Text Book Tkatchev

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Valentin, perhaps you can answer this; what would be the differences between teaching a Tkatchev to a male gymnast and a female one? I know that with guys, the bulk of the challenge with the skill seems to be the tap, not the release itself. With girls however, a "Tkaktchev tap" would mean slamming their feet on the low bar.

I guess what I'm asking is: do you teach girls to tap a specific way into a Tkatchev the way you would with guys?

[Valentin]

Hi Geoffrey

My quick answer is no, not really. There is a slight difference on the UB in that you have 2 options.
1- to tap towards the low bar
2- to tap away from it.
However this only really would effect taller gymnasts.
The ideal tap for the Tkatchev should be just! short of under the bar. But otherwise the shapeing on the tap is virtually identical.
The male bar might help more then WAG bar but if it does it won't be a great deal, and this is obviously gymnast mass dependant.

So in short no, i personally would not teach anything different between the MAG and WAG taps. and I would have taller gymnast always tap away from the low bar.
The release part is something WAG gymnast probably should work more on, because they aren't as strong as guys, and the pulling of the bar on the release is a real ket component of the skill.

Hope that helps


Valentin

[blantonnick]

Come on Valentin you know those secrets are high guarded...i am sure the video will be of him turning around half way through the drill sequences and yelling in a Russian accent to 'Turn that video recorder off!' haha

[Valentin]

HI

HAHAHA... true true..
Funny thing is when i was in the states i wanted to apply for a job in the gym where he works, but saddly the possition was rather lame, and i could not afford to live in that area haha. So i guess i missed out on the opportunity to see those secrets first hand.

[blantonnick]

When I trained under Gogaladze's coach in the states we were introduced to all the 'secret' progressions of the flair to HS flair back down (Gogaladze) on FX. To be honest most of those new innovative skills were just taking basic skills like the flair to the maximum amplitude possible. But I wont lie there are some progressions that we used that I don't see many other coaches using when training the skill....the secret will stay locked

[Valentin]

Humm.. haha secret progressions. The beauty about that is that, it don't reallllly matter. Reason being that the trick to any progression if to brake the skill down, analyse it, create drills to train those steps, phases, whatevers, and combine. Not to mention that there isn't at least i have never come across a progression that does miracles. There are progressions that are better then others for sure
Correct me if i am wrong.

[blantonnick]

Valentin you are never wrong, which is why I enjoy your feedback! Certain progressions are not right or wrong............they are faster or slower to the final outcome!!!!

[Valentin]

Hi

HAHA come on now blantonnick i am like guessing 1/2 the time haha. But thank you.. i also enjoy reading your posts. Would you be interested to write for TheGymPress?

[Tuduri]

Valentin:

I love all these comments and information. I am learning a lot and enjoying myself in the process. The Chalk Bucket is great. I will try to film some drills in the future if I can do so without my daughter noticing it. She gets distracted and grouchy.

We are going to a Hopes clinic at Airborne Gymnastics on the 12-13 of April. There will also be a Hopes qualifying meet, I think. But I don't think my daughter will be ready by then. Definitely not the Tkatchev. But we have two other release moves we're working on that are more developed.

I try to spend a lot of time with my son's baseball, as well. And working, too. There aren't enough hours in the day.

Tuduri

[Valentin]

Tuduri you are so right, there just aren't enough hours in the day. However you seem to managing. I dont have kids myself but working with kids i can image what it would be like, and how draining it can be. However as i said awesome that you make the time.

WOW if you can film some stuff that be super. What are the other releases she is working on? Geinger? and...a bar change? haha

Good luck to your daughter for the upcoming meet, and hope she enjoys the camp. I have never been to a USA Gymnastics camp, so i dont know what its like, but from reading about them from others it sounds like a weekend or so of awesome awesome gymnastics time, and fun.