Badminton Yogyakarta

2008-07-24T12:02:00.010-07:00

Selalu untuk Indonesia

[JAKARTA] Selama gelaran Piala Thomas dan Uber di Istora Senayan, Jakarta 11-18 Mei, nama dan wajah Susy Susanti menjadi sesuatu yang tidak terpisahkan dari kesuksesan tim Uber Indonesia. Setelah mundur dari dunia bulutangkis, sekitar sepuluh tahun lalu, baru kali ini Susy mau terjun langsung. Hasilnya pun, tim Uber Indonesia yang dia bawa meraih posisi runner-up. Hasil yang luar biasa untuk ukuran "tim manajer pemula".

Menurut ibu tiga anak ini, ia hanya membagikan pengalaman kepada tim Indonesia. "Mereka sudah hebat. Saya hanya membagikan pengalaman. Keberhasilan ini terutama adalah kerja keras mereka," kata Susy, usai kekalahan Indonesia dari Tiongkok di partai final Piala Uber, Sabtu (17/5).

Selain itu, gaya kepelatihan Susy sangat membantu perkembangan kemampuan dan mental tim. "Kalau melatih, ia selalu memanggil kami "adik-adik". Meski cuma sebutan, namun kami merasa akrab sehingga tidak ragu bertanya. Demikian, kami bisa menimba banyak ilmu dan pengalaman," kata Firdasari.

Soal perkembangan atlet bulutangkis nasional, Susy hanya mengatakan kalau Indonesia punya banyak bibit atlet berbakat. "Sayang pembinaannya yang belum maksimal. Banyak anak berbakat yang tidak terpantau. Pencarian bakat menjadi hal penting untuk menjaga regenerasi olahraga, bulutangkis pada khususnya. Selain itu, dukungan pemerintah terhadap kemajuan bulutangkis harus ditingkatkan," ungkap Susy.

Menanggapi prestasi tim Uber saat ini, peraih Olimpiade Barcelona 1992 ini optimistis, putri-putri bulutangkis Indonesia mampu memberikan prestasi dalam waktu dekat. "Kalau bisa mempertahankan performa, disiplin latihan, dan menimba ilmu, saya yakin mereka akan segera berprestasi di tingkat internasional," ucap istri pebulutangkis Alan Budikusuma, yang juga meraih emas Olimpiade Barcelona 1992.

Kekalahan tim Uber Indonesia dari Tiongkok pada babak final, menurut Susy, bukanlah kegagalan. "Melihat kelas, Tiongkok jauh di atas Indonesia. Namun, anak-anak ini masih punya waktu untuk maju memperbaiki diri. Saya tetap bangga pada mereka, karena melawan tim dengan kelas yang jauh di atas kemampuan mereka, tim Uber Indonesia bisa tampil sangat luar biasa. Permainan mereka meningkat selama gelaran ini," puji Susy.

Mengenai Olimpiade Beijing, Agustus mendatang, Susy mengaku tidak tahu apakah masih akan menjabat sebagai manajer atau pelatih. "Yang jelas saya akan selalu membantu bulutangkis Indonesia dan membantu tidak selalu berarti saya masuk dalam struktur. Saya masih punya tugas mengurus tiga anak di rumah," ungkap Susy sambil tersenyum. Satu hal yang membuat tetap tenang, dia akan selalu "ada" untuk Indonesia. [ATW/W-11]

2008-07-24T12:02:00.009-07:00

Bangkitnya Bulutangkis Putri Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - "Tidak perlu waktu lama untuk mengimbangi pemain-pemain China asalkan mereka mau. Sektor ganda Indonesia bahkan pernah mengalahkan mereka. Untuk tunggal, perayaan Kebangkitan Nasional ini adalah masa kebangkitan putri-putri Indonesia."

Kalimat tersebut diucapkan ratu bulutangkis nasional, Susy Susanti tidak lama setelah tim putri Indonesia gagal menumbangkan dominasi China dalam final Piala Uber di Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Sabtu lalu.

Meski gagal meraih kembali trofi yang berada di tangan negeri Tirai Bambu, sejak direbut dari Indonesia pada 1998, keberhasilan Maria Kristin dan kawan-kawan mencapai final Piala Uber itu sangat lah di luar dugaan.

Ucapan Susy tentu tidak sekedar kalimat untuk menghibur. Keterlibatannya sebagai manajer tim Piala Uber mendampingi para pemain sejak persiapan hingga berakhir di final, membuatnya sangat memahami mereka.

"Putri-putri Indonesia mampu berjuang dengan baik...mereka telah menunjukkan bahwa mereka mampu berprestasi dan meraih kemenangan demi kemenangan," demikian ucapan Susy, saat tim Uber Indonesia berhasil menaklukkan Jerman di semifinal dan melampaui target yang ditetapkan PB PBSI.

Tentu saja keberhasilan tersebut tidak diraih secara instan.

Bulutangkis putri Indonesia sudah sejak lama terpuruk.

Dalam turnamen perorangan internasional, catatan Federasi Bulutangkis Dunia (BWF) menunjukkan bahwa para pemain tunggal terakhir kali meraih gelar pada 2006, saat Maria Kristin menang di Singapura dan Surabaya Satellite, Adriyanti Firdasari di Belanda Terbuka dan Pia Zebadiah merebut gelar Jakarta Satellite.

Hasil terbaik yang mereka raih terakhir kali barangkali adalah saat memenangi medali SEA Games 2007, baik pada nomor perorangan maupun beregu.

Sektor ganda putri mencatat prestasi yang lebih baik, setelah pasangan Vita Marissa/Liliyana Natsir meraih gelar China Masters, itu pun sudah setahun lalu.

Sedang gelar juara yang terakhir diraih pasangan Jo Novita/Greysia Polii adalah Filipina Terbuka 2006, sementara ganda utama lainnya Rani Mundiasti/Endang Nursugianti terakhir menjuarai Belanda Terbuka 2006.

Angin perubahan

Perubahan datang saat juara Olimpiade Barcelona, Susy Susanti ditunjuk menjadi manajer tim Piala Uber.

Tim yang sejak menjadi runner-up pada 1998, prestasinya semakin menurun hingga pada titik terendah saat tidak lolos kualifikasi pada 2006, sejak awal diragukan dapat mencapai target semifinal.

Namun, dengan semangat pantang menyerah dan berjuang habis-habisan serta tak gentar menghadapi lawan yang ditularkan peraih penghargaan "Hall of Fame" 2004 dari Federasi Bulutangkis Internasional (sekarang BWF) itu, tim putri Indonesia tampil gemilang.

Mengawali laga dengan menundukkan unggulan kedua Jepang dengan skor meyakinkan 4-1, tim Indonesia dengan mudah menyapu bersih tim Belanda -- yang nyaris mengalahkan China di perempatfinal -- dengan kemenangan mutlak 5-0 untuk lolos ke perempatfinal dengan memuncaki Grup Z.

Pada perempatfinal, tim asuhan pelatih Marleve Mainaky, Aryono dan Richard Mainaky itu menggasak Hongkong 3-0 dan kemudian meraih kemenangan 3-1 atas Jerman di semifinal sebelum menyerah 0-3 pada juara bertahan China di laga puncak.

"Saya bangga dengan mereka, semangat juang mereka sangat luar biasa," ujar Susy yang selama mendampingi para pemain menyadari bahwa secara teknis putri-putri Cipayung tidak kalah dari pemain-pemain dunia lainnya.

"Hanya mental, cara pandang dan semangat juang mereka yang masih harus dibenahi. Saya selalu tekankan pada mereka agar menghadapi siapapun lawan dengan berani, jangan memikirkan hasil, karena kita tidak tahu apa yang akan terjadi di depan," jelas Susy.

Motivasi yang ditanamkan Susy terbukti jitu, para pemain mampu mengalahkan lawan-lawan dengan peringkat yang jauh lebih tinggi, seperti saat Maria (peringkat 30 dunia) mengalahkan Yip Pui Yin (12) dari Hong Kong, dan Firdasari (35) menundukan Julianne Schenk (13) dari Jerman.

Tunggal putri berperingkat 78 dunia, Pia Zebadiah juga mengisi peringatan 40 hari meninggalnya sang ayah, Djumharbey Anwar, dengan kemenangan atas pemain Jepang Kaori Mori (22). Ia menyumbang angka dalam tiga pertandingan yang ia mainkan, begitu pula ganda kedua Jo Novita/Greysia Polii.

Pasangan Vita Marissa/Liliyana Natsir pun hanya mengalami kekalahan saat melawan China.

"Penampilan mereka sudah maksimal. Sekarang tinggal bagaimana memperbaiki kekurangan dan meningkatkan apa yang sudah mereka miliki," demikian Susy, yang meski mendapat limpahan pujian atas keberhasilan tersebut, tetap menyatakan tidak bersedia menjadi pelatih.

"Kekurangan mereka, terutama pemain tunggal, ada pada kecepatan, kekuatan, dan ketangkasan," kata Marleve Mainaky yang menangani tunggal putri sejak ditinggalkan Hendrawan usai Piala Sudirman tahun lalu.

"Saya sudah tahu dan sudah menyusun rencana apa yang harus dilakukan untuk memperbaiki itu semua," lanjut Marleve.

Mudah-mudahan hasil gemilang dalam Piala Uber 2008 yang menumbuhkan percaya diri dalam diri pemain ditambah tekad pelatih untuk memperbaiki kekurangan, dapat benar-benar membangkitkan bulutangkis putri Indonesia yang sudah sekian lama mati suri. (*)

antara.co.id

2008-07-24T12:02:00.008-07:00

Marleve Mainaky
Dari Tunggal Pria Jadi Pelatih Tunggal Wanita

Oleh admin

Kamis, 08-Mei-2008, 22:38:53

567 klik

Kehadiran Marleve Mainaky dalam jajaran pelatih Pelatnas Cipayung semakin mengukuhkan dinasti Mainaky. Pelajaran berharga dia tuai saat berdikusi dengan kakak-kakaknya yang lebih dahulu menjadi pelatih.

Oleh: FEMI DIAH, Jakarta

Harus Luwes dan Sabar Selami Psikologis Pemain

Kehadiran Marleve Mainaky dalam jajaran pelatih Pelatnas Cipayung semakin mengukuhkan dinasti Mainaky. Pelajaran berharga dia tuai saat berdikusi dengan kakak-kakaknya yang lebih dahulu menjadi pelatih.

Marleve Mainaky belum lama menukangi tunggal wanita. Piala Uber kali ini bakal menjadi ujian perdananya di turnamen beregu internasional. ''Siapa bilang saya tidak nervous. Itu benar-benar ajang pembuktian untuk saya sebagai pelatih,'' katanya di sela-sela mendampingi latihan Maria Kristin dkk di Istana Olahraga (Istora) Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta, kemarin (7/5).

Malah, menurut Marleve, ketegangan menjadi pelatih lebih besar daripada saat dirinya masih bertanding di lapangan lewat predikat pemain. ''Saat menjadi pemain, beban ada bagi saya sendiri. Nah, sebagai pelatih, saya harus mengantarkan empat pemain, tutur adik kandung Rexy Mainaky tersebut.

Empat pemain yang dimaksud adalah Maria Kristin, Adriyanti Firdasari, Pia Zebadiah, dan Fransisca Ratnasari. Mereka bakal menjadi andalan Merah Putih di Piala Uber edisi 2008 bersama tiga pasangan ganda wanita, yakni Vita Marissa/ Lilyana Natsir, Jo Novita/ Greysia Polii, dan Endang Nursugiyanti/ Rani Mundiasti.

Awalnya, Marleve tidak menyangka akan diberi amanah menjadi pelatih tunggal wanita. Saya kan orangnya kagok kalau berkomunikasi dengan perempuan, ujarnya.

Padahal, Marleve memiliki banyak penggemar dari kaum Hawa. Meski, kini dia sudah tak lagi berpredikat sebagai pemain. Dia memang belum lama dipercaya menjadi pelatih oleh PB PBSI. Pada Agustus lalu, dia menerima surat keputusan yang menitahkan dirinya menjadi pelatih. Namun, baru pada November lalu, dia benar-benar membesut tunggal wanita seorang diri. ''Awalnya, saya hanya diminta bantu-bantu oleh Hendrawan. Eh, dia kok malah minta fokus ke tunggal pria,'' paparnya.

Kini, beban berat harus dipanggul oleh Marleve. Dengan materi pemain yang pas-pasan, minimal dia diharapkan dapat mengantarkan para srikandi Merah Putih itu meraih babak semifinal di Jakarta. Namun, kehadiran Susi Susanti sebagai manajer tim dan Aryono Miranat selaku pelatih ganda wanita dalam Tim Uber diharapkan dapat membantunya meraih hasil tersebut.

Keputusan PB PBSI untuk menyertakan pelatih ganda campuran Richard Mainaky yang juga kakak kandung Marleve itu turut membuat dirinya semakin percaya diri. ''Kami sering berdiskusi tentang program latihan,'' ungkapnya.

Apalagi, menangani pemain wanita rupanya lebih sulit daripada membesut sektor pria. Sebab, untuk memoles para pemain wanita, dibutuhkan lebih banyak kesabaran dan keluwesan dalam mendekati mereka. ''Tak melulu membicarakan program latihan. Kadang-kadang, pembicaraan diselingi dengan gurauan. Sebab, kadang-kadang psikologi mereka kurang stabil,'' jelasnya.

Kini, dia berharap Tim Uber Indonesia mampu tampil optimal. Apalagi, sebagai mantan pemain, Marleve sangat mengenal karakteristik penonton Indonesia. Mereka bisa berbalik arah jika para pemainnya tidak mampu tampil optimal. Mereka akan menyerang pemain sendiri. ''Makanya, anak-anak harus tampil seoptimalnya dan menunjukkan kerja keras dalam menghadapi lawan agar penonton tetap bersimpati,'' ucapnya.

Lima di antara enam putra keluarga Mainaky berprofesi sebagai pemain bulutangkis. Mulai Richard Mainaky, Rexy Mainaky, Marleve Mainaky, Riony Mainaky, dan Karel Mainaky. Marleve mencatatkan diri menjadi bagian dari Tim Thomas Indonesia yang sukses menorehkan gelar juara pada 2000 dan 2002. (aww)

(Sumber: indopos.co.id)

2008-07-24T12:02:00.007-07:00

Hastomo Arbi
Rutin Bersepeda Gunung

Oleh admin

Selasa, 29-April-2008, 08:05:03

317 klik

Pensiun dari bulutangkis tidak membuat Hastomo Arbi melupakan olahraga yang membesarkan namanya. Pahlawan Tim Thomas Indonesia edisi 1984 itu masih setia mengabdi di klub lamanya, Djarum Kudus. Dia lebih banyak menularkan ilmu bulutangkis kepada pemain junior, yang berusia hingga 15 tahun (KU-15). Jumlah anak yang dilatihnya hanya sepuluh orang.

Dia rutin melatih seminggu lima kali, Senin-Jumat. Lantas, apa kegiatan Sabtu dan Minggu? ''Saya rutin bersepeda gunung. Itu bertujuan untuk menjaga kebugaran saja. Lumayan, setiap latihan, sekali jalan 18 km. Jadi, bolak-balik dari rumah ke Gunung Muria, ya sekitar 36 km,'' kata Hastomo yang ditemui Jawa Pos di rumahnya, Gang Anggrek, Desa Burikan, Kecamatan Kudus, Sabtu (26/4).

Sepanjang berkarir sebagai pebulutangkis, Hastomo pernah membawa Indonesia menjadi juara Piala Thomas 1984 di Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pada partai final, Hastomo menyumbangkan poin saat Indonesia mengalahkan Tiongkok 3-2. ''Pada 1982, saya tak sempat bertanding karena terkena doping akibat minum obat flu. Saya sempat diskors setahun,'' kenang Hastomo. (ado/aww)

(Sumber: indopos.co.id)

2008-07-24T12:02:00.006-07:00

Tony Gunawan
Pergi untuk Gelar Sarjana, Dapat Juara Dunia

Oleh admin

Kamis, 01-Mei-2008, 09:26:15

886 klik

Pada 2002, tim nasional bulutangkis Indonesia kehilangan salah seorang pemain terbaiknya, Tony Gunawan. Dia hijrah ke Negeri Paman Sam untuk menjadi pemain sekaligus pelatih timnas. Bagaimana kabarnya kini?

Tony Gunawan, Pebulutangkis ''Ekspor'' Tersukses Indonesia di Amerika Serikat

Pada 2002, tim nasional bulutangkis Indonesia kehilangan salah seorang pemain terbaiknya, Tony Gunawan. Dia hijrah ke Negeri Paman Sam untuk menjadi pemain sekaligus pelatih timnas. Bagaimana kabarnya kini?
Brazil adalah negeri pengekspor pemain sepak bola terbesar. Ribuan seniman kulit bundar dari Negeri Samba bertebaran di Eropa hingga Asia. Motif uang dan kesempatan bermain di even bergengsi seperti Piala Dunia menjadi penyebab.

Meski tidak sesukses Brazil, Indonesia juga menjadi pengekspor atlet. Sebagai salah satu kiblat bulutangkis dunia, pebulutangkis Indonesia cukup laris di negara-negara Eropa, Amerika, bahkan Asia.

Alasannya pun hampir sama dengan penyebab pesepak bola Brazil berganti kewarganegaraan, yakni kuota Cipayung, markas pelatnas bulutangkis Indonesia, begitu terbatas. Daripada tidak bisa berlaga di even Internasional, banyak yang memilih membela negara lain. Iming-iming gaji tinggi di luar negeri membuat ekspor pebulu tangkis kian marak.

Timnas Singapura saat ini mulai pelatih hingga pemain didominasi produk pembinaan bulutangkis Indonesia. Timnas Hongkong pun dibela oleh dua pemain asal Jawa Timur. Di Timnas Australia, Aditya Sundoro, pebulutangkis asal Klaten (Jawa Tengah), menjadi pelatih sekaligus pemain.

Di antara sekian banyak ekspor pebulutangkis, 'transaksi' paling heboh adalah kepergian Tony Gunawan ke Amerika Serikat pada 2002. Kala itu, pecinta bulutangkis tanah air begitu kehilangan salah seorang pemain terbaik tersebut. Dua tahun sebelumnya, dia sukses merebut medali emas Oimpiade 2000 Sydney di nomor ganda pria berpasangan dengan Candra Wijaya.

Alasan untuk mendapatkan tempat di timnas tentu saja tidak relevan. Sebab, Tony pada saat itu merupakan salah satu tulang punggung tim Merah Putih. Alasan uang? Tony maupun Candra adalah salah seorang pebulutangkis paling makmur di tanah air.

Lantas, kenapa dia pergi ke Amerika? Ternyata, cita-citanya menjadi sarjana membuatnya pergi ke Negeri Paman Sam. Dia rela pergi jauh untuk mendapatkannya karena ingin gelar itu diraih dari universitas bergengsi.

''Semua gelar internasional di bulutangkis telah saya dapatkan. Berarti, obsesi tertinggi saya di dunia itu telah tercapai. Karena itu, saya ingin mengejar cita-cita di bidang lain,'' ujar Tony.

Dia menempuh pendidikan teknik komputer (computer engineer) di Devry University di Pamona, California. Itu menjadi kesibukan tambahannya selain melatih dan bermain bulutangkis di Orange County Badminton Club.
Namun, kesuksesannya di dunia bulutangkis tak mampu merembet ke dunia pendidikan. Kesibukan Tony bermain olahraga tepok bulu menyita banyak waktunya. Akibatnya, dia di-drop-out pada 2006.

