Coaching Course & Thau (Forms) Workshop
Sunday 28th June 2009

by Master Tina Matania (4th Duan)

On Sunday 28th June 2009, 1st Ji red belts (adults and some children), together with Duan Grades (1st to 3rd Duan) and Masters met at National Headquarters, Grays, Essex, UK to attend Grandmaster Loke's Instructors Coaching Course which was followed by a Thau (Form Workshop).

Practicing the advanced kicking form: front thrust kick (cher chuai ti)

The Instructors Course

The Instructors Course started at 2:30pm and lasted for two hours. It was designed specifically for Instructors to update their coaching skills/requirements and also for those who are interested in being Assistant Instructors with a view to running a class on their own in the future.

Grandmaster Loke going through the Instructors Manual
with those present

A revised 2009 Instructors Manual was handed out to those in attendance. Grandmaster Loke went through sections of the manual with the group, highlighting particular areas of interest and inviting some discussion and debate.

The course covered legal requirements, coaching guidelines, how to administrate a club, teaching adults, teaching children, safety, risk assessment, child protection and many other areas of competence.

After a break for tea and biscuits (or for the more health conscious among us tea and apples or bananas!) the Thau (forms) workshop began.

Thau (Forms) Woekshop

Grandmaster Loke held this workshop in order to help standardise, improve and cover the finer points of the Pinan Forms, Duan Kicking Form (all Duan grades) and the Luohan Forms.

As there were so many students in attendance Grandmaster Loke split them into two groups for forms practice.

The forms requirements for the different grades present were as follows:

The advanced kicking form was also practiced by those present. This form was created and introduced by Grandmaster Loke and involves speed and power kicking, slow kicking, full power held out thrust kicks and ground kicks. It combines overall testing of endurance, balance, power, speed, agility and flexibility. It also requires muscle tone, technical maturity and a demonstration of a clear understanding of the delivery of each kicking technique.

Below are some photographs that were taken on the day.

Thank you to those on 'camera duty' in addition to myself (so we could take turns to train and take photographs!) including Panayotis Evagorou, Billy Lee and Mrs Loke.

Warming up (nuan sern)

Stretching

Pinan form 2: focus on the break with open hand followed by the forearm strike

Pinan form 2: fifth move

and middle knife hand block (chorng duan tau sou tang)

Paul Coomber (Horsham) front thrust kick

and twist for the 'throw' from Pinan form 4

The class in unison, 3rd movement from Pinan form 2

and first movement from Pinan form 4

Andrew Mangion (Hornchurch)

John Gaines (Wadhurst) with Grandmaster Loke.

Nick Evagorou (3rd Duan), Croydon Instructor (Bronze Medalist Beijing Olympics 2008)

Knee kick (chean chi kai ti) thrust foward

Grandmaster Loke demonstrates with Craig Dawson (Hornchurch) the block and thrust upwards and forwards from Luohan form 1

Young students follow the sequence of the advanced kicking form: roundhouse kick (chuan ti) with momentary hold

Back thrust kick (hou chuai ti) from the floor position

Penultimate move in the advanced kicking form: mirror hand block (karn ching sou tang). The mirror hand block (facing forward) is also the first movement in Louhan form 2. Note the angle of the second covering hand so both form a continuous angle from the body shooting upwards

Last move of the advanced kicking form: side thrust kick (cher chuai ti) before the pull up and finish

Young duan grade holding the side thrust kick

Preparing to kick forward

Masters Stephanie Debenham (Grays) and Tina Matania (Epsom) performing the roundhouse ground sweep kick (chuan sao ti)

Toes must point down for the ground position back thrust kick. Hands are positioned in front and the supporting leg ball of the foot must be on the floor

Advanced Kicking Form
L to R: Nick Evagorou, Paul Coomber, Master Stephanie Debehnam,
Master Siew Ying Loke and Master Tina Matania

Kris Knight (Grays), open hands and horse striding stance (ping ma bu) from the advanced kicking form

Watching intently

Turn to face front, ready for the spinning back kick (hou chuan ti)
from the advanced kicking form

Master Underwood (Grays) and Clifford Bird (Haywards Heath), spring forward into backfist with cover from Pinan form 4

Louhan form 1, movement 7 block with uppercut punch

Grandmaster Loke shows the class the 2nd movement half position cover in Louhan form 3 prior to moving forward for the middle punch (chorng duan chuen chee)

Louhann form 3, 3rd movement jump off the right/front foot lifting the left/back foot in the air to perform jumping outside to inside crescent kick on right (thiau wai kou ti)

Master Siew Ying Loke: Louhan form 3, half movement ready to step forward into foward stance (chean ma bu) left side and perform double punch right hand on top. Both hands should be in line when the double punch finishes

Then turn to perform low knife hand block (sia duan tau sou tang). Note the covering hand slightly away from the body (palm facing up) with elbow out and the blocking arm slightly bent at the elbow. The bridge of both hands held rigid but keeping flexibility and fluidity of movement. Take care not to store tension in the shoulder muscles

Louhan form 3: Pang sou tang (wing arm block) is followed by the strike illustrated above. Note how the elbow drops with the covering hand in line and the striking arm is 'snaked' at an angle like the neck of a swan

Grandmaster Loke showing the hand position for the pull back (as if pulling back/down the opponent's arm) prior to the simultaneous kick and eye strike in Louhan form 3. Note the leading hand is above and forward from the lower hand - palm turns slightly outwards

Andrew Mangion and Craig Dawson performing Louhan form 3:
simultaneous front thrust kick (chean chuai ti) with strike with fingers.
Speed and accuracy with control is essential

Grandmaster Loke watching as Master Ronketti (right of picture) performs the
advanced kicking form with the class

Grandmaster Loke positions the elbow of Russell Jones (Haywards Heath) at the end of Louhan form 3. The right hand elbow strike down (with cover) is the ultimate movement and the elbow is positioned right of centre of the body

Nick Evagorou, Tina Underwood and Tony Sellen: last movement of Louhan form 4 - a considered movement on the out breath

Further training sessions in 2009 to be held at National Headquarters, Grays, Essex will consist of
Championship Rules training on:

Sunday 13th September 2009: 2:30 - 5:30pm
Sunday 11th October 2009: 2:30 - 5:30pm

National Championships will be held on

Saturday 14th November 2009 8:30am - 6:00pm at Clements Hall Leisure Centre, Hawkwell, Hockley, Essex SS5 4LN

TANG SOU!

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