 I’d been anticipating this event for weeks as this was Mr Vice’s first official seminar and although I get to train with him most weeks; this was the first time he was to be taking a session where he was passing on his considerable knowledge and experience of competition sparring. This remarkable young man of only 23 has won to date: 5 world titles, the TABG grand slam 9 times, countless European titles and has been awarded the TAGB international fighter of the year at least twice. Never once in a competition have I seen Warren lose a round; yet he wins in a modest and sportsman like way, there’s no posturing or celebrity behaviour here, he just simply gets on with the job and wins. Always. This is why I was looking forward to listening to what advice he had to pass on, it would be practical and relevant but most of all tried and tested.
Even at eleven in the morning, it was blisteringly hot and by the time the approximately seventy attendees had lined up, I was already pouring with sweat. After a brief introduction and warm up, we launched straight into a very practical session where a method or technique was demonstrated followed by lots of practice. This session was aimed at both black and colour belts, there were no limits on who was eligible to attend and where yellow belts were as valued as the fourth or fifth dan grades. The emphasis of the seminar was to out-manoeuvre and score against your opponent. There was nothing that was too difficult or unmanageable, the stress was put on teaching and not impressing; nor was anything superfluous to requirement.
Winning Techniques
The techniques Warren demonstrated were direct and straightforward, firstly emphasising the importance of an effective shuffling side kick and then moving onto dodges, blocks and counter-moves. These methods were pared down and pragmatic, the real scoring techniques Warren highlights are basic and do not display any bells or whistles, a counter reverse side kick that is jabbed out quickly and scores two points to the stomach may not look pretty but is much better than anything airborne or fancy that would probably end up with you red faced and on your backside.
The moves I found most useful (and which I’ll remember, there was a lot to take in!) were the dummy kicks thrown out to fool your opponent and jabbing out your side kick when someone is running towards you. The section on punching was also interesting with the idea of pouncing in and out quickly to score to the head and body rather than continuing to lamp your opponent while the corner judges lose interest. Having this method explained was helpful as one can’t see Warren do this in competition properly as he is too damn fast! The spinning techniques that Warren is most well known for with his head near the ground and his foot hitting the target, seemingly of its own accord, were not touched upon until the end but again, speed and effectiveness were highlighted with the technique only being used for scoring, not impressing.
Competition Psychology
The aspect I found most fascinating was that of competition psychology. Nerves were the main issue that people were most concerned about and much to our surprise we discovered that, sometimes, Warren gets nervous! However, it is how you deal with those nerves that is important and one of the methods Warren offered was to watch the matches that are going on prior to yours and study the other fighters’ form. Pacing up and down looking worried is only handing over victory to the opposition as you are showing them your fear but studying their technique and looking for their weaknesses will give you something to think about and added confidence when you enter the ring as you will have armed yourself with a game plan.
Whilst watching Warren fight you are probably not aware of the fact that the thinking doesn’t finish when he enters the competition area. All the while during his fight he is sussing out his opponent and searching for that micro-gap where he can score and of course, directing you to where he wants you to be in the ring. Previously in class, we were told of how sports people at the very top of their game have one thing in common psychologically, that they all knew they were the best, not in an immodest or arrogant way but merely as a fact and that applies to Warren as well. For example, although he is normally in the middle weight division he chose to fight in heavy weight for the 2005 British Championships and won. How did he do this, even if the men were nearly twice his size? My guess is, apart from perhaps adapting his game plan, was he just knew he was going to win and that is one of the lessons I think everyone can learn in Taekwondo. Change your mental approach to your competition and you might be surprised at the results.
Personal Approach
Overall, Warren had a very personal and personable approach and he ensured that he was approachable and willing to help. He gave attention to everyone in the room and you got the feeling that he genuinely wanted to help you to improve your sparring rather than use the session as a tool to self-promotion. In fact it took someone else in the room to point out how many titles he has won, Warren was just interested in starting the session and getting on with the job. The teaching was pitched at exactly the right level and he demonstrated every move, sometimes repeating it to ensure understanding. The entrance fee was a very modest sum and unlike some martial artists I can think of (who don’t do Taekwondo) who charge a small fortune for their time; Warren’s motivations were that he genuinely wanted to pass on his considerable knowledge onto others. That is the sign of a true champion and future master in his art.
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