Sebelumnya, dia mengajukan cuti pada 2005. Seharusnya, maksimal cuti selama dua semester saja. Namun, karena terlalu sibuk, cuti itu molor dan dia di-DO.

''Kala itu, saya terlalu sibuk, menjalani empat profesi sekaligus. Yakni, sebagai mahasiswa, pelatih serta pemain bulutangkis, dan karyawan di perusahaan swasta Qwip Technology,'' bebernya.

Salah satu penyebab Tony lupa pada kuliahnya adalah persiapannya tampil di Kejuaraan Dunia 2005. Pada saat itu, dia berpasangan dengan Howard Bach untuk membela Amerika. Dalam even tersebut, mereka sukses menjadi juara dunia.

Kalau ditimbang untung ruginya, Tony sebenarnya tidak perlu merisaukan kegagalannya menjadi sarjana. Pengorbanannya itu berbuah gelar juara dunia. Catatan tersebut menjadikan Tony sebagai pebulutangkis ekspor paling sukses.

''Saya berhasil mencetak sejarah untuk perbulutangkisan Amerika Serikat,'' ucapnya penuh bangga. Kesuksesannya itu membuat dia terkenal di AS. Jadwalnya untuk menghadiri pertandingan ekshibisi semakin padat. Akibatnya, pekerjaannya sebagai akuntan di Qwip Technology, sebuah perusahan elektronik, jadi korban kedua.

''Kini, saya mulai berusaha meritis usaha di bidang trading,'' paparnya. Di pagi hari mulai pukul 07.00-09.30, dia harus datang ke klub untuk membimbing pebulutangkis kelompok dewasa berlatih. Pukul 10.30-14.00, dia pun memulai pekerjaannya di perdagangan saham bersama beberapa saudaranya. ''Pukul 16.00-18.00, saya berlatih bersama para pemain junior,'' paparnya. (luq/ang)

(Sumber: indopos.co.id)

2008-07-24T12:02:00.005-07:00

Tahir Djide: ''Mustahil Prestasi Tanpa Disiplin''

Oleh admin

Rabu, 09-Juli-2008, 11:39:58

278 klik

(Bulutangkis.com) - Ditemui disela-sela pertandingan BM 77 Cup yang digelar di Gor BM 77, Prof. Drs. H. M Tahir Djide ketua PB BM 77 yang juga merupakan pelatih pelatnas selama 35 tahun ini mengungkapkan beberapa pendapatnya tentang pembinaan serta dunia bulutangkis Indonesia. Kecintaan beliau pada cabang olah raga satu ini sudah tidak diragukan lagi, pengabdian sejak zaman Rudi Hartono hingga Taufik Hidayat mencerminkan hal tersebut.

Oleh: Ira Ratnati

(Bulutangkis.com) - Ditemui disela-sela pertandingan BM 77 Cup yang digelar di Gor BM 77, Prof. Drs. H. M Tahir Djide ketua PB BM 77 yang juga merupakan pelatih pelatnas selama 35 tahun ini mengungkapkan beberapa pendapatnya tentang pembinaan serta dunia bulutangkis Indonesia. Kecintaan beliau pada cabang olah raga satu ini sudah tidak diragukan lagi, pengabdian sejak zaman Rudi Hartono hingga Taufik Hidayat mencerminkan hal tersebut.

Beliau dengan antusias menceritakan visi dan misi dari pendirian PB BM 77. Educational Approach atau pendekatan pendidikan, itulah yang dilakukan PB BM 77 dalam mendidik siswanya, karena beliau yakin bahwa dengan pendidikanlah bisa terbentuk disiplin, loyalitas, kemampuan untuk berkomunikasi dan bersosialisasi. Dengan olah raga ini setiap anak didiknya diharapkan bisa mengaplikasikan apa yang didapat selama berlatih di PB BM 77 dalam kehidupan sehari-harinya, beliau juga mengungkapkan bahwa anak didiknya di PB BM 77 ini mengalami peningkatan di bidang akademisnya, beliau berani mengklaim bahwa semua anak didiknya berada di 10 rangking teratas di kelasnya masing-masing.

Dalam mendidik anak didiknya Prof Tahir mengungkapkan bahwa disiplin adalah hal yang paling utama, “mustahil prestasi bisa diraih tanpa disiplin” ungkapnya, olah raga adalah salah satu cara yang tepat dalam menanamkan kedisiplinan pada anak, juga dengan olah raga anak bisa lebih percaya diri, belajar untuk menghadapi kekalahan dan berjiwa sportif.
Saat dimintai pendapat mengenai mandegnya regenarasi yang terjadi di bulutangkis Indonesia beliau menginterpretasikan bahwa regenerasi adalah rinci, sistematis dan harmonis. “Bukan hanya regenarasi atlet tapi seharusnya juga regenerasi pelatih dan konsep, sudah saatnya kita benar-benar mengaplikasikan pelatihan berteknologi, bukan hanya pada kulitnya saja tapi juga harus menyentuk aspek di dalamnya”.

Beliau memutuskan untuk mengundurkan diri dari pelatnas pada 1 Maret 2008 silam, beliau mundur karena kesibukannya di Bandung yang mustahil bagi beliau untuk bisa terus berada di Jakarta, karena selain berprofesi sebagai pembina dan pelatih beliau juga merupakan guru besar dan professor di Fakultas Pendidikan Olah Raga dan Kesehatan Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. “Sudah saatnya saya fokus di sini (Bandung, red)”.

Ira Ratnati, Jurnalis Bulutangkis.com

2008-07-24T12:02:00.004-07:00

Susi Susanti (Bagian I)
Setelah Sepuluh Tahun Gantung Raket

Oleh admin

Kamis, 09-Agustus-2007, 08:22:27

1662 klik

Susi memberikan kebebasan pada anak-anaknya untuk memilih karir karena merasa Indonesia belum memberikan jaminan apapun kepada seorang atlet. Tidak seperti Tiongkok maupun negara lain yang telah menyadari prestasi olahraga dapat membawa nama bangsa.

Antara Menjadi Ibu dan Membangun Bisnis

Susi Susanti adalah pebulu tangkis wanita terbesar yang pernah dimiliki Indonesia bahkan dunia. Kehamilan membuatnya gantung raket lebih cepat. Kini, mayoritas waktu peraih medali emas Olimpiade 1992 itu dihabiskan untuk mengasuh dua putra dan satu putri buah perkawinannya dengan Alan Budikusuma.

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Ketika menjadi pemain, Susi Susanti identik dengan rambut dikuncir ala ekor kuda dan poni, dropshot silang, serta rentangan kaki ke lapangan untuk menyelamatkan bola sulit. Pebulutangkis asal Tasikmalaya itu juga langganan juara. Selama sepuluh tahun berkarir, gelar grand prix, kejuaraan dunia, hingga Olimpiade pernah dia rebut.

Setelah sepuluh tahun gantung raket, penampilan Susi banyak berubah. Kuncir rambut dan poni sudah tidak ada lagi. Susi membiarkan rambutnya yang sebahu, terurai. Dengan tubuh yang tidak lagi tampak atletis, Susi berpenampilan seperti ibu-ibu kebanyakan.

''Junior (anak, Red) saya sudah ada tiga, wajar kan kalau tak selangsing dulu,'' kata Susi pada Jawa Pos sambil menyuap putra keduanya, Albertus Edward (7) di rumahnya di kawasan perumahan elite Gading Kirana, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta Utara.

Dari pernikahannya dengan Alan Budikusuma sepuluh tahun silam, Susi dikaruniai tiga orang anak. Laurencia Averina (8) adalah putri pertama pengantin emas Olimpiade 1992 Barcelona tersebut. ''Saya pikir dua anak cukup, hamil dan melahirkan itu capek rasanya. Eh, kok malah diberi yang ketiga, ya sudah kan nggak bisa nolak lagi,'' kenang Susi seraya mengalihkan suapannya pada putra bungsunya, Sebastianus Fredrick (4).

Susi kini benar-benar menikmati ''karirnya'' sebagai seorang ibu. Setiap pagi, dia turun tangan langsung mempersiapkan segala keperluan anak-anaknya yang akan bersekolah. Termasuk untuk urusan mengantarkan anak-anak kesekolah.

Susi pun tidak pernah memaksa anaknya untuk menjadi atlet bulutangkis yang telah membesarkan namanya. Untuk mengikuti jejak sang ibu atau bapak, seharusnya mulai sekarang anak-anaknya mulai berlatih tepok bulu. Susi mulai turun ke lapangan sejak usia 5 tahun dan mulai serius melangkah menjadi pemain sejak berusia 7 tahun.

''Saya memberikan kebebasan kepada anak-anak. Mereka lebih memilih menyanyi untuk kegiatan sehari-hari. Sedangkan olahraganya aikido dan renang,'' bebernya.

Kelonggaran yang diberikan Susi itu tak lepas dari padatnya jadwal sekolah formal yang dilakoni anak-anaknya. Laurencia bahkan sudah harus meninggalkan rumah sejak pukul 06.00 WIB dan pulang ke rumah setelah pukul 14.00 WIB. Sedangkan dua putranya memulai aktivitas di sekolah mulai pukul 10.00 WIB dan tiba di rumah pada 14.00 WIB. ''Cuma setengah jam kami berkumpul, setelah itu 14.30 mereka harus berangkat ke tempat-tempat lesnya masing-masing,'' ucapnya.

Susi memberikan kebebasan pada anak-anaknya untuk memilih karir karena merasa Indonesia belum memberikan jaminan apapun kepada seorang atlet. Tidak seperti Tiongkok maupun negara lain yang telah menyadari prestasi olahraga dapat membawa nama bangsa.

''Biarlah anak-anak saya fokus ke sekolah, kalau jadi atlet nggak bisa setengah-setengah. Dan sesudah prestasinya habis, sudah dia tak akan dipakai lagi. Kalau anak-anak mau memilih bulu tangkis dan ternyata bisa syukur, kalau tidak ya tidak apa-apa,'' tuturnya.

Selain sibuk mendampingi perkembangan dan pertumbuhan ketiga anaknya, Susi juga disibukkan dengan dua usaha yang dimilikinya, yakni Fontana Reflexy, serta perusahaan peralatan olahraga Astec (Alan & Susi Tecnology).

Semua kesibukan itu cukup menghabiskan waktu Susi. Karena itu, dia menolak ajakan PB PBSI untuk melatih di pelatnas Cipayung. Sumbangsih pada dunia bulutangkis dilakukan dengan cara menggelar kejuaraan usia dini. (femi diah nugrahani/indopos.co.id)

2008-07-24T12:02:00.003-07:00

C © updated 9032005



	► e-ti/rpr
	Nama: Susi Susanti Lahir: Tasikmalaya, Jawa Barat, 11 Februari 1971 Menikah: 9 Februari 1997 Suami: Alan Budikusuma Anak: - Lourencia Averina (1999) - Albertus Edward (2000) - Sebastianus Frederick (2003) Prestasi: - Hall of Fame dari International Badminton Federation (IBF), Mei 2004 - Herbert Scheele Trophy, 2002 - Juara All England (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994) - Juara dunia (1993) - Juara Seri Grand Prix di Bali, 1990 - Tiga kali juara di Jepang Terbuka - Juara Olimpiade Barcelona 1992 - Juara berbagai kejuaraan seri grand prix dan Piala Dunia

Susi Susanti

Peraih Emas Pertama Olimpiade

Masa keemasannya yang berlangsung cukup panjang, berpuncak pada juara tunggal putri bulutangkis Olimpiade Barcelona, Spanyol (1992). Dia peraih emas pertama Indonesia di Olimpiade. Ketika itu Alan, pacarnya, juga juara di tunggal putra sehingga media asing menjuluki mereka sebagai "Pengantin Olimpiade". Predikat pengantin ini rupanya terus melekat, terbukti saat mereka dipercaya menjadi pembawa obor Olimpiade Athena 2004.

Prestasi yang mengharumkan nama bangsa juga diukir oleh Susi dengan meraih sederetan kejuaraan. Dia menjuarai All England empat kali (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994). Sang juara yang punya semangat pantang menyerah ini selalu menjadi ujung tombak tim Piala Sudirman dan Piala Uber. Juga juara dunia (1993) dan puluhan gelar seri grand prix.

Kiprah Susi Susanti di dunia olahraga bulutangkis Indonesia memang luar biasa. Dalam setiap pertandingan, ia menunjukkan sikap tenang bahkan terlihat tanpa emosi di saat-saat angka penentuan. Semangatnya yang pantang menyerah meski angkanya tertinggal jauh dari lawan membuat banyak pendukungnya menaruh percaya bahwa Susi pasti menang.

Berkat kegigihan dan ketekunannya, perempuan kelahiran Tasikmalaya, Jawa Barat, 11 Februari 1971 ini turut menyumbang sukses tahun 1989 ketika Piala Sudirman direbut tim Indonesia untuk pertama kalinya dan sampai sekarang belum lagi berulang. Dia pun turut menorehkan sukses saat merebut Piala Uber tahun 1994 dan 1996 setelah piala itu absen lama dari Indonesia.

Semenjak SD, Susi sudah suka bermain bulutangkis. Kebetulan orang tuanya juga sangat mendukung dan memberinya kebebasan untuk menjadi atlit bulutangkis. Setelah menang kejuaraan junior, ia pindah dari Tasikmalaya ke Jakarta. Meski saat itu ia masih duduk di bangku 2 SMP, ia sudah mulai berpikir untuk serius di dunia bulutangkis.

Kegiatan Susi berbeda dengan remaja lain karena ia tinggal di asrama dan bersekolah di sekolah khusus untuk atlit. Ia mengaku menjadi kuper karena hanya berteman dengan sesama atlit. Bahkan pacaran pun dengan atlit.

Sebagai atlit, jadwal latihannya sangat padat. Enam hari dalam seminggu, Senin - Sabtu dari jam 7 sampai jam 11 pagi, lalu disambung lagi jam 3 sore sampai jam 7 malam. Makan, jam tidur, dan pakaian juga ada aturannya tersendiri. Ia tidak diperbolehkan memakai sepatu dengan hak tinggi agar kakinya terhindar dari kemungkinan keseleo. Jalan-jalan ke mal pun hanya bisa dilakukannya pada hari Minggu. Itu pun jarang karena ia sudah terlalu capek latihan.

Memang tidak ada pilihan lain, ia harus disiplin dan berkonsentrasi untuk menjadi juara. Ia akhirnya menyadari bahwa untuk meraih prestasi memang perlu perjuangan dan pengorbanan. “Kalau mau santai dan senang-senang terus, mana mungkin cita-cita saya untuk jadi juara bulutangkis tercapai? Sekarang rasanya puas banget melihat pengorbanan saya ada hasilnya. Ternyata benar juga kata pepatah: Bersakit-sakit dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian,” kata Susi mengenang.

Ketika masih menjadi pemain, Susi berusaha menjadikan dirinya sebagai contoh bagi para pemain lainnya. Ia sangat berdisiplin dengan waktu saat berlatih atau di luar latihan. Sementara di lapangan ia memperlihatkan semangat pantang menyerah sebelum pertandingan berakhir. "Saya hanya berharap teman-teman pemain mengikuti yang baik-baik dari saya," kata Susi.

Nyatanya, cara ini tidak melulu berhasil. Sepeninggal Susi (dan Mia Audina), sektor putri bulutangkis Indonesia mandek. Piala Uber semakin jauh dan puncaknya, tidak satu pun pemain tunggal puteri Indonesia lolos ke Olimpiade Athena 2004.

Susi yang telah mundur mengakui merosotnya prestasi karena memang kekurangan bibit pemain unggul. "Kita bisa saja memberi prasayarat pemain untuk berhasil, tetapi kalau bibitnya tidak ada bagaimana?" Susi melihat popularitas bulutangkis semakin merosot sementara proses seleksi melalui kejuaraan antarklub dan daerah semakin sedikit.

Merasa Sedih
Susi merasa sedih karena olahraga bulutangkis tidak lagi dipandang antusias oleh masyarakat. Ia mengingat betapa antusiasnya masyarakat menyambut kejuaraan bulutangkis seperti All England. Susi melihat hal ini disebabkan karena perhatian anak-anak muda masa kini lebih ke hiburan. Belum lagi maraknya kasus penyalahgunaan obat terlarang, seperti shabu dan narkotika.

Masyarakat juga lebih banyak membaca, mendengar, atau menyaksikan berita-berita kekalahan pebulutangkis Indonesia lewat media massa. Itu tentu berbeda dengan era Tan Joe Hok cs, Liem Swie King, hingga Ardy B Wiranata cs yang banjir mahkota juara.

Keadaan semakin rumit karena orang takut serius terjun di dunia olahraga Indonesia karena tidak jelasnya jaminan akan masa depan. Susi sendiri sudah berniat tidak akan mengijinkan anaknya terjun ke dunia olahraga mengingat pengalamannya dulu. Ia melihat banyak rekannya yang pernah menjadi juara SEA Games, Asian Games, namun hidupnya terkatung-katung.

Selain itu, menjadi atlet olahraga membutuhkan banyak resiko misalnya sekolah yang terhenti, padahal olahraga yang ditekuni tidak mendapat perhatian dan dukungan dari pemerintah. Susi sendiri terpaksa mengorbankan sekolah (hanya sampai SMA). Ia pun menghadapi banyak halangan sebab ada pihak-pihak dari organisasi yang tidak menyukainya. Meski ia berprestasi namun kemudian berhenti, dari situlah ia mendapat pengalaman bahwa bulutangkis belum bisa menjamin masa depannya.

Ia berharap bagi para atet berprestasi yang sudah tidak bermain diberikan dana pensiun yang memadai. Ia khawatir kalau persoalan masa depan atlet belum terpecahkan atau tidak ada jaminan dari pemerintah, bibit-bibit potensial atlet akan sulit ditemukan karena mereka akan memilih jalur pendidikan. "Saya harap PBSI dan KONI memerhatikan persoalan ini. Kalau ini dibiarkan terus, hasilnya akan seperti sekarang ini," ujarnya.

Ia menyesalkan masalah pembinaan yang membuat olahraga semakin terpuruk. Selama ini, hanya kesadaran dari keluarga masing-masing yang ingin anaknya menjadi pemain bukan karena pemerintah ingin memajukan olahraga. Pemerintah dan PBSI hanya menunggu, bukan membina dari daerah, memantau, mencari yang berbakat, baru diambil. Mereka hanya terima jadi saja. Ia beranggapan, semua orangtua saat ini akan seratus kali berpikir untuk membiarkan anaknya menjadi atlet.

Susi mengaku mempunyai pengalaman yang mengecewakan terutama dalam organisasi. Ketika ia dan Alan berprestasi, ada pihak-pihak tertentu yang tidak senang. Mereka berusaha membagi bonus kepada Susi dan Alan dengan asumsi mereka berdua dianggap satu orang. Hal ini menunjukkan sikap tidak profesional pemerintah maupun PBSI yang mempunyai kepentingan-kepentingan tertentu.

Dari segi organisasi internal, Susi berharap agar orang-orang yang terlibat di PBSI (Persatuan Bulutangkis seluruh Indonesia) adalah orang yang benar-benar ingin memajukan perbulutangkisan, bukan untuk kepentingan pribadi.

