonte. It is suitable for fencers who have been fencing for more than 1 year.
Although it seems a common-sense on watching videos to do exercises these days, none of the fencing clubs in Hong Kong has applied this to the training. We were in Moscow last December and they have been doing this for years — although it is mainly for Cadet and Junior fencers (about 13-17 years old).
Of course, technology is more than just playing videos. With Scherma Italiana, more technologies will be applied to the training to ensure that our fencers can benefit from those convenient, low-cost and effective way of fencing to cope with more challenges on this sport.
How about the next point, limited venue? Please click here for next topic.
Scherma Italiana - New Way of Fencing Training
applied technology,
coach aspromonte,
coach-driven,
italiano scherma,
kungfu,
scratching,
skill exchange,
valerio aspromonte,
warm-up,
wushu
Scherma Italiana - The Ultimate Italian Fencing Training Bring to Your Doorstep!
Fencing as a sports has been evolving more than 150 years. There are always masters throughout the development of fencing history from different parts of the world, mainly among European countries.
And there are different styles of coaching approaches and specific techniques some masters are identified to be good at.
Obviously there is no right or wrong on style -- the best suit yours is the best, on clothing, food and fencing!
Per discussed with Coach Valerio Aspromonte, there are various ways of conducting the fencing class and coaching approaches that he would like to introduce to the States and Asia.
Fencing is always a combat sports, and applied technology might help a bit but not all. Yet technology must be applied to the fencing training or it is no longer a sports for the modern world.
During his stay in Hong Kong, Coach Aspromonte also observed that venue is very limited in Asia, specifically for Hong Kong and Japan, and it is of no luxury to have a spacious training arena open long hours. Costs will eventually be transferred to the fencers, not the venue owner.
He also noticed that fencers in Hong Kong, probably apply to all Asian cities, are very busy everyday. Most students do not have long vacations, probably only during X'mas, CNY holidays and summers. And homework and schoolwork is very heavy for children since kindergarten. Jobs in Hong Kong is also very demanding and discourage adult fencers to fence after work.
He realized that the fencing clubs in Hong Kong are very coach-driven. It might come from the ancient way of kungfu or wushu way of teaching. Apprentices must obey to their Masters, no matter what and regardless it is right or wrong. The Coach chooses the weapon to their fencers, suggests changing weapons, changing classes and assigning coaches for private lessons to their fencers. Fencers' preferences and wills are always not the determinant factor.
Lack of warm-up and relax concept has also been a big problem with the young fencers, as Coach Aspromonte observed. Fencers prefer no warm-up and finish their practice with no scratching muscles. In Italy and Russia and other countries, it is a must to have those before and after the practice, usually at least 30 minutes. Of course, fencers and parents might see waste of time to do warm-up during the lessons as lessons are usually 2-hour and it does not make sense to spend one hour to warming up and scratching.
Coach Aspromonte also heard from the fencers that they usually practice within their clubs, without visiting other clubs -- or it leads to a suspicion of 'betraying' the own club. With limited skill exchange and fencing with other fencers, fencers cannot upskill their existing techniques and could perform in inferior position during tournaments.
Other than no fencing with other clubs, the fencers are also observed that they do not fence enough with different age/level fencers -- younger and older, new and experienced. It is probably due to the fact that their coaches assign with whom the fencers would fence and in what age/level class they should join to practice etc. With that said, fencers only play with similar age fencers and practice with the same few fencers in most of the time.
From the above observations, Coach Aspromonte has come up with the tailored approach for the Asian fencers, by blending with the Italian way and factoring the specific conditions happening in Asian cities.
It is not easy to transition with a change from the existing regime. Coach Aspromonte is working hard on putting together this approach for us!
Please stay tuned for the new way of learning fencing here in Hong Kong!
