I know what you are thinking -- What in the world does figure skating have to do with Martial Arts? How could Martial Arts training benefit a figure skater? Well how about the muscle explosion required to execute a triple jump? How about the muscle awareness and the control of power necessary for learning excellent jumping technique? How about fluid circular motion found both in Kung fu and in Ice skating? How about the balance necessary to execute moves that exploit edge control? How about the focus and self-confidence necessary to be in the right frame of mind during a competition? Traditional martial arts training can have a serious positive impact on all of these areas and more. But what if a skater doesn't have the time to devote for training of a martial art in the traditional manner?

For the last twelve years Glen Doyle, a 3-time Canadian Kung fu champion, has been helping to bridge this gap by developing and refining via World Champion Elvis Stojko, a set of Kung Fu based moves and techniques directly related to the movement and attributes of ice skating. Glen's unique cross-training program comprises a highly effective, streamlined, powerful cross-training technique that can have an immediate impact on the skater's competitive performance. This streamlined approach allows the skater to reap many of the benefits of martial arts without going through years of classical martial arts training. (Oh and don't worry; the skaters won't be breaking boards with their bare hands nor sparring on the ice with their fellow skaters.)

© Photo by Kimberley Stickel

History

© Photo by Kimberley Stickel Glen Doyle and Elvis Stojko

Elvis Stojko began studying the martial art of karate when he was eight years old. However, by 1988 he realized that the short linear movement of karate clashed with the fluid circular movement of figure skating. Elvis wanted to study a martial art that would enhance his overall figure skating performance and he found what he was looking for when his brother introduced him to Glen Doyle, a Kung fu martial artist. Kung Fu, is characterized by fluid circular movement similar to that found in skating. Because Elvis was particularly interested in the aspects of Kung fu that were related to figure skating, Glen did not start teaching Elvis classical Kung fu in the traditional manner. Instead he began teaching Kung fu techniques that would not only enhance Elvis' technical skating abilities but also improve his focus and mental fortitude needed in the competitive figure skating realm. Glen has been Elvis' Kung fu teacher for over a decade. During this time they realized that the martial arts, specifically Kung fu, is an excellent cross-training vehicle for the sport of figure skating. Using Elvis as the "filter", Glen's cross-training program was developed and refined. It is a hybrid of Kung fu based moves and general exercises designed to enhance the physical as well as the mental skills necessary to be successful in the sport of figure skating. All of the exercises and techniques that make up the cross-training program have been tested and are used by Elvis.

Cross-Training Benefits

Glen likes to compare cross-training to chewing gum. Just as a stick of gum gets stale after chewing on it for awhile, your body gets "stale", i.e. plateaus, when it executes the same movements from your chosen sport over and over. And just as inserting a new stick of gum into your mouth excites all of your taste buds, cross-training introduces your body to a new set of movements and motions which challenge the body and the mind to something new, opening up new muscle sensory pathways. This in turn will allow you to reach new levels in your primary sport.

Just as some sticks of gum are better than others, some forms of cross-training are better than others for the sport of figure skating. The martial arts in general are an excellent cross training tool for all sports because they embody not only all of the external or physical aspects of sport (power, balance, coordination, muscle explosion, lateral and circular motion, and endurance) but they also incorporate the internal or mental aspects of sport (focus, confidence, competitive mind set, spatial awareness, and muscle awareness). The martial arts treats both of these aspects -- physical and mental -- simultaneously so that everything works together rather than separately.

Note, however, that not all martial arts techniques are directly beneficial for a given sport. Ideally one would want to create a cross-training program for a particular sport by analyzing the movement and characteristics of that sport and by picking out the martial art movements that are similar or relevant to that sport. Using his keen ability to dissect and analyze movement and motion in all sports, his background as a personal trainer, and his martial arts expertise, Glen has done this for figure-skating as well as for other sports. Glen's particular martial art style, Kung fu, shares a lot of common ground with figure skating. Kung fu is based on circular movements marked with moves requiring powerful muscle explosion, coordination, focus and muscle awareness. Sound familiar? Figure skating is also based on circular moves. Jumps require powerful muscle explosion and the focus and muscle awareness necessary to execute them correctly in the competitive arena.

Glen's one-of-a-kind cross-training program for figure skaters takes the skaters out of their skating mind set and puts them into a different realm giving them a different way of looking at their skating. He purposely doesn't give detailed explanations of exactly what each move is for and how it will help their skating. He finds that it is much more effective to let them "discover" it on their own. Many of the moves look more like Kung fu than figure skating. Yet the motion and muscle firing sequences are similar to those found in skating. This familiarity gives the skater's body a common base to work from while at the same time challenging the body and mind by introducing variations on the movement which in turn will lead to a new level of skating. Since each cross-training move is targeted for some aspect of figure skating it makes Glen's cross-training program one of the best "sticks of gum" for the competitive skater.

The Program

The cross-training program consists of exercises in two main areas.

• The external or physical conditioning categories include those that help improve the skater's technical abilities -- muscle endurance, muscle explosion, dexterity, balance, jumping technique, and softening Kung fu.

• The internal or mental conditioning categories include those that help improve the skater's mental toughness -- focus, breathing, energy awareness, spatial awareness, and body awareness.

"Fitness, Focus, Finesse" ~~ Glen Doyle ~~

It is difficult to describe the atmosphere in one of Glen's classes with words and pictures on a web site. Glen's personality adds a whole new dimension to his cross-training method. He has an energetic personality that ignites the energy of all of the students as he roams non-stop around the classroom making jokes and disseminating technique, giving every student individualized attention. The training is hard work yet Glen's unique teaching style makes the students forget how hard they are working. At the end of the session the skaters have worked hard, learned a lot and had fun doing it.

© Photo by Kimberley Stickel

Each category is explained on a separate page below. Each page includes:

• A brief definition
  
• Why it is important to figure skating
  
• How the martial arts can help hone the given skill
  
• A general description including photos of a few of the cross-training exercises in the category.
  
• Exercises are demonstrated by Elvis Stojko, Dan Hollander, Oleg Fedukov, Debbie Koegel and other skaters along with Glen Doyle.

The exercises that are described on the pages that follow are just a sampling of Glen's cross-training program and are not meant to be detailed "how-to" descriptions. Obviously what he covers in a two or three day seminar will be different than what is covered in a regular class that meets a few times a week.

Physical Conditioning Muscle Endurance Muscle Explosion Dexterity Balance Jumping Technique Softening Kung fu

Mental Conditioning   Focus Breathing Energy Awareness Spatial Awareness