Sharpening the Tactical Athlete - Armed Forces Development Programs

When dedicating years to achieve a world class performance, that is many times measured in a fraction of second, one only begins to grasp the importance of diet, strength, speed, technical, and mental training, broken down in detail, every second, of every minute of every hour, 24/7/365.... there is no room for complacency.

• Sharpening the Tactical Athlete: Sport Medicine & Science Institute.
• JudoSport International: Mixed Martial Arts.

Sharpening the Tactical Athlete

The SOF community recognized that before engaging in these practical applications, a subconscious, basic understanding and integration of foundational, functional movement patterns was necessary for the SOF soldier to accomplish high level functional skills.?Most SOF Soldiers have a general idea of how to train for strength, agility, power and endurance; however, knowing how to maintain?proper, natural anatomical alignment through difficult movement patterns is where most SOF Soldiers falter or fail.?Every group has randomly distributed individuals with natural ability who were able to see, understand and conduct movement easily; however, enabling Soldiers to master fundamental movement is an extreme challenge for a human performance staff due to Soldiers' limited understanding or knowledge of biomechanics and other motion science related fields.?

Limited time available in packed training schedules also contributes to this recipe for human performance disaster.?Gray Cook, in his book entitled "Athletic Body in Balance," referred to this issue as the Functional Paradigm (Cook, 2003).?Many SOF warriors required to complete sometimes highly complex tasks have not mastered functional movements before moving to functional performance or higher level skill tasks.?Like amateur or professional athletes, being a "Tactical Athlete" has it's own set of specific physical and mental requirements; however, at the core of any successful athletic endeavor is a basic understanding of movement.?Building functional movement is the same as constructing a house.?All the walls, trimmings, crown molding, and other gingerbread will fall down without a solid, functional foundation upon which to build. -- THOR3: Humans are More Important Than Hardware: Benjamin W. Knipscher, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California Thesis, December 2010. pg 3-4.

In The Spotlight

• Sharpening The Tactical Athlete - Sports Medicine & Science Institute: HRI:H-II OPSEC. Biomechanics and Selfcare for the Tactical Athlete, NCBI: The 10 commandments of nutrition: 2014. J Spec Oper Med. 2014 Fall;14(3):80-9., Background Information.
• On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace:?Grossman, Christensen.
• On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs:?From the book, On Combat, by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.

Introduction

Coaching sports and Olympic development programs over the last 25 years, my emphasis on fundamentals can't be over stated.?In the context of biomechanics, classical training and alignment objectives of Eastern Bloc development programs (gymnastics, figure skating, etc.) provides the reference point for analysis and optimization of precision control of the human frame in space.?Cross country skiing and sports specific aerobic conditioning, including the importance of LSD training, provides a reference point for optimization of systemic function/performance and pathology reversal.

My SOM orthopedics focus includes biomechanical and orthopedic analysis based on classical training and postural alignment ideals (considered the most advanced technical movement mechanics training in the world), correction (includes articular level elasticity restoration with spine/extremity compensatory inclusion), and retraining for function restoration for austere conditions and optimization of healing.

Note: Orthopedic Applications:?Scoliosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis,?Asthma, Fibromyalgia, Friedreich Ataxia, Multiple Sclerosis and veterinary applications (See: Expanding Human to Veterinary Biomechanics Applications).

Developmental Training:?1980-Present

• Ultradistance Running
• Ultradistance Cycling
• Powerlifting - Strength Training
• Classical Ballet Based Biomechanics Training
• Mixed Martial Arts

In The News:

• Developmental Optimization of Candidates Preparing for Service in the United States Marine Corps: (SMSI) May 2004.
• Olympic Development Program Introduced for Elite Armed Services Training: (SMSI) November 2003.

The Next Level:

• Fights Science: Stealth Fighters - Martial Arts: National Geographic Channel.
• Warrior Science Group

Mental Training:

• Seeing Is Believing: The Power of Visualization: Psychology Today, 3 December 2009. Brain studies now reveal that thoughts produce the same mental instructions as actions.
• Our Potential Beyond Limitation: in The Pursuit of Excellence, S.M.Apatow, Unconventional Leadership Development: From "Living On The Edge" to being the "Cutting Edge."

Distance Education:

• Classical Ballet Based Biomechanics and Orthopedic Analysis Level 1: Distance education course on classical ballet based biomechanics for physicians, physical therapists, instructors, parents and students .Humanitarian University Consortium Continuing Education.