Melihat keadaan dunia olahraga yang belum menjanjikan bagi para atlit, Susi belajar dari pengalaman kakak-kakak seniornya. Susi belajar me-manage keuangannya. Saat ia meraih berbagai prestasi dan hadiah seperti bonus, ia usahakan untuk diinvestasikan ke dalam bentuk tanah, rumah atau tabungan. Ia tahu bahwa prestasi olahragawan itu singkat dan tidak selamanya berada di atas.

Kedua orang tuanya pun sering berpesan agar ia tidak sombong dan hidup sederhana. Susi juga banyak mendapat masukan dari Ir. Ciputra, seorang pengusaha sukses yang dulu merupakan pimpinannya di Klub Bulutangkis Jaya Raya, agar mempergunakan waktu sebaik mungkin dan giat berprestasi sebisa mungkin.

Mulai dari Nol
Ketika berhenti dari dunia bulutangkis, Susi harus memulai dari nol lagi. Meski ada modal dari pendapatan saat aktif di bulutangkis, Susi masih harus belajar dan bersabar mencari usaha apa yang akan ia jalankan. Suaminya, Alan Budikusuma, berulang kali mencoba berbagai jalan untuk menghidupi keluarga mulai dari jual beli mobil, dibantu menjadi rekanan di sebuah instansi, belajar menjadi agen Gozen (alat olahraga bikinan Malaysia) dan menjadi pelatih di Pelatnas. Itu semua menjadi bukti bahwa bahwa setelah tidak berprestasi, mereka berdua harus memulai lagi dari nol.

Untunglah, Susi dan Alan mendapat dukungan dari orang-orang yang terdekatnya. Sedikit demi sedikit mereka belajar menimba pengalaman dan pengetahuan. Baru sekitar satu setengah tahun, mereka bisa berdiri sendiri dan mempunyai keyakinan membuat usaha sendiri.

Sebagai ibu rumah tangga yang mengasuh tiga orang anak, anak pertama perempuan bernama Lourencia Averina, sedangkan yang kedua dan ketiga adalah lelaki; Albertus Edward dan Sebastianus Frederick, Susi juga ingin ikut membantu keluarga. Bila anak-anaknya sekolah, ia ingin mempunyai kesibukan tetapi tidak menyita waktu untuk keluarga.

Oleh karena itu, ia membuka toko di ITC Mega Grosir Cempaka Mas dengan nama D&V dari nama kedua anaknya, Edward dan Verin. Ia menjual baju-baju dari Cina, Hongkong, dan Korea, dan sebagian produk lokal.

Sebagai mantan atlit bulutangkis, peraih penghargaan tertinggi bulutangkis dari International Badminton Federation (IBF) ‘Hall of Fame’ 2004 ini tetap peduli dengan dunia yang pernah membesarkannya ini. Bersama suaminya, Alan Budi Kusuma - peraih medali emas Olimpiade 1992 pula - ia mendirikan Olympic Badminton Hall di Kelapa Gading. Di gedung pusat pelatihan bulutangkis ini, Susi berharap akan muncul bibit pemain yang akan mengembalikan kejayaan bulutangkis Indonesia.

Selain itu, pada pertengahan tahun 2002, Susi dan Alan membuat raket dengan merek sendiri yaitu Astec, Alan-Susi Technology. Meski pabriknya ada di Taiwan, tetapi senar yang digunakan adalah senar Jepang. Cara pembuatan dan sebagainya, dikontrol oleh mereka sendiri. Pada awalnya mereka mencoba produknya ke teman-teman mereka untuk mencari tahu produk mana yang paling bisa diterima. Baru setelah itu, produk dipasarkan.

erlupakan bagi Susi adalah saat ia berhasil menyumbangkan emas Olimpiade yang pertama bagi Indonesia di Barcelona (Olimpiade Barcelona 1992) bersama Alan Budikusuma yang juga mendapatkan emas. Sedangkan yang paling mengesalkan baginya adalah saat ia kalah hanya satu poin dari Sarwendah (Kusumawardhani) di final Piala Dunia di Jakarta.

Kini pasangan yang menikah pada 9 Februari 1997 ini tinggal di rumah mereka nan tenang di Gading Kirana Timur I Blok B2 No. 28, Komplek Gading Kirana, Jakarta Utara. Di komplek perumahan ini Susi dan Alan masih rutin main bulutangkis. ► e-ti/atur

*** TokohIndonesia DotCom (Ensiklopedi Tokoh Indonesia)

2008-07-24T12:02:00.002-07:00

Liem Swie King

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Liem Swie King di kala mudanya

Liem Swie King, (Kudus, 28 Februari 1956) adalah seorang pemain bulutangkis yang dulu selalu menjadi buah bibir sejak dia mampu menantang Rudy Hartono di final All England tahun 1976 dalam usianya yang ke-20. Kemudian Swie King menjadi pewaris kejayaan Rudy di kejuaraan paling bergengsi saat itu dengan tiga kali menjadi juara ditambah empat kali menjadi finalis. Bila ditambah dengan turnamen "grand prix" yang lain, gelar kemenangan Swie King menjadi puluhan kali. Swie King juga menyumbang medali emas Asian Games di Bangkok 1978, dan enam kali membela tim Piala Thomas. Tiga di antaranya Indonesia menjadi juara.

Mulai bermain bulu tangkis sejak kecil atas dorongan orangtuanya di kota kelahiran Kudus, Swie King yang lahir 28 Februari 1956 akhirnya masuk ke dalam klub PB Djarum yang banyak melahirkan para pemain nasional.

Usai menang di Pekan Olahraga Nasional saat berusia 17 tahun, akhir 1973, Liem Swie King direkrut masuk pelatnas yang bermarkas di Hall C Senayan. Setelah 15 tahun berkiprah, Swie King merasa telah cukup dan mengundurkan diri di tahun 1988. Saat aktif sebagai pemain, Liem terkenal dengan pukulan smash andalannya, berupa jumping smash, yang dijuluki sebagai King Smash.

Liem Swie King sebenarnya dari marga Oei bukan marga Liem. Pergantian marga seperti ini pada masa dahulu zaman Hindia Belanda biasa terjadi, pada masa itu seorang anak dibawah usia ketika memasuki wilayah Hindia Belanda (Indonesia sekarang) harus ada orang tua yg menyertainya, bila anak itu tidak beserta orang tua aslinya, maka oleh orang tuanya akan dititipkan kepada "orang tua" yg lain, "orang tua" ini bisa saja bermarga sama atau lain dari aslinya.

[sunting] Kiprah di luar bulutangkis

Bintang film Sakura dalam Pelukan
Pengusaha hotel (pekerjaan kini)

wikipedia.com

2008-07-24T12:02:00.001-07:00

Rudy Hartono Kurniawan

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Rudy Hartono di kala mudanya

Rudy Hartono Kurniawan (Hanzi: 梁海量, Nio Hap Liang; translasi fonetik nama Indonesianya ke bahasa Tionghoa: 哈托诺 Hatuonuo; lahir di Surabaya, 18 Agustus 1949) adalah seorang mantan pemain bulutangkis Indonesia. Ia pernah memenangkan kejuaraan dunia di tahun 1980, dan Kejuaraan All England selama 8 kali pada tahun 1960'an dan 1970'an.

Daftar isi

[sembunyikan]

[sunting] Sejarah

[sunting] Masa Kecil

Rudy Hartono adalah anak ketiga dari 9 bersaudara yang lahir dari pasangan Zulkarnain Kurniawan. Orang tua Rudy tinggal di Jalan Kaliasin 49 (sekarang Jalan Basuki Rahmat), Surabaya, Jawa Timur dan bekerja sebagai penjahit pakaian pria. Selain itu orang tua Rudy juga mempunyai usaha pemrosesan susu sapi di Wonokromo, Jawa Timur.

Seperti anak-anak seumuran lainnya, Rudy kecil juga tertarik dengan berbagai macam olahraga sejak SD, terutama atletik dan renang. Pada masa SMP dia juga berkecimpung di olahraga bola voli dan pada masa SMA dia juga adalah pemain sepakbola yang handal. Tapi dari semua olahraga yang dia ikuti, keinginan terbesarnya akhirnya hanya jatuh pada permainan bulutangkis. Pada usia 9 tahun, Rudy kecil sudah menunjukkan bakatnya di bulutangkis. Tetapi ayahnya baru menyadarinya ketika Rudi sudah berumur 11 tahun. Sebelum itu Rudy hanya berlatih di jalan raya aspal di depan kantor PLN di Surabaya, yang sebelumnya dikenal dengan Jalan Gemblongan -- ditulis oleh Rudy Hartono dalam bukunya Rajawali Dengan Jurus Padi (1986). Rudy berlatih hanya pada hari Minggu, dari pagi hari hingga pukul 10 malam. Setelah merasa cukup, Rudy memutuskan utuk mengikuti kompetisi-kompetisi kecil yang ada di sekitar Surabaya yang pada masa itu biasanya hanya diterangi oleh sinar lampu petromax.

Setelah ayahnya menyadari bakat anaknya, maka Rudy kecil mulai dilatih secara sistematik pada Asosiasi Bulutangkis Oke dengan pola latihan yang telah ditentukan oleh ayahnya. Sekedar informasi, ayah Rudy juga pernah menjadi pemain bulutangkis di masa mudanya. Zulkarnain pernah bermain di kompetisi kelas utama di Surabaya. Zulkarnain pertama kalinya bermain untuk Asosiasi Bulutangkis Oke yang dia dirikan sendiri pada tahun 1951. Di asosiasi ini ayah Rudy juga melatih para pemain muda. Program kepelatihannya ditekankan pada empat hal utama yaitu: kecepatan, pengaturan nafas yang baik, konsistensi permainan dan sifat agresif dalam menjemput target. Tidak mengherankan banyak program kepelatihannya lebih menekankan pada sisi atletik, seperti lari jarak panjang dan pendek dan juga latihan melompat (high jump).

Ketika Rudy mulai berlatih di Asosiasi yang dimiliki ayah pada saat itulah Rudy merasakan latihan profesional yang sesungguhnya. Pada saat itu asosiasi tempat ayah Rudy melatih hanya mempunyai ruangan latihan di gudang gerbong kereta api di PJKA Karangmenjangan. Dengan kondisi seperti itu Rudy tetap berlatih dengan bersemangat bahkan dia merasa bahwa tempat latihan ayahnya jauh lebih baik dari tempat latihan sebelumnya karena ruangan gedung telah memakai cahaya lampu listrik sehingga dia bisa tetap berlatih dengan maksimal sampai malam hari. Selain itu lapangan yang disediakan juga lebih baik dibanding sebelumnya dan juga ada kantin yang berada di samping gedung latihan.

[sunting] Awal Karir Profesional

Setelah beberapa lama bergabung dengan grup ayahnya, akhirnya Rudy memutuskan untuk pindah ke grup bulutangkis yang lebih besar yaitu Grup Rajawali, grup yang telah melahirkan banyak pemain bulutangkis dunia. Pada awal dia bergabung dengan grup ini, Rudy merasa sudah menemukan grup terbaik untuk mengembangkan bakat bulutangkisnya. Akan tetapi setelah berdiskusi dengan ayahnya, Rudy mengakui bahwa jika dia ingin karirnya di bulutangkis meningkat maka dia harus pindah ke tempat latihan yang lebih baik, oleh sebab itu Rudy memutuskan untuk pindah pada Pusat Pelatihan Thomas Cup pada akhir tahun 1965. Tak lama setelah itu, penampilan Rudy semakin membaik. Bahkan dia turut ambil bagian dalam memenangkan Thomas Cup untuk Indonesia pada tahun 1967. Pada umur 18 tahun, untuk pertama kalinya Rudy memenangkan titel Juara All England dengan mengalahkan Tan Aik Huang dari Malaysia dengan hasil akhir 15-12 dan 15-9. Setelah itu dia terus memenangkan titel ini sampai dengan tahun 1974.

[sunting] Daftar prestasi pada kejuaraan All England

1968: Menang - mengalahkan Tan Aik Huang, (Malaysia)
1969: Menang - mengalahkan Darmadi (Indonesia)
1970: Menang - mengalahkan Svend Pri (Denmark)
1971: Menang - mengalahkan Muljadi (Indonesia)
1972: Menang - mengalahkan Svend Pri (Denmark)
1973: Menang - mengalahkan Christian Hadinata (Indonesia)
1974: Menang - mengalahkan Punch Gunalan (Malaysia)
1975: Kalah - dikalahkan Svend Pri (Denmark)
1976: Menang - mengalahkan Liem Swie King (Indonesia)
1977: - Tidak ikut
1978: Kalah - dikalahkan Liem Swie King (Indonesia)

wikipedia.com

2008-07-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Alan Budikusuma

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Alan Budikusuma (Dalam aksara Tionghoa: 魏仁芳) (lahir di Surabaya pada 29 Maret 1968) adalah mantan pemain bulutangkis Indonesia yang meraih medali emas bulutangkis pada Olimpiade Barcelona 1992 dalam nomor tunggal putra. Ia pensiun dari dunia bulutangkis setelah Olimpiade Atlanta 1996.

Alan menikah dengan Susi Susanti, yang juga memenangkan medali emas bulutangkis pada Olimpiade Barcelona.

[sunting] Prestasi

Medali Emas Olimpiade Barcelona 1992
Juara Malaysia Open 1995
Juara Indonesia Open 1993
Juara German Open 1992
Juara China Open 1991
Juara Thailand Open 1989 dan 1991
Juara Dutch Open 1989

wikipedia.com

2008-07-24T11:46:00.002-07:00

Susi Susanti

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Susi Susanti

Lucia Francisca Susi Susanti (Hanzi: 王蓮香, pinyin: Wang Lian-xiang, lahir di Tasikmalaya, Jawa Barat 11 Februari 1971) adalah seorang pemain bulutangkis Indonesia.

Dia menikah dengan Alan Budikusuma, yang meraih medali emas bersamanya di Olimpiade Barcelona 1992. Selain itu, ia pernah juga meraih medali perunggu di Olimpiade Atlanta 1996.

International Badminton Federation (sekarang Badminton World Federation) pada bulan Mei 2004 memberikan penghargaan Hall Of Fame kepada Susi Susanti. Pemain Indonesia lainnya yang memperoleh penghargaan Hall Of Fame yaitu Rudy Hartono Kurniawan, Dick Sudirman, Christian Hadinata, dan Liem Swie King.

[sunting] Prestasi

Medali Emas Olimpiade Barcelona 1992
Medali Perunggu Olimpiade Atlanta 1996
Juara World Championship 1993
Juara All England 1990, 1991, 1993, dan 1994
Juara World Badminton Grand Prix 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 dan 1996
Juara Indonesia Open 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, dan 1997
Juara Malaysia Open 1993, 1994, 1995, dan 1997
Juara Japan Open 1992, 1994, dan 1995
Juara Korea Open 1995
Juara Dutch Open 1993
Juara Denmark Open 1991 dan 1992
Juara Thailand Open 1991, 1992, 1993, dan 1994
Juara Swedish Open 1991
Juara China Taipei Open 1991 dan 1994
Juara Piala Uber 1994 dan 1996 (Tim Piala Uber Indonesia)

wikipedia.com

2008-07-24T11:46:00.001-07:00

Susy Terima Hall of Fame

JAKARTA - Bintang bulutangkis putri Susy Susanti menerima penghargaan Hall of Fame dari Federasi Bulutangkis Internasional (IBF) yang diserahkan Presiden IBF Korn Thapparansi di Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Sabtu.

"Saya senang menerima penghargan tersebut, dan berterima kasih kepada masyarakat Indonesia yang memungkinkan diperolehnya penghargaan ini," kata Susy dalam pidato singkatnya seusai menerima penghargaan bergengsi di dunia bulutangkis itu.

Keputusan untuk menganugerahkan penghargaan terhadap legenda bulutangkis Indonesia berusia 33 tahun itu diambil oleh Dewan IBF pada pertemuan hari Rabu (12/5).

Susy Susanti yang bersama suaminya Alan Budikusuma meraih medali emas pertama untuk Indonesia pada Olimpiade Barcelona 1992, menyusul Rudy Hartono, Dick Sudirman, Christian Hadinata dan Liem Swie King yang sudah lebih dulu menerima penghargaan tersebut. Selain itu, ibu dari tiga anak tersebut juga meraih medali perunggu di Olimpiade Atlanta 1996, Juara Dunia 1993, dan lima kali menjuarai All England. (ant-57)

2008-07-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thomas Uber Cup 2008
Pembuktian Nasionalisme Susy Susanti

Oleh admin

Minggu, 25-Mei-2008, 10:20:56

Siapa orang Indonesia yang tak kenal nama Susy Susanti. Sebagai ratu bulutangkis dunia namanya tak hanya masyur di Indonesia. Segudang prestasi menjadi sesuatu yang terus menghidupkan namanya. Mental baja, ulet dan pertahanan yang kokoh adalah ciri khas permainan jawara All England 4 kali ini.

Oleh: Iwan Susanto

Siapa orang Indonesia yang tak kenal nama Susy Susanti. Sebagai ratu bulutangkis dunia namanya tak hanya masyur di Indonesia. Segudang prestasi menjadi sesuatu yang terus menghidupkan namanya. Mental baja, ulet dan pertahanan yang kokoh adalah ciri khas permainan jawara All England 4 kali ini.

Setelah berhenti dari hingar bingar bulutangkis internasional, sosoknya tetap menjadi sorotan publik. Tepat di penghujung tahun 1999 Susy resmi gantung raket. Sebagai mantan pemain handal istri Alan Budikusuma ini diharapkan mampu menularkan pengalamannya. Banyak pihak berharap Susy mau menjadi pelatih. Susy digadang akan mampu menelurkan pemain kaliber dunia disaat pemain putri Indonesia terpuruk. Namun Susy selalu menolak. Bahkan Susy selalu muncul dengan kritikan yang lantang kepada pemerintah tentang nasib mantan atlit seperti dirinya yang kurang mendapat perhatian dari pemerintah.

Banyak kalangan pecinta bulutangkis Indonesia kecewa. Susy yang bergelimang dengan hadiah masih terus menuntut kesejahteraan. Bayangkan disaat tahun 1992 uang tunai 1 milyar sudah masuk ke rekeningnya. Dan masih banyak hadiah yang didapat dari berbagai turnamen. Banyak yang berujar ''Susy dulu kau ku puja kini kau buat ku merana''. Kata-kata itu memang menjadi pilihan terakhir disaat prestasi pemain tunggal putri Indonesia menginjak titik nadir. Contoh akurat adalah tidak adanya pemain tunggal putri yang sekedar bisa lolos ke olimpiade 2004. Padahal Susy adalah ratu ditahun 1992.

Kiprah Susy di bulutangkis pun sangat minim. Susy hanya muncul di turnamen yang melibatkan produknya, ASTEC. Puncaknya Susy dengan tegas melarang anaknya untuk terjun di dunia bulutangkis. Sungguh ironis memang. Egois kah mantan Srikandi Indonesia ini? Semua tentu bertanya-tanya.

Pertanyaan kemudian terjawab di putaran final Thomas Uber Cup 2008. Susy yang ditunjuk sebagi manager tim, ternyata membuktikan bahwa dia adalah nasionalisme sejati. Pembuktian itu bukan karena Maria Kristin dkk sukses melaju hingga final. Namun nasionalisme Susy terbukti dengan seriusnya dia mengolah tim uber kita. Tim yang tak punya kartu as dan tak diunggulkan malah mampu bermain dengan semangat membara. Menempatkan sebagai kakak, Susy berhasil mengayomi Tim Uber Indonesia. Mental tim yang selalu menjadi titik lemah, mampu dipolesnya.

