Coaching Seminar - Hertfordshire University

Each year I am invited to undertake a coaching session at Hertfordshire University by my old lecturer and coaching mentor David Turner - (Principle lecturer in sports science coaching). These seminars are different to thet norm' as I am there to for my coaching style/s to be analysed by first, second and third year students in scheduled breaks during and after each session. It's good to get feedback on the coaching techniques used and their effectiveness. What is always of particular importance is mapping coaching theory into the practical. Above I'm seen here coaching the larger of the groups with the traditional autocratic coaching style familiar to most karate-ka.

The vast majority of the participnants were first times but I still had to show the basic rudiments of coaching an activity session. Health & Safety requirements, verbal PARQ, dynamic warm up, progression and both programmed and external stimuli agility based drills. In addition good demonstrations, explanations, feedback and encouraged mixed in at appropriate times.

Willie Thomas' coaching mentor David Turner MSc,
Principle Lecturer Herts University

My special thanks goes out to my son Jordan, Carla Burkitt and Jovan for their kind assistance throughout. I hope they gained from the experience too.



Thanks again David

Willie Thomas Course with BWKU - Andy Genery

BWKU - Doncastor with 2 x World Champion Willie Thomas 6th Dan

Willie Thomas visits Doncastor for a senior grade seminar. Two one-half hour sessions with the first being a technical session with a combination of competition techniques and street adaptations based on the same principle movements. As usual Andy's group work extreemly hard and have a godd work ethic.

Andy Genery stops opponent rushing in with counter yoko-geri drill

The youngsters were full-on too showing excellent spirit throughout the session.

We finished off with a Karate specific circuit that left everybody hanging out incorporating core stability excercises. This drill lasts for one minute with one participant on all fours standing strong and his partner pushing and pulling in all directions. It's a lot harder than it looks, and more so within a circuit that has you gasping for breath!!!!

Good session!!

Willie Thomas Course with Tony Grey

Willie Thomas 2 x World Champion 'goes over the top'!!

Novemer 2009

The aim of the session was to reinforce the importantance of footwork and role it plays attacking, counter-attacking and evasive manouvres. This objective was achieved through a series of programmed foot patterns combined with the techniques that are common to all karate-ka. Fundementally, your stance and movement is the one thing that keeps your 'butt' off the ground.


The emphasis was not just movement, but to produce a movement that leaves you in an advantageous postion over your opponent. Starting off with some generic lateral movement drills and gently progressed to more specific opposed drills in match play scenarios.

Everybody worked hard with all feeling hte pinch on the final two-against-one scenario.

Willie Thomas explains the 'Slip'




All in all a very enjoyable session with both participants and viewing coaching leaving with something.

Well done guys