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Andrey Kotov about the Russian Pointfighting
April 27th, 2010 by AndreyKotov received 1 Comment »
In this article I would like to say a few words about semi-contact in Russia in general and to introduce the blog users with the present situation in this division in our country. Now pointfighting is extensively developing in Russian Federation and is quite popular among kickboxers.
Speaking of combative divisions in kickboxing that are being cultivated in Russia many people would justly notice that Russians are traditionally strong in the ring and usually associate Russian kickboxing with the names of our ring-champions. This may be determined by the fact that in our country there has always been the famous old-school boxing system and many of our stars in a kickboxing ring are students of the coaches of that Soviet system. Russians were almost obscure in other divisions. But taking into consideration semi-contact, it is interesting to observe that on the basis of a combative karate style this very division gave birth to the developing of kickboxing in the USSR in far 1990. But almost at once the priorities in divisions were shifted to ring events when boxing specialists came to kickboxing.
The second birth of semi-contact happened not long time ago. As recently there appeared a man named I. Yurov who didn’t come to be indifferent to destiny of Russian kickboxing and to the thing that notwithstanding very good results in the ring and in light-contact, semi-contact being the most interesting and grassroots division was at a very low level in Russia. And his idea was to catch up and to support this lagging division as it is really safe, the least harmful, free-for-all in the context of age, sex, physical grade and a rather spectacular one. Today we are at a primary stage of implementation of this idea but semi-contact has already begun to be developed on the territory of Russia: new clubs have appeared; new sections and departments have been opened in region federations as a new division has risen. It was found out that Russians are familiar with this challenge, drive, explosion that is peculiar to pointfighting all over the world. I am looking forward that soon our sportsmen will be recognized at the international arena.
However it is not a secret that many Russian pointfighters of today as well as the members of the national team – are sportsmen fought in the past and often fight now in light-contact, full-contact or are representatives of Eastern martial arts. I can’t deny that all their accumulated knowledge and experience – is very valuable equipment. But being a national semi-contact team coach I can not but to confess the fact that it is rather difficult to reeducate such fighters, rebuild their psychology of fight leading that differs in semi-contact from other events in kickboxing, bring them to the highest level of skill especially it concerns adult sportsmen. Therefore our main tasks are to attract children to go in for semi-contact including popularization of pointfighting not only among kids but also among older guys and girls emphasizing in only semi-contact involvement. Also we plan to obtain more funds including sponsorship and support of not only All-Russia but of a club scale, to create a powerful coach line-up and own judges staff extensively involving young specialists to this matter.
If to speak about kickboxing geography of Russia still it is pleasant to mention the fact that Russian national junior and adult semi-contact teams are represented by the best sportsmen from different places of our vast country, from such cities as Surgut, Omsk, Nizhniy Tagil, Ulianovsk, Belgorod, Moscow, Novorossiysk that are so far from each other. On my opinion this fact unifies the teams, lifts the team spirit in one’s own way.
And speaking of the future plans and of sensations I would like to say that our semi-contact is making progress, we are ambitious, optimistic and those several but successful performances of our fighters at the international level let us have a theory that they are not occasional and that we are taking the right path. I am looking forward that very soon we will be spoken of like of one of the best representatives of pointfighting at the world level.
Andrey Kotov
Head Coach of Russian National Kickboxing Semi-contact Team
Tags: Andrey Kotov, Russia, traditions, training
Posted under: Pointfighting Worldwide, Posts by Andrey Kotov
The very good article is Andrey. I do not know that impelled you, but only due to you,semi-contact in Russia exists not only as a disciplines of kickboxing, but as sport today. You have many envious persons, but you on a correct way. Successes to you!!!