Pernyataannya pun adalah bukti nyata kecintaannya terhadap Indonesia. Walau sempat mendapat tawaran melatih diluar negeri, demi cinta tanah airnya Susi tak menggubris tawaran tersebut. Pernyataan lain yang membuat kagum adalah sehari menjelang final. Susy melontarkan bahwa Tim Uber Indonesia harus berjuang maksimal seperti tentara di medan laga demi Indonesia apapun bisa. ''Indonesia luar biasa,'' kata-kata yang dilontarkan dengan kalem namun penuh makna.

Susy pun berjanji tahun 2010 tim uber Indonesia akan lebih baik dan lebih menggigit. Kita tunggu kiprah sang legenda Indonesia ini.
Iwan Susanto, Jurnalis Masyarakat Bulutangkis Indonesia (MBI)

2008-07-24T11:45:00.006-07:00

Ketenangan Bawa Kemenangan Bao Chunlai

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Tunggal kedua China, Bao Chunlai mengaku bahwa ketenangannya terutama pada game pertama membantunya meraih kemenangan atas Lee Hyun Il 28-26, 21-11.

"Hari ini saya lebih tenang tetapi secara keseluruhan kami sangat lelah dalam pertandingan tersebut," ujar Bao Chunlai saat memberi keterangan pers usai memenangi pertandingan atas pemain ranking sembilan dunia itu sekaligus membawa China memimpin 2-1 atas Korea dalam final Piala Thomas, Minggu.

Ketenangan tersebut terutama bermanfaat pada "deuce" setelah ia unggul 20-17, namun kemudian terkejar sehingga kedudukan sempat imbang mulai dari 20-20 hingga 26-26.

Akhirnya pemain nomor tiga dunia itu yang merebut game tersebut 28-26.

"Saat deuce semua poin sangat sulit didapat, tetapi saya bisa mengatasi tekanan sehingga memenangi set tersebut," ujar Bao yang memperpanjang rekor kemenangannya atas Lee menjadi tujuh kali dari tujuh pertemuan.

Setelah memenangi game pertama dengan perjuangan keras, tanpa banyak kesulitan Bao memenangi game kedua 21-11.

Pemain nomor satu Lin Dan menyumbang angka pertama bagi juara bertahan China dengan menundukkan Park Sung Hwan secara rubber-game 10-21, 21-18, 21-8 dalam satu jam.

Kemenangan tersebut memperbaiki rekor pertemuan dia dengan pemain peringkat delapan dunia, Park itu menjadi 3-3 setelah sebelumnya menang di Kejuaraan Dunia 2006 dan Prancis Super Series 2007, sementara Park memenangi pertemuan Malaysia Terbuka 2004, Malaysia Super Series dan China Super Series 2007.

Namun pasangan peringkat tiga dunia yang sedang menanjak Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae menyamakan kedudukan bagi Korea menjadi 1-1 setelah menundukkan ranking dua dunia Fu Haifeng/Cai Yun 25-23, 21-16.(*)

sumber: thomascup.antara.co.id

2008-07-24T11:45:00.005-07:00

Kertas Warna Warni Meriahkan Kemenangan Tim Thomas China

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Tim Piala Thomas dan Uber China bersuka-ria dengan menembakkan kembang kertas warna-warni ke udara di dalam gedung Istora Senayan, Minggu, setelah berhasil mempertahankan Piala Thomas dengan skor 3-1 lawan Korsel.

Suasana di dalam gedung Istora Senayan hingar bingar yang diwarnai gempita suara yang dilontarkan para pemain dan ofisial serta dari penonton pendukung China dalam bahasa Mandarin, menyusul kemenangan tim itu.

Sehari sebelumnya, Sabtu, tim China juga berpesta setelah tim Piala Uber mempertahankan gelar dengan memenangi pertandingan final setelah mengalahkan tim tuan rumah Indonesia 3-0.

Tampak bendera-bendera warna merah yang merupakan warna bendera China dibentangkan di area penonton serta sebuah spanduk bertuliskan mendukung pemain tunggal China Lin Dan.

Berbeda dengan hari sebelumnya, Sabtu, suasana yang didominasi dengan dukungan terhadap tim Indonesia, pada malam final Thomas ini, sebagian besar penonton melakukan dukungannya kepada tim China, dan hanya ada sebagian kecil penonton yang berada di sudut kanan atas Istora Senayan yang meneriakkan dukungannya terhadap tim Korsel.

"Saya datang dari wilayah Jakarta Kota, dan keberadaan saya di sini untuk mendukung tim China," kata Mei Lan yang mengaku berprofesi sebagai pedagang itu.(*)

sumber: thomascup.antara.co.id

2008-07-24T11:45:00.004-07:00

Kertas Warna Warni Meriahkan Kemenangan Tim Thomas China

2008-07-24T11:45:00.003-07:00

China Atasi Korsel, Raih Piala Thomas Tiga Kali Beruntun

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - China, juara bertahan dua kali pada 2004 dan 2006, berhasil mengatasi tim Korea Selatan dengan kemenangan 3-1 pada final Piala Thomas di Istora Gelora Bung Karno Jakarta, Minggu, memastikan kemenangan ketiga secara beruntun.

Pasangan Xie Zhongbo/Guo Zhendong membutuhkana waktu lebih dari satu jam untuk memastikan kemenangan China atas Korea 3-1 setelah bermain tiga game sebelum mengatasi Lee Jae Jin/Hwang Ji Man 21-12, 19-21, 21-12.

Setelah memastikan kemenangan mereka atas tim Korea yang baru pertama kali mencapai final kejuaraan dunia beregu putra itu, tim China, putra dan putri berkumpul di tengah lapangan membentuk lingkaran kemudian meneriakkan kalimat yang kira-kira berarti "kita menang" berulang kali.

Keberhasilan tersebut membuat China secara keseluruhan telah tujuh kali memenangi Piala Thomas dan menyandingkan Piala Thomas dan Uber sejak 2004 setelah tim putri China berhasil memenangi Piala Uber keenam kalinya dengan menundukkan tuan rumah Indonesia 3-0, Sabtu.

Soal kemenangan tersebut, manajer tim China Li Yongbo mengatakan bahwa melalui turnamen tersebut tim China dapat mengetahui kelemahan mereka dan kelemahan tim lawan sehingga bisa mempersiapkan diri dengan baik untuk menghadapi Olimpiade.

Tim China tidak menggelar keterangan pers resmi usai meraih kemenangan dengan alasan harus segera kembali ke hotel untuk merayakan keberhasilan mereka.

Piala Thomas diserahkan kepada tim China oleh Presiden BWF Kang Young Joong.

Sementara itu, manajer tim Korea Kim Jong Soo mengatakan bahwa sejak awal ia sudah memperkirakan akan bertemu dengan Denmark di perempat-final, Indonesia di semifinal dan China di final.

"Semua berjalan mulus sesuai perkiraan," katanya.

"Tapi pada final kami mengharapkan sejak tunggal pertama akan bermain bagus, tetapi China adalah tim yang lebih baik hari ini," tambah Kim.

Tim Korea mengharapkan dapat meraih poin melalui tunggal pertama Park Sung Hwan, ganda pertama Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae dan ganda kedua Lee Jae Jin dan Hwang Ji Man.

"Karena pertandingan pertama kalah, tekanan yang dihadapi pemain bertambah," jelas Kim yang berharap pada putaran final Piala Thomas mendatang dapat kembali maju ke final dan berhasil meraih kemenangan.(*)

sumber: thomascup.antara.co.id

2008-07-24T11:45:00.002-07:00

Rudy Sang "Maestro"

Rudy Hartono Kurniawan, pebulutangkis yang lahir di Surabaya 18 Agustus 1949 dengan nama Nio Hap Liang ini, memiliki segudang prestasi yang mengharumkan nama Indonesia dan para pecinta olahraga raket ini baik di dalam dan luar negeri mengenang jasanya, meraih delapan kali juara All England pada era 1960-an hingga 1970-an.

Pahlawan raket yang beberapa kali mengantar Indonesia merebut Thomas Cup ini juga dijuluki sang "Maestro" oleh para kuli tinta yang merekam kisahnya melalui tulisan-tulisan di media massa pada era itu.

Bukan sebuah pencapaian yang tiba-tiba, perjalanan sang "Maestro" Rudy Hartono dalam menggeluti bulutangkis sudah dirintisnya sejak kecil. Sebagai anak ketiga dari 9 bersaudara keluarga pebulutangkis Zulkarnaen Kurniawan (Nio Siek In), Rudy sejak kecil sudah diperkenalkan bagaimana cara memainkan raket dan shuttlecock yang baik.

Rudy kecil yang tinggal bersama orang tuanya di Jalan Kaliasin 49 (sekarang Jalan Basuki Rahmat) Surabaya, Jatim itu, sudah sejak duduk di Sekolah Dasar sudah menunjukkan bakatnya dalam bermain bulutangkis.

Awalnya, waktu kecil Rudy berlatih di jalan raya aspal di depan kantor PLN di Surabaya, yang sebelumnya dikenal dengan Jalan Gemblongan. Dia berlatih setiap Minggu pagi pukul 10.00 hingga malam.

Baru setelah ayahnya menyadari akan bakatnya, maka Rudy kecil mulai dilatih secara sistematik di Asosiasi Bulutangkis Oke, sebuah perkumpulan bulutangkis yang dibentuk Zulkarnain pada 1951. Program kepelatihannya ditekankan pada empat hal utama yaitu: kecepatan, pengaturan nafas yang baik, konsistensi permainan dan sifat agresif dalam menjemput target.

Beberapa kali Rudy aktif mengikuti kejuaraan lokal di Surabaya.

Demi peningkatan prestasinya, Rudy terpaksa memutuskan untuk pindah ke grup bulutangkis yang lebih besar yakni Grup Rajawali, klub yang telah melahirkan para pebulutangkis dunia.

Rudy yang tidak pernah menyerah mencari peluang, akhirnya atas saran ayahnya ia berusaha ikut dalam Pusat Pelatihan Thomas Cup pada akhir 1965 silam. Penampilannya pun semakin baik, bahkan ia turut memenangkan Thomas Cup untuk Indonesia pada 1967.

Kemudian dalam usianya yang masih 18 tahun, Rudy Hartono sudah memenangkan gelar sebagai Juara All England dengan mengalahkan Tan Aik Huang dari Malaysia 15-2, 15-9.

Penampilan memukau dan smash yang mematikan, membawa ia menjadi juara All England delapan kali dan bersama-sama dengan tim Indonesia memenangkan Thomas Cup pada 1970, 1973, 1976, dan 1979. Atas prestasi itu, nama pria yang suka berdoa saat bertanding ini diabadikan dalam Guiness Book of World Records pada 1982.

Di tengah kegemilangan prestasinya menjuarai All England berkali-kali, Rudy sempat dikalahkan Svend Pri dari Denmark pada 1975, namun pada 1976 Rudy kembali merebutnya.

Rudi sempat absen sekitar dua tahun sebelum menjuarai Kejuaraan Dunia Bulutangkis II di Jakarta, 1980. Ia waktu itu mengalahkan Liem Swie King di final untuk membuktikan diri sebagai "maestro" bulutangkis yang tangguh.

Dalam keluarga Rudy yang bisa dikatakan sebagai keluarga pebulutangkis, dua kakak Rudy, Freddy Hartono dan Diana Veronica pernah berkiprah di perbulutangkisan tingkat daerah.

Saudaranya yang lebih muda adalah Jeanne Utami (Utami Dewi), Eliza Laksmi Dewi, Ferry Harianto, George Hartono, dan Hauwtje Hariyadi. Beberapa adiknya pun ada yang menjadi pemain di tingkat daerah.

Utami Dewi misalnya, pernah menjadi pemain tangguh, dan bintang putri bulutangkis Indonesia sebelum hijrah ke Amerika Serikat setelah menikah dengan Christ Kennard.

Sementara Rudy menikah pada 28 Agustus 1976 dengan Jane Anwar, keponakan Willem Soerjadjaja yang waktu itu adalah Presiden Komisaris PT Astra Internasional. Rudy dan Jane dikaruniai dua anak.

Selain bermain bulutangkis, Rudy ternyata juga bisa berakting. Pada Agustus 1971 ia bersama Poppy Dharsono ikut membintangi film berjudul "Matinya Seorang Bidadari" produksi perdana Sumaco Film. Film itu adalah film pertama dan yang terakhir bagi sang "Maestro".

Selain ulet menjalankan usahanya dalam bidang susu sapi perah, pabrik shuttlecocks dan importir alat-alat olahraga lainnya, Rudy juga mengelola sebuah klub bulutangkis Jaya Raya di Jakarta Selatan.

Rudy bahkan sempat terlibat secara intensif melatih generasi setelahnya seperti Eddy Kurniawan, Hermawan Susanto, Alan Budikusuma dan lain-lain.

Banyak sudah hadiah yang diterimanya selama bergulat dalam dunia bulutangkis. Di antaranya ia menerima penghargaan diplome D'honneur dari UNESCO, 3 Nopember 1988 di Paris. Penghargaan tertinggi di bidang olahraga ini diserahkan langsung oleh Direktur Jenderal lembaga itu, Federico Major. Penghargaan tersebut diberikan atas prestasi dan loyalitasnya dalam perbulutangkisan selama 12 tahun, dari 1968 hingga 1980.

"Dalam setiap pertandingan yang diikutinya, Rudy senantiasa bermain bersih," ujar Ny. Pienelte Astruc, juru bicara UNESCO.

Dalam kepengurusan PB PBSI 1993-1997 Rudy Hartono dipercaya menjadi Kabid Luar Negeri, menggantikan Tirto Utomo, SH dan pada Mei 1994 diangkat sebagai Anggota Desan IBF (International Badminton Federation), sekarang Badminton World Federation (BWF). (***)

Foto repro buku "Sejarah Bulutangkis Indonesia", PBSI, 2004: Rudy Hartono dengan gerakannya yang terkenal around the head smash.

sumber: thomascup.antara.co.id

2008-07-24T11:45:00.001-07:00

Iie Sumirat, "Sang Pembunuh Raksasa"

Jaarta (ANTARA News) - Gaya permainannya memang lain. Ia dikenal sebagai pemain stylish. Bisa jadi, ialah satu-satunya pebulutangkis stylish di Indonesia. Itulah Iie Sumirat "Sang Pembunuh Raksasa", demikian julukannya.

Putera Bandung, Jawa Barat, tersebut terhitung selalu penuh kejutan. Kejutan demi kejutan pun dibuatnya. Hal paling berkesan saat tim bulutangkis Indonesia berhadapan dengan China di invitasi bulutangkis Asia, yang diselenggarakan World Badminton Championship di Bangkok pada 1976.

Bersama anggota tim lainnya, seperti Dhany Sartika, Christian, dan Ade Candra, Iie harus berjuang untuk menyumbangkan angka bagi Indonesia.

Di kejuaraan yang digelar sebagai pesaing All England itulah awal sebutan sebagai "The Giant Killer" melekat dalam sosok Iie, pria kelahiran Bandung, 15 November 1950.

Di kejuaraan itu, dia menaklukan dua pemain China yang lebih berpengalaman, Tang Hsein Hu dan Hou Chia Chang. Tang ia libas dalam tiga set. Set pertama Iie unggul 15-9. Di set kedua, Tang sempat memimpin 7-4, namun Iie tidak menyerah, dan gantian memimpin 12-7, meski kemudian Iie harus mengakui keunggulan Tang dengan 12-15.

Di set terakhir, keduanya mati-matian berlaga. Setelah imbang 5-5, Iie melesat meninggalkan Tang 15-6. Iie melaju ke final.

Di final, Iie bertemu lawan tangguh yang juga teman senegara Tang, yakni Hou Chia Chang. Tipe permaian Hou mirip-mirip Iie. Iie pun mampu membungkam Hou juga dengan tiga set.

Di set pertama, Iie yang lebih banyak defensif mengakui keunggulan Hou 12-15. Di set kedua, gantian Iie yang memegang kendali. Tenaga Hou yang sudah terkuras tak mampu melayani permainan Iie. Iie unggul 15-8.

Set penentuan berlangsung seru. Kejar mengejar angka terus terjadi pada posisi yang menentukan. Setelah unggul 11-10, Hou ganti menyalip menjadi 11-12. Iie kemudian menyusul lagi menjadi 12-13, dan akhirnya menyamakan kedudukan 13-13. Terjadi deuce lima.

Di posisi itulah, Iie tidak memberi ampun. Hou terkunci dan tak berkutik hingga ketika Iie melancarkan tipuannya dengan sebuah lob serang ke kanan belakang daerah lawan. Saat itu ada pula yang memberi sebutan "Sang Pembunuh Naga" lantaran Iie berhasil mematikan permainan para "naga" dari China.

Iie memang penuh "tipu-menipu" ketika berlaga di lapangan. Gaya kedutnya sulit ditebak lawan. Gaya itu pula sulit untuk ditiru pemain lainnya.

Dalam sebuah wawancara dengan harian Pikiran Rakyat pada 2007, Iie mengakui bahwa gayanya itu merupakan hasil dari seringnya membantu mengecat mobil di bengkel ayahnya.

Aktivitasnya ketika itu dengan memompa sekaligus dua pompa tangan selama 30 menit selama tiga tahun, yang tanpa disadarinya membuat pergelangan tangannya kuat.

Iie tidak saja ahli dalam kedut-mengedut itu. Ia juga ahli "menari". Buktinya ketika menghadapi lawan tangguh, tak segan-segan jurus "tari"-nya keluarkan. Ia akan berputar-putar sambil menggerakan tangannya. Keahlian "ngibing" tersebut, ternyata bisa membuat konsentrasi lawan terpecah. Dan, lagi-lagi, ia bisa memetik kemenangan dengan semua gayanya itu.

Pemain asal Denmark, Svend Pri, termasuk yang menjadi korban "ngibing" Iie. Itu terjadi pada final Piala Thomas 1979. Beberapa kali, Iie merusak mental Svend Pri menggunakan gaya "ngibing". Iie punya alasan kenapa jurusnya itu dipakainya. Ternyata, ia menilai sederhana saja, yakni gerakan itu tidak dilarang dalam pertandingan bulutangkis.

Tingkah Iie yang aneh bukan saja ketika berhadapan dengan lawan. Terhadap sesuatu yang tidak bisa ia terima, Iie juga tidak segan-segan protes. Hal itu ia buktikan ketika merasa tidak puas dengan Pelatnas Thomas Cup 1979 yang digelar di Jakarta. Iie pun hengkang dari pelatnas, dan kembali ke Bandung.

Apa pengakuannya mengenai hal itu? Iie mengaku hengkang dari pelatnas karena merasa dirinya tidak akan dimainkan dalam final seleksi untuk penentuan tunggal putra. Iie saat akan menginjak semifinal seleksi itu menempati peringkat ketiga, di atas "si bola karet" Lius Pongoh.

Di semifinal benar saja, Iie tidak diturunkan. Lius Pongoh yang di urutan keempat justru yang dimainkan. Iie melihat hal itu sebagai sesuatu yang tidak adil, dan dirinya merasa tidak dihiraukan.

Ia pun kemudian memilih untuk kabur dari pelatnas. Meski lari dari Pelatnas, Iie tetap berlatih karena merasa dirinya akan menjadi anggota tim Piala Thomas Indonesia.

Nalurinya ini menjadi kenyataan. Iie akhirnya kembali ke pelatnas setelah persyaratan yang diajukannya diterima. Iie juga "mengancam" kalau dirinya tak bermain di final seleksi, ia akan mengundang wartawan untuk menggelar konferensi pers.

