A quick guide to quick analysis of videos in a competition situation

First, a warning. Carefully consider whether it is worth doing quick video analyses. With an inexperienced or insecure coach, the analyzes may lead to the derailment of both his own and the coach's tactical thinking. It is more important to focus and prepare well for the match than to stare at videos and rewind things that are not necessarily relevant to the match. Remember that you cannot explain any jacket analysis to the athlete before the match, the message must be able to be summarized in three concrete action instructions, which the athlete believes he can and will be able to implement in the match. On the other hand, making analyzes can be practiced dry, and making them and communicating the results develops quickly. All you need to practice is a working internet connection and paper and pen.

In this article, I have outlined the use of video analysis in cadet and junior leagues. For adults, the situation is very different, because the logic of the G-ranking puts forward the world's top 20 athletes in the second round at the latest. In the case of these opponents, a quick analysis does not produce sufficient results, but a deeper analysis of the peaks and special features of the weight class should take place in the longer term already at home, so that it can be used already in training and its planning.

The situation is certainly familiar to all coaches who have toured the G-Games. Lists arrive at midnight and the opponents of the opening rounds are a bunch of unknown names. The wake-up call is before seven and the selection situation is difficult; should I go to sleep or start looking at opponents' videos on the internet. The most important and best advice in this article is this: go to sleep. When you are well rested, you are able to help the athletes the best.

Time is good in the morning. There is weighing, athlete dressing and everything else that is part of the race morning. Use idle moments to your advantage. Go through the opponents from taekwondo data, google search and then videos from youtube. Try to create a picture of the opponent's experience background, the conclusions serve as the basis for the analysis.

First judge the opponent by his general appearance. What is the basic tactic, what situations do you aim for and what is the uncomfortable area. Use your own tactical framework, which you know how to formulate in a way that your opponent can understand. Next, I will present my model that fits my own understanding of the match, which you can use as a starting point in your own work.

Choose the most suitable or at most two of the available clips. Try to find as much new material as possible. If the opponent's resistance in one of the videos matches your opponent's type, use it. Cut out matches where the opponent is a top-5-10 opponent in the world. In these, the underdog has often built a match-specific tactic with which he tries to win and the match does not describe his own match style.

I first examine the athlete's anthropometry and physical characteristics. I will start from here to think about the distances and the basic rhythm of the match. Usually, the match is played at four basic distances, which I call short (approx. 40 cm-clinch), half distance (approx. 40 cm-meter), basic distance (approx. meter between the front legs) and long distance (basic distance + approx. 30 cm). Depending on the weight classes, of course, centimeters are added or subtracted to the distances.

Then I go through the distance at which the opponent is good, i.e. scores points and defends best. And most importantly, how does the opponent get to the distances they want. Up until now, movement has therefore been analysed. This is the most important and often the most fruitful phase, because it is often easiest to find opportunities in the movement.

Next, I will go through the situational solutions, which foot to use, which technique and how to conclude the situation. In addition, it is important whether the contestant scores a point or points or not. You have to know how to distinguish constructive techniques and solution techniques and understand their combinations.

Finally, I make a walkthrough for the defenses. Where are the mistakes, why does the athlete lose points. It is important to watch the whole match. If the opponent is, for example, sensitive to taking warnings in some situation, you have to be able to take advantage of that.

One aspect that comes up from time to time, sometimes not, is the internal rhythm of the match. Some contestants are capable of rhythm changes, some are not. A cautious or aggressive start is important for some, while some are able to turn situations and matches around in the last set. You have to be able to communicate the rhythm to your coachee in one sentence.

The general guideline is to look for repetitions and find opportunities in them. Sometimes it works better, sometimes worse. It is important not to give too much weight to video analysis. It is a good aid, but the tactics must be built on the strengths of the opponent, and by no means based on the events of a single or a few videos.