Consultancy Sites:

• Pathobiologics International: Biodefense.
• JudoSport International: Classical biomechanics based mixed martial arts training for Olympic and elite development programs.

Reference Sites:

• ?HPRC - Human Performance Resource Center: A DOD Initiative under the Force Health Protection and Readiness Program.

Contact:

Stephen M. Apatow

Biomechanics Specialist & Technical Consultant

Founder, Director of Research and Development

Sports Medicine & Science Institute

Phone: (203) 668-0282

Email: [email protected]

Internet: www.esportsmedicine.org

Pathobiologics International

Internet: www.pathobiologics.org.?.

Sports Science: Professional and Academic Experience includes:

• Academic: Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine, Sabbatical 1984.
• 1984-90: Full time training for ultra distance running, ultra-distance cycling, national & international level competition in cross country skiing and rowing.
• 1985: Accepted to the national development camp for cycling, Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
• 1986-89: Through the help of Tony Johnson, heavyweight rowing coach at Yale, began cross training sweep rowing and sculling with the New Haven Rowing Club.
• Studied modern, jazz and ballet training at the Lee Lund Academy from 1985-88 and the Soviet System of Ballet Training at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts from 1986-89. Graduate of the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts Professional Program in 1989.?
• 1987: Presentation at Rossignol Cross Country Ski Clinic, speakers included Bill Koch and Lyle Nelson coordinated by Mike Gallagher, (former Olympian and Olympic Cross-Country Ski Coach), Mountain Top Inn, Chittenden, Vermont.
• Martial Arts: As a participant in the study of martial arts for over 20 years, classical ballet training provided a scientific method (utilizing a similar approach used in eastern bloc development programs) to optimize speed, strength, leverage mechanics, force generation and technique. Current training emphasis is Judo/Jujitsu. Founder: JudoSport International.?
• Technical consultant for Cheryl Madeux, Finalist, Lausanne International Ballet Competition in 1990.?
• Technical consultant for U.S. National Team athletes from Harvard University, members of World and Olympic Festival Teams. Sports applications include professional football, national level wrestling, hockey cross-country and downhill skiing, skating and martial arts.?
• Speaker at 1990 Coaches Association Meeting for Sport Canada at the Olympic Complex in Ottawa, Canada.?
• Upon request, applications of the analysis correction and retraining procedures to enhance the joint flexibility and technical performance for classical ballet training have been applied to musculo-skeletal disorders that include entrapment neuropathies, Scoliosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Asthma, Fibromyalgia, Frederick's Ataxia and Multiple Sclerosis. One of our cases with Rheumatoid Arthritis was submitted to the National Arthritis Foundation Peer Review Board in 1990. Analysis and corrective procedures have been adapted to help spinal herniations for physicians at Yale Medical School.?
• Small animal veterinary application of human biomechanics procedures leads to work with hundreds of horses in dressage, hunter-jumper and western training programs. (See: Expanding Human to Veterinary Biomechanics Applications)
• 1994-98: Corrective procedures developed to enhance the technical ability of the international level dancer in ballet were adapted into dressage and hunter-jumper specific training programs for both horse and rider. This work was formally introduced as an equestrian development program at the USDF Adult Camp in Boise, ID in 1997. In 1998, the USDF Region V Adult Camp in Jackson Wyoming provided USDF University Credit for the lecture presentation on "Biomechanics and Structural Analysis of Both Horse and Rider."?
• 1999: Presenter at Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts.
• 1999 - Present: Research and development of programs associated with the optimization of classical ballet training, Olympic development programs and specialized orthopedic applications.
• 2002 International Sports Science Association Fitness Therapist Review: The Science and Practice of Rehabilitative Exercise integrate theory and practice in the health care arena. This specialized field utilizes information from the world of rehabilitation, pathology, functional anatomy and physiology and blends it with the world of fitness training dealing with aerobic conditioning strength training, skill development, exercise progression and prescription for special population groups.?
• 2003: "Optimization of Classical Ballet and Sports Development Programs" workshop was introduced at the 11 state American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Combined Convention on February 12, 2003 in Reno-Sparks, Nevada.
• Consultancy work with all sports and Olympic development programs continues through the Sports Medicine & Science Institute.

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