Posisi tawar Iie saat itu amatlah tinggi. Pasalnya, beberapa wartawan nasional yang telah mengendus kaburnya Iie dari pelatnas, sudah menyusul pula ke Bandung.

Akhirnya, Iie menang bersyarat. "Si bola karet" menyerah pada pembunuh raksasa. Iie masuk tim inti, diikuti Liem Swie King, dan Rudi Hartono. Bahkan, ia bermain pula untuk nomor ganda putra, berpasangan dengan Tjuntjun.

Hasilnya, Iie menyumbang tiga poin dari total sembilan partai pertandingan untuk mempertahankan Piala Thomas kali keempat berturut-turut. Iie menang dua partai tunggal dan sekali partai ganda. Indonesia mendapat Piala Thomas dari tahun 1970, 1973, 1976, dan 1979.

Kini Iie masih aktif di dunia bulutangkis. Ia menjadi pelatih di Klub Graha Sangkuriang Bandung (SGS). Salah satu anak didiknya yang saat ini berlaga di Thomas Cup 2008 adalah Taufik Hidayat.

Polesan Iie terlihat sekali dalam diri Taufik dengan pukulan-pukulan tipunya. Demikian juga dalam hal mengambil posisi di lapangan, akan terlihat gerak kaki yang khas Iie Sumirat selalu diperagakan Taufik kala bertanding. (***)

Foto repro buku "Sejarah Bulutangkis Indonesia", PBSI, 2004: Salah satu aksi Iie Sumirat.

sumber: thomascup.antara.co.id

2008-07-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Icuk Sugiarto, Ketangguhan Pebulutangkis Bertahan

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Icuk Sugiarto adalah salah seorang pebulutangkis Indonesia yang tenar pada era 1980 hingga 1990-an. Lelaki kelahiran Surakarta, Jawa Tengah, pada 4 Oktober 1962 itu pernah menjadi juara dunia pada 1983 dan 1985. Selain itu, ia memperkuat tim Piala Thomas Indonesia pada 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, dan 1990.

Selain terkenal sebagai pemain yang super defensif (memiliki pertahanan yang kuat), Icuk juga berstamina sangat prima. Pada masanya, ia adalah pemain yang mempunyai stamina paling baik, sebagaimana tercatat dalam buku "Apa & Siapa Sejumlah Orang Bulutangkis Indonesia".

Daya tahan dan stamina Icuk luar biasa. Bahkan, ia sempat dicurigai oleh komite dopping Kejuaraan Dunia di Kopenhagen, Denmark, pada Mei 1983. Komite itu sampai dua kali memeriksa Icuk, sehingga Tahir Djide selaku pelatihnya melayangkan protes keras.

Dalam kondisi prima kala itu, ketika merebut gelar juara dunia, VO2max Icuk mencapai sekitar 72, padahal rata-rata yang dimiliki pemain lain adalah 65.

V02max adalah kapasitas maksimum oksigen yang dikonsumsi seseorang ketika menjalankan aktivitas yang menguras tenaga, seperti dalam pertandingan olahraga. Orang dengan V02max tinggi akan memiliki daya tahan dan stamina yang lebih baik.

Oleh karena itu, kalangan ahli kesehatan pun tidak heran manakala secara fisik saja Icuk mampu merobohkan raksasa-raksasa bulutangkis, seperti Morten Frost Hansen dari Denmark, Prakash Padukone (India), dan Liem Swie King sesama pemain Indonesia.

Pemuda yang bernama Budianto itu merupakan putra ketiga dari tujuh bersaudara yang lahir dari pasangan Suhardjo dengan Ny. Tjiptaningsih. Suhardjo adalah seorang
pensiunan pegawai Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Surakarta bagian karawitan.

"Saya ini berasal dari keluarga orang susah. Saya tidak pernah takut hidup susah, asalkan saya bisa jujur dalam hidup ini," kata Icuk.

Ketika ke Semarang, ibukota Jawa Tengah, pada 1974 dan menjadi juara tunggal putra Piala Munadi, ibunya pun turut mendampingi. Sang ibu setia mendukung Icuk, bahkan mencucikan kaos dan celananya.

Budianto mengenal bulutangkis sejak usia 12 tahun. Klub pertama yang membimbingnya adalah Taruna, kemudian Abadi. Sedangkan, pelatih yang banyak mempengaruhi gaya bermain Icuk adalah Suratman.

Penampilannya di Munadi Cup sangat memukau, sehingga M. Ridwan S., pelatih dan pemandu bakat dari Bimantara Tangkas, terpesona dibuatnya. Sejak saat itu Icuk diliriknya, kemudian dimasukkan ke sekolah atlet Ragunan di Jakarta Selatan pada 1979, sebelum bergabung dengan Pelatihan Nasional (Pelatnas) Bulutangkis.

Bergabung dengan pelatnas, permainan Icuk kian berkembang. Di bawah bimbingan Tahir Djide, ia berhasil menjuarai kompetisi bulutangkis pelajar se-Asia pada 1979. Setahun kemudian, Icuk bersama Sigit Pamungkas menjadi juara I Kejuaraan Nasional di nomor ganda putra.

Icuk berprestasi puncaknya menjadi juara dunia di Kopenhagen pada 1983 dengan disaksikan Presiden IOC (International Olympic Commitee) saat itu, Juan Antonio Samaranch. Kala itu, Federasi Bulutangkis Internasional (International Badminton Federation/IBF) berusaha memasukkan bulutangkis menjadi cabang olahraga yang dipertandingkan di olimpiade.

Setelah itu, Icuk pun kian percaya diri. Ia sampai dengan 1989 mengantongi 32 gelar juara.

Hanya saja, karirnya tidak selalu mulus. Usai merebut juara dunia, Icuk di kemudian hari mengakui bahwa rasanya kemampuannya terlalu cepat naik, sehingga terkesan berangsur-angsur surut.

Bahkan, Icuk dalam dua tahun setelah menjadi juara dunia hanya memenangi tiga turnamen internasional yang kurang penting, antara lain Sirkuit Thailand Open dan Malaysia Open pada pertengahan Juli 1984.

Baru pada Piala Dunia 555 tahun 1986 di Jakarta, Icuk kembali bangkit dengan membantai Park Joo Bong dari Korea Selatan, Zhao Jian (China), Huang Hua (China), dan lagi-lagi Morten Frost Hansen.

Seiring dengan lanjutnya usia, Icuk sepak terjangnya pun menurun. Dari perkawinannya pada 5 Juli 1983 dengan Nina Yaroh, perempuan Medan (Sumatera Utara) kelahiran 26 Juni 1962, Icuk dikaruniai dua anak. Natasia Oktaviani lahir 3 Oktober 1984 dan Tommy Sugiarto 13 Mei 1988.

Tommy adalah penerus Icuk sebagai pebulutangkis yang lima tahun terakhir ini kemampuannya terbilang lumayan.

Sejak awal April 1991, Icuk ditunjuk menjadi manajer klub Pelita Jaya. Hal itu dipilihnya, setelah menolak tawaran Australia dan Prancis yang ingin mengejar ketertinggalannya dari negera-negara lain dalam perbulutangkisan.

Tawaran terakhir dari Malaysia, dan Icuk pun tetap menolaknya. Dari perjuangan dan pengabdiannya, Icuk memperoleh berbagai penghargaan, antara lain:

1. Atlet Terbaik versi Seksi Wartawan Olahraga, Persatuan Wartawan Indonesia, Jakarta Raya (Siwo PWI) Jaya pada 1983.
2. Bintang Jasa Klas I dari Pemerintah RI yang disematkan oleh Menteri Muda Pemuda dan Olahraga (Menpora) Abdul Gafur.
3. Atlet terbaik Asia di Beijing pilihan wartawan olahraga Cina pada 1986.
4. Atlet Terbaik Siwo PWI Jaya 1988.
5. Selalu masuk sebagai unggulan atlet terbaik nasional dalam 1982 hingga 1989.
6. Satya Lencana Kebudayaan RI yang diberikan Presiden Soeharto pada Hari Olahraga Nasional (Haornas) di Parkir Timur Senayan 1991. (*)

Foto repro buku "Sejarah Bulutangkis Indonesia", PBSI, 2004.

sumber: thomascup.antara.co.id

2008-07-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Indonesia Challenge International Badminton Championships

The Badminton Association Of Indonesia (PBSI) will be hold its Indonesia Challenge International Badminton Championships from 26th to 30th August 2008 in Surabaya, East Java - Indonesia.

Host Organizer
The championship will be hosted by Badminton Association Of Indonesia (PBSI) and co hosted by its member, East Java Badminton Association.

Events
The championship is an individual event consists of Men’s Single, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Single, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.To ensure that the lower level players have games with players of their levels, it was decided that there will be qualifying rounds in all events depending on the quantity of the number of entries received.

Venue
Sudirman Hall
Jl. Kertajaya Indah Timur No. 8 Surabaya, East Java – Indonesia

Referees & Deputies
Referee : Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC)
Deputies : Badminton Association Of Indonesia (PBSI)

Status & Prize Money
The Event is categorized under BWF level with world ranking points. It carries total prize money of US$ 15,000.00
Distributions of Prize Money are in accordance with BWF regulations.

Entries
All entries must be submitted complete with recent photograph (in 3x4 size) by fax or e-mailed directly to the Organizing Committee at pbsijtm@yahoo.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or irwan_olahraga@yahoo.co.idThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by fax at +6231 5912140 before closing date as stipulated below. Entries must be endorsed by the National Badminton Association. Submission of entries will only be accepted by using the attached entry forms. The closing date for submission of entries is on 3rd August 2008. Seeding will be done base on BWF Rankings dated 1st August 2008. While drawing will be done by BAC on August 18th 2008.For more information, please log on to our official website at www.pbsijatim.org

Eligibility
All participants should NOT be below 15 years old.

Withdrawals
Any withdrawals/substitutions must be informed to the Organizing Committee’s secretariat before the commencement of the Draw. As per BWF’s regulations, penalty charges of US $ 250 per entry will be imposed for any withdrawals without any valid reasons or documentations AFTER the Draws.

Doping Test
Dope test will be conducted as per WADA regulations.Please note Competitions Regulation Appendix 3 “Anti Doping Regulations” in the BWF Statutes.

On-Court Doctor
There will be on-court doctors on duty throughout the competition at the tournament venue.

Clothing & Advertising
Clothing and advertising are in accordance with BWF statutes.

Shuttlecock
Shuttlecock by INDOCOCK SHUTTLECOCK INTERNATIONAL

Equipment
Official Equipment Supplier is from sponsor with the international standard quality.

Official Hotel
J.W Marriott Hotel (5 stars)
Addres : Embong Malang Surabaya
Room Rates : US $ 68
Hyatt Regency Hotel (5 stars)
Addres : Basuki Rachmat Surabaya
Room Rates : US $ 68

Programmes & Functions
Team Managers Meeting
Date & Time: 25th August 2008 at 18.00 hours
Venue : Official Hotel
Umpires Briefing
Date & Time: 25th August 2008 at 15.00 hours
Venue : Official Hotel

Transportation
Transportation will be provided between the airport and the Official Hotel upon arrival and departure at Juanda International Airport, Surabaya. Ground transportation to and from the tournament / training venue will only be provided to participants staying at the Official Hotel.

Regards and looking forward to receive your team’s entries soon.

source: www.pbsijatim.org

2008-07-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

JUARA CHEERS DAN SEA GAMES 2007 TERIMA REWARD

Written by ian
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Salah satu bentuk perhatian KONI Kota Surabaya terhadap atlet bulutangkis asal Surabaya ditunjukkan melalui pemberian reward kepada atlet berprestasi. Sebanyak 10 atlet bulutangkis asal Surabaya yang memperoleh medali pada kejuaraan Sea Games di Thailand tanggal 6 s/d 15 Desember 2007 dan kejuaraan Cheers Youth International di Singapura tanggal 17 s/d 22 Desember 2007 menerima reward dari KONI Surabaya. Kesepuluh atlet tersebut, 2 atlet berasal dari PB. Suryanaga GG untuk Sea Games Thailand yaitu Sony Dwi Kuncoro dan Alvent Yulianto. Sedangkan sisanya, 6 atlet berasal dari PB. Wima adalah Ade Yusuf Santoso, Jason Koeswono, Rizky Aulia, Rama Adi Julius, Haswir Sahab serta Bobby Eriawan, serta 2 atlet lainnya berasal dari PB. Gemilang yakni : Roy Danu dan Yessica Koeswono untuk kejuaraan Cheers Youth International. Reward tersebut diserahkan langsung oleh Saleh Ismail Mukadar, Ketua Umum KONI Kota Surabaya hari Kamis kemarin, tanggal 17 Januari 2008 pukul 15.00 WIB di Graha Surabaya Bangkit - KONI Surabaya, Jl. Bogen No. 1. Dari kesepuluh atlet, ada beberapa diantaranya yang menerima reward dua kali karena memang memperoleh medali untuk dua kategori seperti Ade Yusuf Santoso (Boy’s Single dan Boy’s Double Under 13) serta Roy Danu (Boy’s Single dan Boy’s Double Under 13). sumber: www.pbsijatim.org

2008-07-19T23:46:00.003-07:00

Stretching

How to Stretch

When done properly, stretching can do more than just increase flexibility. According to M. Alter, benefits of stretching include:

enhanced physical fitness
enhanced ability to learn and perform skilled movements
increased mental and physical relaxation
enhanced development of body awareness
reduced risk of injury to joints, muscles, and tendons
reduced muscular soreness
reduced muscular tension
increased suppleness due to stimulation of the production of chemicals which lubricate connective tissues (see Section 1.3 [Connective Tissue])
reduced severity of painful menstruation ("dysmenorrhea") in females

Unfortunately, even those who stretch do not always stretch properly and hence do not reap some or all of these benefits. Some of the most common mistakes made when stretching are:

improper warm-up
inadequate rest between workouts
overstretching
performing the wrong exercises
performing exercises in the wrong (or sub-optimal) sequence

In this chapter, we will try to show you how to avoid these problems, and others, and present some of the most effective methods for realizing all the benefits of stretching.

Section: 4.1 Warming Up

Stretching is *not* warming up! It is, however, a very important part of warming up. Warming up is quite literally the process of "warming up" (i.e., raising your core body temperature). A proper warm-up should raise your body temperature by one or two degrees Celsius (1.4 to 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and is divided into three phases:

general warm-up
stretching
sport-specific activity

It is very important that you perform the general warm-up *before* you stretch. It is *not* a good idea to attempt to stretch before your muscles are warm (something which the general warm-up accomplishes).

Warming up can do more than just loosen stiff muscles; when done properly, it can actually improve performance. On the other hand, an improper warm-up, or no warm-up at all, can greatly increase your risk of injury from engaging in athletic activities.

It is important to note that active stretches and isometric stretches should *not* be part of your warm-up because they are often counterproductive. The goals of the warm-up are (according to Kurz): "an increased awareness, improved coordination, improved elasticity and contractibility of muscles, and a greater efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems." Active stretches and isometric stretches do not help achieve these goals because they are likely to cause the stretched muscles to be too tired to properly perform the athletic activity for which you are preparing your body.

Section: 4.1.1 General Warm-Up

The general warm-up is divided into two parts:

joint rotations
aerobic activity

These two activities should be performed in the order specified above.

Section: 4.1.1.1 Joint Rotations

The general warm-up should begin with joint-rotations, starting either from your toes and working your way up, or from your fingers and working your way down. This facilitates joint motion by lubricating the entire joint with synovial fluid. Such lubrication permits your joints to function more easily when called upon to participate in your athletic activity. You should perform slow circular movements, both clockwise and counter-clockwise, until the joint seems to move smoothly. You should rotate the following (in the order given, or in the reverse order):

fingers and knuckles
wrists
elbows
shoulders
neck
trunk/waist
hips
legs
knees
ankles
toes

Section: 4.1.1.2 Aerobic Activity

After you have performed the joint rotations, you should engage in at least five minutes of aerobic activity such as jogging, jumping rope, or any other activity that will cause a similar increase in your cardiovascular output (i.e., get your blood pumping). The purpose of this is to raise your core body temperature and get your blood flowing. Increased blood flow in the muscles improves muscle performance and flexibility and reduces the likelihood of injury.

Section: 4.1.2 Warm-Up Stretching

The stretching phase of your warmup should consist of two parts:

static stretching
dynamic stretching

It is important that static stretches be performed *before* any dynamic stretches in your warm-up. Dynamic stretching can often result in overstretching, which damages the muscles (see Section 4.12.3 [Overstretching]). Performing static stretches first will help reduce this risk of injury.

Section: 4.1.2.1 Static Warm-Up Stretching

Once the general warm-up has been completed, the muscles are warmer and more elastic. Immediately following your general warm-up, you should engage in some slow, relaxed, static stretching (see Section 3.5 [Static Stretching]). You should start with your back, followed by your upper body and lower body, stretching your muscles in the following order (see Section 4.8 [Exercise Order]):

back
sides (external obliques)
neck
forearms and wrists
triceps
chest
buttocks
groin (adductors)
thighs (quadriceps and abductors)
calves
shins
hamstrings
instep

Some good static stretches for these various muscles may be found in most books about stretching. See Section Appendix A [References on Stretching]. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time to stretch all these muscles before a workout. If you are one such person, you should at least take the time to stretch all the muscles that will be heavily used during your workout.

Section: 4.1.2.2 Dynamic Warm-Up Stretching

Once you have performed your static stretches, you should engage in some light dynamic stretching: leg-raises, and arm-swings in all directions (see Section 3.2 [Dynamic Stretching]). According to Kurz, you should do "as many sets as it takes to reach your maximum range of motion in any given direction", but do not work your muscles to the point of fatigue. Remember - this is just a warm-up, the real workout comes later.

Some people are surprised to find that dynamic stretching has a place in the warm-up. But think about it: you are "warming up" for a workout that is (usually) going to involve a lot of dynamic activity. It makes sense that you should perform some dynamic exercises to increase your dynamic flexibility.

Section: 4.1.3 Sport-Specific Activity

The last part of your warm-up should be devoted to performing movements that are a "watered-down" version of the movements that you will be performing during your athletic activity. `HFLTA' says that the last phase of a warm-up should consist of the same movements that will be used during the athletic event but at a reduced intensity. Such "sport-specific activity" is beneficial because it improves coordination, balance, strength, and response time, and may reduce the risk of injury.

Section: 4.2 Cooling Down

Stretching is *not* a legitimate means of cooling down. It is only part of the process. After you have completed your workout, the best way to reduce muscle fatigue and soreness (caused by the production of lactic acid from your maximal or near-maximal muscle exertion) is to perform a light "warm-down". This warm-down is similar to the second half of your warm-up (but in the reverse order). The warm-down consists of the following phases:

sport-specific activity
dynamic stretching
static stretching

Ideally, you should start your warm-down with about 10-20 minutes of sport-specific activity (perhaps only a little more intense than in your warm-up). In reality however, you may not always have 10-20 minutes to spare at the end of your workout. You should, however, attempt to perform at least 5 minutes of sport-specific activity in this case. The sport-specific activity should immediately be followed by stretching: First perform some light dynamic stretches until your heart rate slows down to its normal rate, then perform some static stretches. Sport-specific activity, followed by stretching, can reduce cramping, tightening, and soreness in fatigued muscles and will make you feel better.

