The Eight Steps

There are 8 steps to this program. These are laid out in no particular order of importance but are performed in a precise order.

Step 1 – Introduction to the concept of Martial Arts (Karate and Wushu) integration into tennis: Before learning of any subject can occur, the student has to be not only willing to look at new data, but has to, at least initially, suspend some previous conceptions about what they believe they know and don’t know about a subject. There is plenty of false data in existence surrounding athletics, training, and the ideal athlete. Our goal here isn’t to completely redefine the sport, but to get the student to see and understand current movement philosophy and how it has evolved with the sport, and how it has limited the sport. Then after learning about the foundation and deep tradition of Karate and Wushu, and how they relate to movement in Tennis, he will then be able to see the near limitless possibilities for evolution of his game and the sport.

Step 2 – Soft-tissue flexibility and strengthening: (Ligaments and Muscles) Like all sports, minimizing risk of injury is paramount to any successful program. With the movements we’ll be introducing, the body will be placed into ideal positions for the tasks required. But as most of these stances, accelerated movements, and recovery positions will be somewhat new to the players and their bodies, a rigorous flexibility/strength program will be instituted.

Step 3 – Directional orientation: Tennis is a multi-plane sport in both the method of play and the field of play. The players learn the court with dimension in mind and are instructed and drilled on the various directions- front, back, left, right, up, down, center, and the circle. Furthermore the student learns how these relate to the various angles of the court and which direction is responsible for maximum effect (speed, power, control, spin, etc) from all court positions, and all body orientations

Step 4 -Neuro-Muscular Re-education: This is where the actual movements begin to be integrated into the player. Positions and movements drawn from the Martial Arts and customized for Tennis application are gradiently taught, as the player is, to the actual application of theory he has learned. Each of the various positions introduced, movements, and recoveries are drilled over, and again. The player at this time begins to see and feel each motion as a complete cycle of action with its appropriate beginning, middle and end; known as start, change, stop.

Step 5 – Racquet, grip, position, and swing mechanics: Although high-level players already know how to hold a racquet, they will be re-oriented to the racquet through its analogous function as a weapon in the Martial Arts, the sword. The weapon being a natural extension of the player’s body and momentum will be explored. The use of the instrument as an offensive and defensive tool will be introduced.

Step 6 – Ball Striking: Notice that the actual hitting of the tennis ball is positioned here. Most instruction in Tennis begins here, when in fact, it nearly ends here. The various methods to control the ball and impart the desired result are explored and drilled.

Step 7 – Integration: At this stage the player/student will have a grasp, and a demonstrated facility of fundamentals of the program. Here is where the “Art” of the movements are refined and combined and the aesthetics are revealed and appreciated. What occurs here is instilling more of an awareness of how each piece of the game fits into the whole. The beauty of the movement and the aesthetic quality of the game manifest themselves once mastery of the form occurs. This result is not directly sought by the player; it is a natural evolution of the proper integration of the form.

Step 8 – Actual Play (battle): Here, tactics and strategy are developed within the framework of the game. This too, will flow naturally from the integration of the movements into real-time game scenarios as each position on the court has a finite number of options available to the player and the ideal choices will be obvious to the player who mastered the system.

The Circle, having no beginning or ending, regenerates itself. The success of step 8 with mastery of the program and demonstrated wins in battle will lead to dramatic increase in awareness and interest of the Program. First, of course, the public will see the dramatic style of play having such results in one player. Then the consistency of results in player who has mastered the Program will be obvious. At that point the public will already be into Step 1 of the program.

And thus the cycle repeats on a grander scale.

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