According to `HFLTA', "light warm-down exercise immediately following maximal exertion is a better way of clearing lactic acid from the blood than complete rest." Furthermore, if you are still sore the next day, a light warm-up or warm-down is a good way to reduce lingering muscle tightness and soreness even when not performed immediately after a workout. See Section 4.12 [Pain and Discomfort].

Section: 4.3 Massage

Many people are unaware of the beneficial role that massage can play in both strength training and flexibility training. Massaging a muscle, or group of muscles, immediately prior to performing stretching or strength exercises for those muscles, has some of the following benefits:

increased blood flow
The massaging of the muscles helps to warm-up those muscles, increasing their blood flow and improving their circulation.

relaxation of the massaged muscles
The massaged muscles are more relaxed. This is particularly helpful when you are about to stretch those muscles. It can also help relieve painful muscle cramps.

removal of metabolic waste
The massaging action, and the improved circulation and blood flow which results, helps to remove waste products, such as lactic acid, from the muscles. This is useful for relieving post-exercise soreness.

Because of these benefits, you may wish to make massage a regular part of your stretching program: immediately before each stretch you perform, massage the muscles you are about to stretch.

Section: 4.4 Elements of a Good Stretch

According to `SynerStretch', there are three factors to consider when determining the effectiveness of a particular stretching exercise:

isolation
leverage
risk

Section: 4.4.1 Isolation

Ideally, a particular stretch should work only the muscles you are trying to stretch. Isolating the muscles worked by a given stretch means that you do not have to worry about having to overcome the resistance offered by more than one group of muscles. In general, the fewer muscles you try to stretch at once, the better. For example, you are better off trying to stretch one hamstring at a time than both hamstrings at once. By isolating the muscle you are stretching, you experience resistance from fewer muscle groups, which gives you greater control over the stretch and allows you to more easily change its intensity. As it turns out, the splits is not one of the best stretching exercises. Not only does it stretch several different muscle groups all at once, it also stretches them in both legs at once.

Section: 4.4.2 Leverage

Having leverage during a stretch means having sufficient control over how intense the stretch becomes, and how fast. If you have good leverage, not only are you better able to achieve the desired intensity of the stretch, but you do not need to apply as much force to your outstretched limb in order to effectively increase the intensity of the stretch. This gives you greater control.

According to `SynerStretch', the best stretches (those which are most effective) provide the greatest mechanical advantage over the stretched muscle. By using good leverage, it becomes easier to overcome the resistance of inflexible muscles (the same is true of isolation). Many stretching exercises (good and bad) can be made easier and more effective simply by adjusting them to provide greater leverage.

Section: 4.4.3 Risk

Although a stretch may be very effective in terms of providing the athlete with ample leverage and isolation, the potential risk of injury from performing the stretch must be taken into consideration. Once again, `SynerStretch' says it best: Even an exercise offering great leverage and great isolation may still be a poor choice to perform. Some exercises can simply cause too much stress to the joints (which may result in injury). They may involve rotations that strain tendons or ligaments, or put pressure on the disks of the back, or contain some other twist or turn that may cause injury to seemingly unrelated parts of the body.

Section: 4.5 Some Risky Stretches

The following stretches (many of which are commonly performed) are considered risky (M. Alter uses the term `X'-rated) due to the fact that they have a very high risk of injury for the athlete that performs them. This does not mean that these stretches should never be performed. However, great care should be used when attempting any of these stretches. Unless you are an advanced athlete or are being coached by a qualified instructor (such as a certified Yoga instructor, physical therapist, or professional trainer), you can probably do without them (or find alternative stretching exercises to perform). When performed correctly with the aid of an instructor however, some of these stretches can be quite beneficial. Each of these stretches is illustrated in detail in the section `X-Rated Exercises' of M. Alter:

"the yoga plough"
In this exercise, you lie down on your back and then try to sweep your legs up and over, trying to touch your knees to your ears. This position places excessive stress on the lower back, and on the discs of the spine. Not to mention the fact that it compresses the lungs and heart, and makes it very difficult to breathe. This particular exercise also stretches a region that is frequently flexed as a result of improper posture. This stretch is a prime example of an exercise that is very easy to do incorrectly. However, with proper instruction and attention to body position and alignment, this stretch can be performed successfully with a minimal amount of risk and can actually improve spinal health and mobility.

"the traditional backbend"
In this exercise, your back is maximally arched with the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands both flat on the floor, and your neck tilted back. This position squeezes (compresses) the spinal discs and pinches nerve fibers in your back.

"the traditional hurdler's stretch"
This exercise has you sit on the ground with one leg straight in front of you, and with the other leg fully flexed (bent) behind you, as you lean back and stretch the quadricep of the flexed leg. The two legged version of this stretch is even worse for you, and involves fully bending both legs behind you on either side. The reason this stretch is harmful is that it stretches the medial ligaments of the knee (remember, stretching ligaments and tendons is *bad*) and crushes the meniscus. It can also result in slipping of the knee cap from being twisted and compressed.

"straight-legged toe touches"
In this stretch, your legs are straight (either together or spread apart) and your back is bent over while you attempt to touch your toes or the floor. If you do not have the ability to support much of your weight with your hands when performing this exercise, your knees are likely to hyperextend. This position can also place a great deal of pressure on the vertebrae of the lower lumbar. Furthermore, if you choose to have your legs spread apart, it places more stress on the knees, which can sometimes result in permanent deformity.

"torso twists"
Performing sudden, intense twists of the torso, especially with weights, while in an upright (erect) position can tear tissue (by exceeding the momentum absorbing capacity of the stretched tissues) and can strain the ligaments of the knee.

"inverted stretches"
This is any stretch where you "hang upside down". Staying inverted for too long increases your blood pressure and may even rupture blood vessels (particularly in the eyes). Inverted positions are especially discouraged for anyone with spinal problems.

Section: 4.6 Duration, Counting, and Repetition

One thing many people seem to disagree about is how long to hold a passive stretch in its position. Various sources seem to suggest that they should be held for as little as 10 seconds to as long as a full minute (or even several minutes). The truth is that no one really seems to know for sure. According to `HFLTA' there exists some controversy over how long a stretch should be held. Many researchers recommend 30-60 seconds. For the hamstrings, research suggests that 15 seconds may be sufficient, but it is not yet known whether 15 seconds is sufficient for any other muscle group.

A good common ground seems to be about 20 seconds. Children, and people whose bones are still growing, do not need to hold a passive stretch this long (and, in fact, Kurz strongly discourages it). Holding the stretch for about 7-10 seconds should be sufficient for this younger group of people.

A number of people like to count (either out loud or to themselves) while they stretch. While counting during a stretch is not, by itself, particularly important ... what is important is the setting of a definite goal for each stretching exercise performed. Counting during a stretch helps many people achieve this goal.

Many sources also suggest that passive stretches should be performed in sets of 2-5 repetitions with a 15-30 second rest in between each stretch.

Section: 4.7 Breathing During Stretching

Proper breathing control is important for a successful stretch. Proper breathing helps to relax the body, increases blood flow throughout the body, and helps to mechanically remove lactic acid and other by-products of exercise.

You should be taking slow, relaxed breaths when you stretch, trying to exhale as the muscle is stretching. Some even recommend increasing the intensity of the stretch only while exhaling, holding the stretch in its current position at all other times (this doesn't apply to isometric stretching).

The proper way to breathe is to inhale slowly through the nose, expanding the abdomen (not the chest); hold the breath a moment; then exhale slowly through the nose or mouth. Inhaling through the nose has several purposes including cleaning the air and insuring proper temperature and humidity for oxygen transfer into the lungs. The breath should be natural and the diaphragm and abdomen should remain soft. There should be no force of the breath. Some experts seem to prefer exhaling through the nose (as opposed to through the mouth) saying that exhaling through the mouth causes depression on the heart and that problems will ensue over the long term.

The rate of breathing should be controlled through the use of the glottis in the back of the throat. This produces a very soft "hm-m-m-mn" sound inside the throat as opposed to a sniffing sound in the nasal sinuses. The exhalation should be controlled in a similar manner, but if you are exhaling through the mouth, it should be with more of an "ah-h-h-h-h" sound, like a sigh of relief.

As you breathe in, the diaphragm presses downward on the internal organs and their associated blood vessels, squeezing the blood out of them. As you exhale, the abdomen, its organs and muscles, and their blood vessels flood with new blood. This rhythmic contraction and expansion of the abdominal blood vessels is partially responsible for the circulation of blood in the body. Also, the rhythmic pumping action helps to remove waste products from the muscles in the torso. This pumping action is referred to as the "respiratory pump". The respiratory pump is important during stretching because increased blood flow to the stretched muscles improves their elasticity, and increases the rate at which lactic acid is purged from them.

Section: 4.8 Exercise Order

Many people are unaware of the fact that the order in which you perform your stretching exercises is important. Quite often, when we perform a particular stretch, it actually stretches more than one group of muscles: the muscles that the stretch is primarily intended for, and other supporting muscles that are also stretched but which do not receive the "brunt" of the stretch. These supporting muscles usually function as synergists for the muscles being stretched (see Section 1.4 [Cooperating Muscle Groups]). This is the basis behind a principle that `SynerStretch' calls the "interdependency of muscle groups".

Before performing a stretch intended for a particular muscle, but which actually stretches several muscles, you should first stretch each of that muscle's synergists. The benefit of this is that you are able to better stretch the primary muscles by not allowing the supporting muscles the opportunity to be a limiting factor in how "good" a stretch you can attain for a particular exercise.

Ideally, it is best to perform a stretch that isolates a particular muscle group, but this is not always possible. According to `SynerStretch': "by organizing the exercises within a stretching routine according to the principle of interdependency of muscle groups, you minimize the effort required to perform the routine, and maximize the effectiveness of the individual exercises." This is what `Health For Life' (in all of their publications) calls "synergism": "combining elements to create a whole that is greater than the mere sum of its parts."

For example, a stretch intended primarily for the hamstrings may also make some demands upon the calves and buttocks (and even the lower back) but mostly, it stretches the hamstrings. In this case, it would be beneficial to stretch the lower back, buttocks, and calves first (in that order, using stretches intended primarily for those muscles) before they need to be used in a stretch that is intended primarily for the hamstrings.

As a general rule, you should usually do the following when putting together a stretching routine:

stretch your back (upper and lower) first
stretch your sides after stretching your back
stretch your buttocks before stretching your groin or your hamstrings
stretch your calves before stretching your hamstrings
stretch your shins before stretching your quadriceps (if you do shin stretches)
stretch your arms before stretching your chest

Section: 4.9 When to Stretch

The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warmed up. If they are not already warm before you wish to stretch, then you need to warm them up yourself, usually by performing some type of brief aerobic activity (see Section 4.1.1 [General Warm-Up]). Obviously, stretching is an important part of warming-up before (see Section 4.1 [Warming Up]), and cooling-down after a workout (see Section 4.2 [Cooling Down]). If the weather is very cold, or if you are feeling very stiff, then you need to take extra care to warm-up before you stretch in order to reduce the risk of injuring yourself.

Many of us have our own internal body-clock, or "circadian rhythm" as, it is more formally called: Some of us are "early morning people" while others consider themselves to be "late-nighters". Being aware of your circadian rhythm should help you decide when it is best for you to stretch (or perform any other type of activity). Gummerson says that most people are more flexible in the afternoon than in the morning, peaking from about 2:30pm-4pm. Also, according to `HFLTA', evidence seems to suggest that, during any given day, strength and flexibility are at their peak in the late afternoon or early evening. If this is correct then it would seem to indicate that, all else being equal, you may be better off performing your workout right after work rather than before work.

Section: 4.9.1 Early-Morning Stretching

On the other hand, according to Kurz, "if you need [or want] to perform movements requiring considerable flexibility with [little or] no warm-up, you ought to make early morning stretching a part of your routine." In order to do this properly, you need to first perform a general warm-up (see Section 4.1.1 [General Warm-Up]). You should then begin your early morning stretching by first performing some static stretches, followed by some light dynamic stretches. Basically, your early morning stretching regimen should be almost identical to a complete warm-up (see Section 4.1 [Warming Up]). The only difference is that you may wish to omit any sport-specific activity (see Section 4.1.3 [Sport-Specific Activity]), although it may be beneficial to perform it *if* you have time.

Section: 4.10 Stretching With a Partner

When done properly, stretches performed with the assistance of a partner can be more effective than stretches performed without a partner. This is especially true of isometric stretches (see Section 3.6 [Isometric Stretching]) and PNF stretches (see Section 3.7 [PNF Stretching]). The problem with using a partner, however, is that the partner does not feel what you feel, and thus cannot respond as quickly to any discomfort that might prompt you to immediately reduce the intensity (or some other aspect) of the stretch. This can greatly increase your risk of injury while performing a particular exercise.

If you do choose to stretch with a partner, make sure that it is someone you trust to pay close attention to you while you stretch, and to act appropriately when you signal that you are feeling pain or discomfort.

Section: 4.11 Stretching to Increase Flexibility

When stretching for the purpose of increasing overall flexibility, a stretching routine should accomplish, at the very least, two goals:

To train your stretch receptors to become accustomed to greater muscle length (see Section 1.6.1 [Proprioceptors]).
To reduce the resistance of connective tissues to muscle elongation (see Section 2.2.1 [How Connective Tissue Affects Flexibility]).

If you are attempting to increase active flexibility (see Section 2.1 [Types of Flexibility]), you will also want to strengthen the muscles responsible for holding the stretched limbs in their extended positions.

Before composing a particular stretching routine, you must first decide which types of flexibility you wish to increase (see Section 2.1 [Types of Flexibility]), and which stretching methods are best for achieving them (see Section 3 [Types of Stretching]). The best way to increase dynamic flexibility is by performing dynamic stretches, supplemented with static stretches. The best way to increase active flexibility is by performing active stretches, supplemented with static stretches. The fastest and most effective way currently known to increase passive flexibility is by performing PNF stretches (see Section 3.7 [PNF Stretching]).

If you are very serious about increasing overall flexibility, then I recommend religiously adhering to the following guidelines:

Perform early-morning stretching everyday (see Section 4.9.1 [Early-Morning Stretching]).
Warm-up properly before any and all athletic activities. Make sure to give yourself ample time to perform the complete warm-up. See Section 4.1 [Warming Up].
Cool-down properly after any and all athletic activities. See Section 4.2 [Cooling Down].
Always make sure your muscles are warmed-up before you stretch!
Perform PNF stretching every other day, and static stretching on the off days (if you are overzealous, you can try static stretching every day, in addition to PNF stretching every other day).

Overall, you should expect to increase flexibility *gradually*. However, If you really commit to doing the above, you should (according to `SynerStretch') achieve maximal upper-body flexibility within one month and maximal lower-body flexibility within two months. If you are older or more inflexible than most people, it will take longer than this.

Don't try to increase flexibility too quickly by forcing yourself. Stretch no further than the muscles will go *without pain*. See Section 4.12.3 [Overstretching].

Section: 4.12 Pain and Discomfort

If you are experiencing pain or discomfort before, during, or after stretching or athletic activity, then you need to try to identify the cause. Severe pain (particularly in the joints, ligaments, or tendons) usually indicates a serious injury of some sort, and you may need to discontinue stretching and/or exercising until you have sufficiently recovered.

Section: 4.12.1 Common Causes of Muscular Soreness

If you are experiencing soreness, stiffness, or some other form of muscular pain, then it may be due to one or more of the following:

torn tissue
Overstretching and engaging in athletic activities without a proper warm-up can cause microscopic tearing of muscle fibers or connective tissues. If the tear is not too severe, the pain will usually not appear until one or two days after the activity that caused the damage. If the pain occurs during or immediately after the activity, then it may indicate a more serious tear (which may require medical attention). If the pain is not too severe, then light, careful static stretching of the injured area is supposedly okay to perform (see Section 3.5 [Static Stretching]). It is hypothesized that torn fibers heal at a shortened length, thus decreasing flexibility in the injured muscles. Very light stretching of the injured muscles helps reduce loss of flexibility resulting from the injury. Intense stretching of any kind, however, may only make matters worse.

metabolic accumulation
Overexertion and/or intense muscular activity will fatigue the muscles and cause them to accumulate lactic acid and other waste products. If this is the cause of your pain, then static stretching (see Section 3.5 [Static Stretching]), isometric stretching (see Section 3.6 [Isometric Stretching]), or a good warm-up (see Section 4.1 [Warming Up]) or cool-down (see Section 4.2 [Cooling Down]) will help alleviate some of the soreness. See Section 2.3.1 [Why Bodybuilders Should Stretch]. Massaging the sore muscles may also help relieve the pain (see Section 4.3 [Massage]). It has also been claimed that supplements of vitamin C will help alleviate this type of pain, but controlled tests using placebos have been unable to lend credibility to this hypothesis. The ingestion of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) before athletic activity has been shown to help increase the body's buffering capacity and reduce the output of lactic acid. However, it can also cause urgent diarrhea.

muscle spasms
Exercising above a certain threshold can cause a decreased flow of blood to the active muscles. This can cause pain resulting in a protective reflex which contracts the muscle isotonically (see Section 1.5 [Types of Muscle Contractions]). The reflex contraction causes further decreases in blood flow, which causes more reflex contractions, and so on, causing the muscle to spasm by repeatedly contracting. One common example of this is a painful muscle cramp. Immediate static stretching of the cramped muscle can be helpful in relieving this type of pain. However, it can sometimes make things worse by activating the stretch reflex (see Section 1.6.2 [The Stretch Reflex]), which may cause further muscle contractions. Massaging the cramped muscle (and trying to relax it) may prove more useful than stretching in relieving this type of pain (see Section 4.3 [Massage]).

Section: 4.12.2  Stretching with Pain

If you are already experiencing some type of pain or discomfort before you begin stretching, then it is very important that you determine the cause of your pain (see Section 4.12.1 [Common Causes of Muscular Soreness]). Once you have determined the cause of the pain, you are in a better position to decide whether or not you should attempt to stretch the affected area.

Also, according to M. Alter, it is important to remember that some amount of soreness will almost always be experienced by individuals that have not stretched or exercised much in the last few months (this is the price you pay for being inactive). However, well-trained and conditioned athletes who work-out at elevated levels of intensity or difficulty can also become sore. You should cease exercising immediately if you feel or hear anything tearing or popping. Remember the acronym "RICE" when caring for an injured body part. RICE stands for: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. This will help to minimize the pain and swelling. You should then seek appropriate professional medical advice.

Section: 4.12.3 Overstretching

If you stretch properly, you should *not* be sore the day after you have stretched. If you are, then it may be an indication that you are overstretching and that you need to go easier on your muscles by reducing the intensity of some (or all) of the stretches you perform. Overstretching will simply increase the time it takes for you to gain greater flexibility. This is because it takes time for the damaged muscles to repair themselves, and to offer you the same flexibility as before they were injured.

One of the easiest ways to "overstretch" is to stretch "cold" (without any warm-up). A "maximal cold stretch" is not necessarily a desirable thing. Just because a muscle can be moved to its limit without warming up doesn't mean it is ready for the strain that a workout will place on it.

Obviously, during a stretch (even when you stretch properly) you are going to feel some amount of discomfort. The difficulty is being able to discern when it is too much. In her book, `Stretch and Strengthen', Judy Alter describes what she calls "ouch! pain": If you feel like saying "ouch!" (or perhaps something even more explicit) then you should ease up immediately and discontinue the stretch. You should definitely feel the tension in your muscle, and perhaps even light, gradual "pins and needles", but if it becomes sudden, sharp, or uncomfortable, then you are overdoing it and are probably tearing some muscle tissue (or worse). In some cases, you may follow all of these guidelines when you stretch, feeling that you are not in any "real" pain, but still be sore the next day. If this is the case, then you will need to become accustomed to stretching with less discomfort (you might be one of those "stretching masochists" that take great pleasure in the pain that comes from stretching).

Quite frequently, the progression of sensations you feel as you reach the extreme ranges of a stretch are: localized warmth of the stretched muscles, followed by a burning (or spasm-like) sensation, followed by sharp pain (or "ouch!" pain). The localized warming will usually occur at the origin, or point of insertion, of the stretched muscles. When you begin to feel this, it is your first clue that you may need to "back off" and reduce the intensity of the stretch. If you ignore (or do not feel) the warming sensation, and you proceed to the point where you feel a definite burning sensation in the stretched muscles, then you should ease up immediately and discontinue the stretch! You may not be sore yet, but you probably will be the following day. If your stretch gets to the point where you feel sharp pain, it is quite likely that the stretch has already resulted in tissue damage which may cause immediate pain and soreness that persists for several days.

Section: 4.13 Performing Splits

A lot of people seem to desire the ability to perform splits. If you are one such person, you should first ask yourself why you want to be able to perform the splits. If the answer is "So I can kick high!" or something along those lines, then being able to "do" the splits may not be as much help as you think it might be in achieving your goal. Doing a full split looks impressive, and a lot of people seem to use it as a benchmark of flexibility, but it will not, in and of itself, enable you to kick high. Kicking high requires dynamic flexibility (and, to some extent, active flexibility) whereas the splits requires passive flexibility. You need to discern what type of flexibility will help to achieve your goal (see Section 2.1 [Types of Flexibility]), and then perform the types of stretching exercises that will help you achieve that specific type of flexibility. See Section 3 [Types of Stretching].

If your goal really is "to be able to perform splits" (or to achieve maximal lower-body static-passive flexibility), and assuming that you already have the required range of motion in the hip joints to even do the splits (most people in reasonably good health without any hip problems do), you will need to be patient. Everyone is built differently and so the amount of time it will take to achieve splits will be different for different people (although `SynerStretch' suggests that it should take about two months of regular PNF stretching for most people to achieve their maximum split potential). The amount of time it takes will depend on your previous flexibility and body makeup. Anyone will see improvements in flexibility within weeks with consistent, frequent, and proper stretching. Trust your own body, take it gently, and stretch often. Try not to dwell on the splits, concentrate more on the stretch. Also, physiological differences in body mechanics may not allow you to be very flexible. If so, take that into consideration when working out.

A stretching routine tailored to the purpose of achieving the ability to perform splits may be found at the end of this document. See Section Appendix B [Working Toward the Splits].

Section: 4.13.1 Common Problems When Performing Splits

First of all, there are two kinds of splits: front and side (the side split is often called a "chinese split"). In a Front split, you have one leg stretched out to the front and the other leg stretched out to the back. In a side split, both legs are stretched out to your side.

A common problem encountered during a side split is pain in the hip joints. Usually, the reason for this is that the split is being performed improperly (you may need to tilt your pelvis forward).

Another common problem encountered during splits (both front and side) is pain in the knees. This pain can often (but not always) be alleviated by performing a slightly different variation of the split. See Section 4.13.2 [The Front Split]. See Section 4.13.3 [The Side Split].

Section: 4.13.2 The Front Split

For front splits, the front leg should be straight and its kneecap should be facing the ceiling, or sky. The front foot can be pointed or flexed (there will be a greater stretch in the front hamstring if the front foot is flexed). The kneecap of the back leg should either be facing the floor (which puts more of a stretch on the quadriceps and psoas muscles), or out to the side (which puts more of a stretch on the inner-thigh (groin) muscles). If it is facing the floor, then it will probably be pretty hard to flex the back foot, since its instep should be on the floor. If the back kneecap is facing the side, then your back foot should be stretched out (not flexed) with its toes pointed to reduce undue stress upon the knee. Even with the toes of the back foot pointed, you may still feel that there is to much stress on your back knee (in which case you should make it face the floor).

Section: 4.13.3 The Side Split

For side splits, you can either have both kneecaps (and insteps) facing the ceiling, which puts more of a stretch on the hamstrings, or you can have both kneecaps (and insteps) face the front, which puts more of a stretch on the inner-thigh (groin) muscle. The latter position puts more stress on the knee joints and may cause pain in the knees for some people. If you perform side splits with both kneecaps (and insteps) facing the front then you *must* be sure to tilt your pelvis forward (push your buttocks to the rear) or you may experience pain in your hip joints.

Section: 4.13.4 Split-Stretching Machines

Many of you may have seen an advertisement for a "split-stretching" machine in your favorite exercise/athletic magazine. These machines look like "benches with wings". They have a padded section upon which to sit, and two padded sections in which to place your legs (the machine should ensure that no pressure is applied upon the knees). The machine functions by allowing you to gradually increase the "stretch" in your adductors (inner-thigh muscles) through manual adjustments which increase the degree of the angle between the legs. Such machines usually carry a hefty price tag, often in excess of $100 (American currency).

A common question people ask about these machines is "are they worth the price?". The answer to that question is entirely subjective. Although the machine can certainly be of valuable assistance in helping you achieve the goal of performing a side-split, it is not necessarily any better (or safer) than using a partner while you stretch. The main advantage that these machines have over using a partner is that they give you (not your partner) control of the intensity of the stretch. The amount of control provided depends on the individual machine.

One problem with these "split-stretchers" is that there is a common tendency to use them to "force" a split (which can often result in injury) and/or to hold the "split" position for far longer periods of time than is advisable.

The most effective use of a split-stretching machine is to use it as your "partner" to provide resistance for PNF stretches for the groin and inner thigh areas (see Section 3.7 [PNF Stretching]). When used properly, "split-stretchers" can provide one of the best ways to stretch your groin and inner-thighs without the use of a partner.

However, they do cost quite a bit of money and they don't necessarily give you a better stretch than a partner could. If you don't want to "cough-up" the money for one of these machines, I recommend that you either use a partner and/or perform the lying `V' stretch described later on in this document (see Section Appendix B [Working Toward the Splits]).

30 September 2007

Section: 3 Types of Stretching

Just as there are different types of flexibility, there are also different types of stretching. Stretches are either dynamic (meaning they involve motion) or static (meaning they involve no motion). Dynamic stretches affect dynamic flexibility and static stretches affect static flexibility (and dynamic flexibility to some degree).

The different types of stretching are:
1. ballistic stretching
2. dynamic stretching
3. active stretching
4. passive (or relaxed) stretching
5. static stretching
6. isometric stretching
7. PNF stretching

Section: 3.1 Ballistic Stretching

Ballistic stretching uses the momentum of a moving body or a limb in an attempt to force it beyond its normal range of motion. This is stretching, or "warming up", by bouncing into (or out of) a stretched position, using the stretched muscles as a spring which pulls you out of the stretched position. (e.g. bouncing down repeatedly to touch your toes.) This type of stretching is not considered useful and can lead to injury. It does not allow your muscles to adjust to, and relax in, the stretched position. It may instead cause them to tighten up by repeatedly activating the stretch reflex (see Section 1.6.2 [The Stretch Reflex]).

Section: 3.2 Dynamic Stretching

"Dynamic stretching", according to Kurz, "involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both." Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching! Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you (gently!) to the limits of your range of motion. Ballistic stretches involve trying to force a part of the body *beyond* its range of motion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or "jerky" movements. An example of dynamic stretching would be slow, controlled leg swings, arm swings, or torso twists.

Dynamic stretching improves dynamic flexibility and is quite useful as part of your warm-up for an active or aerobic workout (such as a dance or martial-arts class). See Section 4.1 [Warming Up].

According to Kurz, dynamic stretching exercises should be performed in sets of 8-12 repetitions. Be sure to stop when and if you feel tired. Tired muscles have less elasticity which decreases the range of motion used in your movements. Continuing to exercise when you are tired serves only to reset the nervous control of your muscle length at the reduced range of motion used in the exercise (and will cause a loss of flexibility). Once you attain a maximal range of motion for a joint in any direction you should stop doing that movement during that workout. Tired and overworked muscles won't attain a full range of motion and the muscle's kinesthetic memory will remember the repeated shorted range of motion, which you will then have to overcome before you can make further progress.

Section: 3.3 Active Stretching

"Active stretching" is also referred to as "static-active stretching". An active stretch is one where you assume a position and then hold it there with no assistance other than using the strength of your agonist muscles (see Section 1.4 [Cooperating Muscle Groups]). For example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there without anything (other than your leg muscles themselves) to keep the leg in that extended position. The tension of the agonists in an active stretch helps to relax the muscles being stretched (the antagonists) by reciprocal inhibition (see Section 1.6.4 [Reciprocal Inhibition]).

Active stretching increases active flexibility and strengthens the agonistic muscles. Active stretches are usually quite difficult to hold and maintain for more than 10 seconds and rarely need to be held any longer than 15 seconds.

Many of the movements (or stretches) found in various forms of yoga are active stretches.

Section: 3.4 Passive Stretching

"Passive stretching" is also referred to as "relaxed stretching", and as "static-passive stretching". A passive stretch is one where you assume a position and hold it with some other part of your body, or with the assistance of a partner or some other apparatus. For example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there with your hand. The splits is an example of a passive stretch (in this case the floor is the "apparatus" that you use to maintain your extended position).

Slow, relaxed stretching is useful in relieving spasms in muscles that are healing after an injury. Obviously, you should check with your doctor first to see if it is okay to attempt to stretch the injured muscles (see Section 4.12 [Pain and Discomfort]).

Relaxed stretching is also very good for "cooling down" after a workout and helps reduce post-workout muscle fatigue, and soreness. See Section 4.2 [Cooling Down].

Section: 3.5 Static Stretching

Many people use the term "passive stretching" and "static stretching" nterchangeably. However, there are a number of people who make a distinction between the two. According to M. Alter, "Static stretching" consists of stretching a muscle (or group of muscles) to its farthest point and then maintaining or holding that position, whereas "Passive stretching" consists of a relaxed person who is relaxed (passive) while some external force (either a person or an apparatus) brings the joint through its range of motion.

Notice that the definition of passive stretching given in the previous section encompasses *both* of the above definitions. Throughout this document, when the term "static stretching" or "passive stretching" is used, its intended meaning is the definition of passive stretching as described in the previous section. You should be aware of these alternative meanings, however, when looking at other references on stretching.

Section: 3.6 Isometric Stretching

"Isometric stretching" is a type of static stretching (meaning it does not use motion) which involves the resistance of muscle groups through isometric contractions (tensing) of the stretched muscles (see Section 1.5 [Types of Muscle Contractions]). The use of isometric stretching is one of the fastest ways to develop increased static-passive flexibility and is much more effective than either passive stretching or active stretching alone. Isometric stretches also help to develop strength in the "tensed" muscles (which helps to develop static-active flexibility), and seems to decrease the amount of pain usually associated with stretching.

The most common ways to provide the needed resistance for an isometric stretch are to apply resistance manually to one's own limbs, to have a partner apply the resistance, or to use an apparatus such as a wall (or the floor) to provide resistance.

An example of manual resistance would be holding onto the ball of your foot to keep it from flexing while you are using the muscles of your calf to try and straighten your instep so that the toes are pointed.

An example of using a partner to provide resistance would be having a partner hold your leg up high (and keep it there) while you attempt to force your leg back down to the ground.

An example of using the wall to provide resistance would be the well known "push-the-wall" calf-stretch where you are actively attempting to move the wall (even though you know you can't).

Isometric stretching is *not* recommended for children and adolescents whose bones are still growing. These people are usually already flexible enough that the strong stretches produced by the isometric contraction have a much higher risk of damaging tendons and connective tissue. Kurz strongly recommends preceding any isometric stretch of a muscle with dynamic strength training for the muscle to be stretched. A full session of isometric stretching makes a lot of demands on the muscles being stretched and should not be performed more than once per day for a given group of muscles (ideally, no more than once every 36 hours).

The proper way to perform an isometric stretch is as follows:

Assume the position of a passive stretch for the desired muscle.
Next, tense the stretched muscle for 7-15 seconds (resisting against some force that will not move, like the floor or a partner).
Finally, relax the muscle for at least 20 seconds.

Some people seem to recommend holding the isometric contraction for longer than 15 seconds, but according to `SynerStretch' (the videotape), research has shown that this is not necessary. So you might as well make your stretching routine less time consuming.

Section: 3.6.1 How Isometric Stretching Works

Recall from our previous discussion (see Section 1.2.1 [How Muscles Contract]) that there is no such thing as a partially contracted muscle fiber: when a muscle is contracted, some of the fibers contract and some remain at rest (more fibers are recruited as the load on the muscle increases). Similarly, when a muscle is stretched, some of the fibers are elongated and some remain at rest (see Section 1.6 [What Happens When You Stretch]). During an isometric contraction, some of the resting fibers are being pulled upon from both ends by the muscles that are contracting. The result is that some of those resting fibers stretch!

Normally, the handful of fibers that stretch during an isometric contraction are not very significant. The true effectiveness of the isometric contraction occurs when a muscle that is already in a stretched position is subjected to an isometric contraction. In this case, some of the muscle fibers are already stretched before the contraction, and, if held long enough, the initial passive stretch overcomes the stretch reflex (see Section 1.6.2 [The Stretch Reflex]) and triggers the lengthening reaction (see Section 1.6.3 [The Lengthening Reaction]), inhibiting the stretched fibers from contracting. At this point, according to `SynerStretch', when you isometrically contracted, some resting fibers would contract and some resting fibers would stretch. Furthermore, many of the fibers already stretching may be prevented from contracting by the inverse myotatic reflex (the lengthening reaction) and would stretch even more. When the isometric contraction is completed, the contracting fibers return to their resting length but the stretched fibers would remember their stretched length and (for a period of time) retain the ability to elongate past their previous limit. This enables the entire muscle to stretch beyonds its initial maximum and results in increased flexibility.

The reason that the stretched fibers develop and retain the ability to stretch beyond their normal limit during an isometric stretch has to do with the muscle spindles (see Section 1.6.1 [Proprioceptors]): The signal which tells the muscle to contract voluntarily, also tells the muscle spindle's (intrafusal) muscle fibers to shorten, increasing sensitivity of the stretch reflex. This mechanism normally maintains the sensitivity of the muscle spindle as the muscle shortens during contraction. This allows the muscle spindles to habituate (become accustomed) to an even further-lengthened position.

Section: 3.7 PNF Stretching

PNF stretching is currently the fastest and most effective way known to increase static-passive flexibility. PNF is an acronym for "proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation". It is not really a type of stretching but is a technique of combining passive stretching (see Section 3.4 [Passive Stretching]) and isometric stretching (see Section 3.6 [Isometric Stretching]) in order to achieve maximum static flexibility. Actually, the term PNF stretching is itself a misnomer. PNF was initially developed as a method of rehabilitating stroke victims. PNF refers to any of several "post-isometric relaxation" stretching techniques in which a muscle group is passively stretched, then contracts isometrically against resistance while in the stretched position, and then is passively stretched again through the resulting increased range of motion. PNF stretching usually employs the use of a partner to provide resistance against the isometric contraction and then later to passively take the joint through its increased range of motion. It may be performed, however, without a partner, although it is usually more effective with a partner's assistance.

Most PNF stretching techniques employ "isometric agonist contraction/relaxation" where the stretched muscles are contracted isometrically and then relaxed. Some PNF techniques also employ "isometric antagonist contraction" where the antagonists of the stretched muscles are contracted. In all cases, it is important to note that the stretched muscle should be rested (and relaxed) for at least 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique. The most common PNF stretching techniques are:

the "hold-relax"
This technique is also called the "contract-relax". After assuming an initial passive stretch, the muscle being stretched is isometrically contracted for 7-15 seconds, after which the muscle is briefly relaxed for 2-3 seconds, and then immediately subjected to a passive stretch which stretches the muscle even further than the initial passive stretch. This final passive stretch is held for 10-15 seconds. The muscle is then relaxed for 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique.

the "hold-relax-contract"
This technique is also called the "contract-relax-contract", and the
"contract-relax-antagonist-contract" (or "CRAC"). It involves performing two isometric contractions: first of the agonists, then, of the antagonists. The first part is similar to the hold-relax where, after assuming an initial passive stretch, the stretched muscle is isometrically contracted for 7-15 seconds. Then the muscle is relaxed while its antagonist immediately performs an isometric contraction that is held for 7-15 seconds. The muscles are then relaxed for 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique.

the "hold-relax-swing"
This technique (and a similar technique called the "hold-relax-bounce") actually involves the use of dynamic or ballistic stretches in conjunction with static and isometric stretches. It is *very* risky, and is successfully used only by the most advanced of athletes and dancers that have managed to achieve a high level of control over their muscle stretch reflex (see Section 1.6.2 [The Stretch Reflex]). It is similar to the hold-relax technique except that a dynamic or ballistic stretch is employed in place of the final passive stretch.

Notice that in the hold-relax-contract, there is no final passive stretch. It is replaced by the antagonist-contraction which, via reciprocal inhibition (see Section 1.6.4 [Reciprocal Inhibition]), serves to relax and further stretch the muscle that was subjected to the initial passive stretch. Because there is no final passive stretch, this PNF technique is considered one of the safest PNF techniques to perform (it is less likely to result in torn muscle tissue). Some people like to make the technique even more intense by adding the final passive stretch after the second isometric contraction. Although this can result in greater flexibility gains, it also increases the likelihood of injury.

Even more risky are dynamic and ballistic PNF stretching techniques like the hold-relax-swing, and the hold-relax-bounce. If you are not a professional athlete or dancer, you probably have no business attempting either of these techniques (the likelihood of injury is just too great). Even professionals should not attempt these techniques without the guidance of a professional coach or training advisor. These two techniques have the greatest potential for rapid flexibility gains, but only when performed by people who have a sufficiently high level of control of the stretch reflex in the muscles that are being stretched.

Like isometric stretching (see Section 3.6 [Isometric Stretching]), PNF stretching is also not recommended for children and people whose bones are still growing (for the same reasons. Also like isometric stretching, PNF stretching helps strengthen the muscles that are contracted and therefore is good for increasing active flexibility as well as passive flexibility. Furthermore, as with isometric stretching, PNF stretching is very strenuous and should be performed for a given muscle group no more than once per day (ideally, no more than once per 36 hour period).

The initial recommended procedure for PNF stretching is to perform the desired PNF technique 3-5 times for a given muscle group (resting 20 seconds between each repetition). However, `HFLTA' cites a 1987 study whose results suggest that performing 3-5 repetitions of a PNF technique for a given muscle group is not necessarily any more effective than performing the technique only once. As a result, in order to decrease the amount of time taken up by your stretching routine (without decreasing its effectiveness), `HFLTA' recommends performing only one PNF technique per muscle group stretched in a given stretching session.

Section: 3.7.1 How PNF Stretching Works

Remember that during an isometric stretch, when the muscle performing the isometric contraction is relaxed, it retains its ability to stretch beyond its initial maximum length (see Section 3.6.1 [How Isometric Stretching Works]). Well, PNF tries to take immediate advantage of this increased range of motion by immediately subjecting the contracted muscle to a passive stretch.

The isometric contraction of the stretched muscle accomplishes several things:

As explained previously (see Section 3.6.1 [How Isometric Stretching Works]), it helps to train the stretch receptors of the muscle spindle to immediately accommodate a greater muscle length.
The intense muscle contraction, and the fact that it is maintained for a period of time, serves to fatigue many of the fast-twitch fibers of the contracting muscles (see Section 1.2.2 [Fast and Slow Muscle Fibers]). This makes it harder for the fatigued muscle fibers to contract in resistance to a subsequent stretch (see Section 1.6.2 [The Stretch Reflex]).
The tension generated by the contraction activates the golgi tendon organ (see Section 1.6.1 [Proprioceptors]), which inhibits contraction of the muscle via the lengthening reaction (see Section 1.6.3 [The Lengthening Reaction]). Voluntary contraction during a stretch increases tension on the muscle, activating the golgi tendon organs more than the stretch alone. So, when the voluntary contraction is stopped, the muscle is even more inhibited from contracting against a subsequent stretch.

PNF stretching techniques take advantage of the sudden "vulnerability" of the muscle and its increased range of motion by using the period of time immediately following the isometric contraction to train the stretch receptors to get used to this new, increased, range of muscle length. This is what the final passive (or in some cases, dynamic) stretch accomplishes.

20 September 2007

Section: 2 Flexibility

Flexibility is defined by Gummerson as "the absolute range of movement in a joint or series of joints that is attainable in a momentary effort with the help of a partner or a piece of equipment." This definition tells us that flexibility is not something general but is specific to a particular joint or set of joints. In other words, it is a myth that some people are innately flexible throughout their entire body. Being flexible in one particular area or joint does not necessarily imply being flexible in another. Being "loose" in the upper body does not mean you will have a "loose" lower body. Furthermore, according to `SynerStretch', flexibility in a joint is also "specific to the action performed at the joint (the ability to do front splits doesn't imply the ability to do side splits even though both actions occur at the hip)."

Section: 2.1 Types of Flexibility

Many people are unaware of the fact that there are different types of flexibility. These different types of flexibility are grouped according to the various types of activities involved in athletic training. The ones which involve motion are called "dynamic" and the ones which do not are called "static". The different types of flexibility (according to Kurz) are:

"dynamic flexibility"
Dynamic flexibility (also called "kinetic flexibility") is the ability to perform dynamic (or kinetic) movements of the muscles to bring a limb through its full range of motion in the joints.

"static-active flexibility"
Static-active flexibility (also called "active flexibility") is the ability to assume and maintain extended positions using only the tension of the agonists and synergists while the antagonists are being stretched (see Section 1.4 [Cooperating Muscle Groups]). For example, lifting the leg and keeping it high without any external support (other than from your own leg muscles).

"static-passive flexibility"
Static-passive flexibility (also called "passive flexibility") is the ability to assume extended positions and then maintain them using only your weight, the support of your limbs, or some other apparatus (such as a chair or a barre). Note that the ability to maintain the position does not come solely from your muscles, as it does with static-active flexibility. Being able to perform the splits is an example of static-passive flexibility.

Research has shown that active flexibility is more closely related to the level of sports achievement than is passive flexibility. Active flexibility is harder to develop than passive flexibility (which is what most people think of as "flexibility"); not only does active flexibility require passive flexibility in order to assume an initial extended position, it also requires muscle strength to be able to hold and maintain that position.

Section: 2.2 Factors Limiting Flexibility

According to Gummerson, flexibility (he uses the term "mobility") is affected by the following factors:

* Internal influences

- the type of joint (some joints simply aren't meant to be flexible)

- the internal resistance within a joint

- bony structures which limit movement

- the elasticity of muscle tissue (muscle tissue that is scarred due to a previous injury is not very elastic)

- the elasticity of tendons and ligaments (ligaments do not stretch much and tendons should not stretch at all)

- the elasticity of skin (skin actually has some degree of elasticity, but not much)

- the ability of a muscle to relax and contract to achieve the greatest range of movement

- the temperature of the joint and associated tissues (joints and muscles offer better flexibility at body temperatures that are 1 to 2 degrees higher than normal)

* External influences

- the temperature of the place where one is training (a warmer temperature is more conducive to increased flexibility)

- the time of day (most people are more flexible in the afternoon than in the morning, peaking from about 2:30pm-4pm)

- the stage in the recovery process of a joint (or muscle) after injury (injured joints and muscles will usually offer a lesser degree of flexibility than healthy ones)

age (pre-adolescents are generally more flexible than adults)
gender (females are generally more flexible than males)
one's ability to perform a particular exercise (practice makes perfect)
one's commitment to achieving flexibility
the restrictions of any clothing or equipment

Some sources also the suggest that water is an important dietary element with regard to flexibility. Increased water intake is believed to contribute to increased mobility, as well as increased total body relaxation.

Rather than discuss each of these factors in significant detail as Gummerson does, I will attempt to focus on some of the more common factors which limit one's flexibility. According to `SynerStretch', the most common factors are: bone structure, muscle mass, excess fatty tissue, and connective tissue (and, of course, physical injury or disability).

Depending on the type of joint involved and its present condition (is it healthy?), the bone structure of a particular joint places very noticeable limits on flexibility. This is a common way in which age can be a factor limiting flexibility since older joints tend not to be as healthy as younger ones.

Muscle mass can be a factor when the muscle is so heavily developed that it interferes with the ability to take the adjacent joints through their complete range of motion (for example, large hamstrings limit the ability to fully bend the knees). Excess fatty tissue imposes a similar restriction.

The majority of "flexibility" work should involve performing exercises designed to reduce the internal resistance offered by soft connective tissues (see Section 1.3 [Connective Tissue]). Most stretching exercises attempt to accomplish this goal and can be performed by almost anyone, regardless of age or gender.

Section: 2.2.1 How Connective Tissue Affects Flexibility

The resistance to lengthening that is offered by a muscle is dependent upon its connective tissues: When the muscle elongates, the surrounding connective tissues become more taut (see Section 1.3 [Connective Tissue]). Also, inactivity of certain muscles or joints can cause chemical changes in connective tissue which restrict flexibility. According to M. Alter, each type of tissue plays a certain role in joint stiffness: "The joint capsule (i.e., the saclike structure that encloses the ends of bones) and ligaments are the most important factors, accounting for 47 percent of the stiffness, followed by the muscle's fascia (41 percent), the tendons (10 percent), and skin (2 percent)".

M. Alter goes on to say that efforts to increase flexibility should be directed at the muscle's fascia however. This is because it has the most elastic tissue, and because ligaments and tendons (since they have less elastic tissue) are not intended to stretched very much at all. Overstretching them may weaken the joint's integrity and cause destabilization (which increases the risk of injury).

When connective tissue is overused, the tissue becomes fatigued and may tear, which also limits flexibility. When connective tissue is unused or under used, it provides significant resistance and limits flexibility. The elastin begins to fray and loses some of its elasticity, and the collagen increases in stiffness and in density. Aging has some of the same effects on connective tissue that lack of use has.

Section: 2.2.2 How Aging Affects Flexibility

With appropriate training, flexibility can, and should, be developed at all ages. This does not imply, however, that flexibility can be developed at the same rate by everyone. In general, the older you are, the longer it will take to develop the desired level of flexibility. Hopefully, you'll be more patient if you're older.

According to M. Alter, the main reason we become less flexible as we get older is a result of certain changes that take place in our connective tissues. As we age, our bodies gradually dehydrate to some extent. It is believed that "stretching stimulates the production or retention of lubricants between the connective tissue fibers, thus preventing the formation of adhesions". Hence, exercise can delay some of the loss of flexibility that occurs due to the aging process.

M. Alter further states that some of the physical changes attributed to aging are the following:

An increased amount of calcium deposits, adhesions, and cross-links in the body
An increase in the level of fragmentation and dehydration
Changes in the chemical structure of the tissues.
Loss of "suppleness" due to the replacement of muscle fibers with fatty, collagenous fibers.

This does *not* mean that you should give up trying to achieve flexibility if you are old or inflexible. It just means that you need to work harder, and more carefully, for a longer period of time when attempting to increase flexibility. Increases in the ability of muscle tissues and connective tissues to elongate (stretch) can be achieved at any age.

Section: 2.3 Strength and Flexibility

Strength training and flexibility training should go hand in hand. It is a common misconception that there must always be a trade-off between flexibility and strength. Obviously, if you neglect flexibility training altogether in order to train for strength then you are certainly sacrificing flexibility (and vice versa). However, performing exercises for both strength and flexibility need not sacrifice either one. As a matter of fact, flexibility training and strength training can actually enhance one another.

Section: 2.3.1 Why Bodybuilders Should Stretch

One of the best times to stretch is right after a strength workout such as weightlifting. Static stretching of fatigued muscles (see Section 3.5 [Static Stretching]) performed immediately following the exercise(s) that caused the fatigue, helps not only to increase flexibility, but also enhances the promotion of muscular development (muscle growth), and will actually help decrease the level of post-exercise soreness. Here's why:

After you have used weights (or other means) to overload and fatigue your muscles, your muscles retain a "pump" and are shortened somewhat. This "shortening" is due mostly to the repetition of intense muscle activity that often only takes the muscle through part of its full range of motion. This "pump" makes the muscle appear bigger. The "pumped" muscle is also full of lactic acid and other by-products from exhaustive exercise. If the muscle is not stretched afterward, it will retain this decreased range of motion (it sort of "forgets" how to make itself as long as it could) and the buildup of lactic acid will cause post-exercise soreness. Static stretching of the "pumped" muscle helps it to become "looser", and to "remember" its full range of movement. It also helps to remove lactic acid and other waste-products from the muscle. While it is true that stretching the "pumped" muscle will make it appear visibly smaller, it does not decrease the muscle's size or inhibit muscle growth. It merely reduces the "tightness" (contraction) of the muscles so that they do not "bulge" as much.

Also, strenuous workouts will often cause damage to the muscle's connective tissue. The tissue heals in 1 to 2 days but it is believed that the tissues heal at a shorter length (decreasing muscular development as well as flexibility). To prevent the tissues from healing at a shorter length, physiologists recommend static stretching after strength workouts.

Section: 2.3.2 Why Contortionists Should Strengthen

You should be "tempering" (or balancing) your flexibility training with strength training (and vice versa). Do not perform stretching exercises for a given muscle group without also performing strength exercises for that same group of muscles. Judy Alter, in her book `Stretch and Strengthen', recommends stretching muscles after performing strength exercises, and performing strength exercises for every muscle you stretch. In other words: "Strengthen what you stretch, and stretch after you strengthen!"

The reason for this is that flexibility training on a regular basis causes connective tissues to stretch which in turn causes them to loosen (become less taut) and elongate. When the connective tissue of a muscle is weak, it is more likely to become damaged due to overstretching, or sudden, powerful muscular contractions. The likelihood of such injury can be prevented by strengthening the muscles bound by the connective tissue. Kurz suggests dynamic strength training consisting of light dynamic exercises with weights (lots of reps, not too much weight), and isometric tension exercises. If you also lift weights, dynamic strength training for a muscle should occur *before* subjecting that muscle to an intense weightlifting workout. This helps to pre-exhaust the muscle first, making it easier (and faster) to achieve the desired overload in an intense strength workout. Attempting to perform dynamic strength training *after* an intense weightlifting workout would be largely ineffective.

If you are working on increasing (or maintaining) flexibility then it is *very* important that your strength exercises force your muscles to take the joints through their full range of motion. According to Kurz, Repeating movements that do not employ a full range of motion in the joints (like cycling, certain weightlifting techniques, and pushups) can cause of shortening of the muscles surrounding the joints. This is because the nervous control of length and tension in the muscles are set at what is repeated most strongly and/or most frequently.

Section: 2.4 Overflexibility

It is possible for the muscles of a joint to become too flexible. According to `SynerStretch', there is a tradeoff between flexibility and stability. As you get "looser" or more limber in a particular joint, less support is given to the joint by its surrounding muscles. Excessive flexibility can be just as bad as not enough because both increase your risk of injury.

Once a muscle has reached its absolute maximum length, attempting to stretch the muscle further only serves to stretch the ligaments and put undue stress upon the tendons (two things that you do *not* want to stretch). Ligaments will tear when stretched more than 6% of their normal length. Tendons are not even supposed to be able to lengthen. Even when stretched ligaments and tendons do not tear, loose joints and/or a decrease in the joint's stability can occur (thus vastly increasing your risk of injury).

Once you have achieved the desired level of flexibility for a muscle or set of muscles and have maintained that level for a solid week, you should discontinue any isometric or PNF stretching of that muscle until some of its flexibility is lost (see Section 3.6 [Isometric Stretching], and see section 3.7 [PNF Stretching]).

19 September 2007

Physiology of Stretching

by Brad Appleton
http://www.bradapp.net/

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to some of the basic physiological concepts that come into play when a muscle is stretched. Concepts will be introduced initially with a general overview and then (for those who want to know the gory details) will be discussed in further detail. If you aren't all that interested in this aspect of stretching, you can skip this chapter. Other sections will refer to important concepts from this chapter and you can easily look them up on a "need to know" basis.

The Musculoskeletal System
Muscle Composition
Connective Tissue
Cooperating Muscle Groups
Types of Muscle Contractions
What Happens When You Stretch

The Musculoskeletal System

Together, muscles and bones comprise what is called the musculoskeletal system of the body. The bones provide posture and structural support for the body and the muscles provide the body with the ability to move (by contracting, and thus generating tension). The musculoskeletal system also provides protection for the body's internal organs. In order to serve their function, bones must be joined together by something. The point where bones connect to one another is called a joint, and this connection is made mostly by ligaments (along with the help of muscles). Muscles are attached to the bone by tendons. Bones, tendons, and ligaments do not possess the ability (as muscles do) to make your body move. Muscles are very unique in this respect.

Muscle Composition

Muscles vary in shape and in size, and serve many different purposes. Most large muscles, like the hamstrings and quadriceps, control motion. Other muscles, like the heart, and the muscles of the inner ear, perform other functions. At the microscopic level however, all muscles share the same basic structure.

At the highest level, the (whole) muscle is composed of many strands of tissue called fascicles. These are the strands of muscle that we see when we cut red meat or poultry. Each fascicle is composed of fasciculi which are bundles of muscle fibers. The muscle fibers are in turn composed of tens of thousands of thread-like myofybrils, which can contract, relax, and elongate (lengthen). The myofybrils are (in turn) composed of up to millions of bands laid end-to-end called sarcomeres. Each sarcomere is made of overlapping thick and thin filaments called myofilaments. The thick and thin myofilaments are made up of contractile proteins, primarily actin and myosin.

How Muscles Contract
Fast and Slow Muscle Fibers

How Muscles Contract

The way in which all these various levels of the muscle operate is as follows: Nerves connect the spinal column to the muscle. The place where the nerve and muscle meet is called the neuromuscular junction. When an electrical signal crosses the neuromuscular junction, it is transmitted deep inside the muscle fibers. Inside the muscle fibers, the signal stimulates the flow of calcium which causes the thick and thin myofilaments to slide across one another. When this occurs, it causes the sarcomere to shorten, which generates force. When billions of sarcomeres in the muscle shorten all at once it results in a contraction of the entire muscle fiber.

When a muscle fiber contracts, it contracts completely. There is no such thing as a partially contracted muscle fiber. Muscle fibers are unable to vary the intensity of their contraction relative to the load against which they are acting. If this is so, then how does the force of a muscle contraction vary in strength from strong to weak? What happens is that more muscle fibers are recruited, as they are needed, to perform the job at hand. The more muscle fibers that are recruited by the central nervous system, the stronger the force generated by the muscular contraction.

Fast and Slow Muscle Fibers

The energy which produces the calcium flow in the muscle fibers comes from mitochondria, the part of the muscle cell that converts glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Different types of muscle fibers have different amounts of mitochondria. The more mitochondria in a muscle fiber, the more energy it is able to produce. Muscle fibers are categorized into slow-twitch fibers and fast-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers (also called Type 1 muscle fibers) are slow to contract, but they are also very slow to fatigue. Fast-twitch fibers are very quick to contract and come in two varieties: Type 2A muscle fibers which fatigue at an intermediate rate, and Type 2B muscle fibers which fatigue very quickly. The main reason the slow-twitch fibers are slow to fatigue is that they contain more mitochondria than fast-twitch fibers and hence are able to produce more energy. Slow-twitch fibers are also smaller in diameter than fast-twitch fibers and have increased capillary blood flow around them. Because they have a smaller diameter and an increased blood flow, the slow-twitch fibers are able to deliver more oxygen and remove more waste products from the muscle fibers (which decreases their "fatigability").

These three muscle fiber types (Types 1, 2A, and 2B) are contained in all muscles in varying amounts. Muscles that need to be contracted much of the time (like the heart) have a greater number of Type 1 (slow) fibers. When a muscle first starts to contract, it is primarily Type 1 fibers that are initially activated, then Type 2A and Type 2B fibers are activated (if needed) in that order. The fact that muscle fibers are recruited in this sequence is what provides the ability to execute brain commands with such fine-tuned tuned muscle responses. It also makes the Type 2B fibers difficult to train because they are not activated until most of the Type 1 and Type 2A fibers have been recruited.

HFLTA states that the the best way to remember the difference between muscles with predominantly slow-twitch fibers and muscles with predominantly fast-twitch fibers is to think of "white meat" and "dark meat". Dark meat is dark because it has a greater number of slow-twitch muscle fibers and hence a greater number of mitochondria, which are dark. White meat consists mostly of muscle fibers which are at rest much of the time but are frequently called on to engage in brief bouts of intense activity. This muscle tissue can contract quickly but is fast to fatigue and slow to recover. White meat is lighter in color than dark meat because it contains fewer mitochondria.

Connective Tissue

Located all around the muscle and its fibers are connective tissues. Connective tissue is composed of a base substance and two kinds of protein based fiber. The two types of fiber are collagenous connective tissue and elastic connective tissue. Collagenous connective tissue consists mostly of collagen (hence its name) and provides tensile strength. Elastic connective tissue consists mostly of elastin and (as you might guess from its name) provides elasticity. The base substance is called mucopolysaccharide and acts as both a lubricant (allowing the fibers to easily slide over one another), and as a glue (holding the fibers of the tissue together into bundles). The more elastic connective tissue there is around a joint, the greater the range of motion in that joint. Connective tissues are made up of tendons, ligaments, and the fascial sheaths that envelop, or bind down, muscles into separate groups. These fascial sheaths, or fascia, are named according to where they are located in the muscles:

endomysium
The innermost fascial sheath that envelops individual muscle fibers.

perimysium
The fascial sheath that binds groups of muscle fibers into individual fasciculi (see section Muscle Composition).

epimysium
The outermost fascial sheath that binds entire fascicles (see section Muscle Composition).

These connective tissues help provide suppleness and tone to the muscles.

Cooperating Muscle Groups

When muscles cause a limb to move through the joint's range of motion, they usually act in the following cooperating groups:

agonists
These muscles cause the movement to occur. They create the normal range of movement in a joint by contracting. Agonists are also referred to as prime movers since they are the muscles that are primarily responsible for generating the movement.

antagonists
These muscles act in opposition to the movement generated by the agonists and are responsible for returning a limb to its initial position.

synergists
These muscles perform, or assist in performing, the same set of joint motion as the agonists. Synergists are sometimes referred to as neutralizers because they help cancel out, or neutralize, extra motion from the agonists to make sure that the force generated works within the desired plane of motion.

fixators
These muscles provide the necessary support to assist in holding the rest of the body in place while the movement occurs. Fixators are also sometimes called stabilizers.

As an example, when you flex your knee, your hamstring contracts, and, to some extent, so does your gastrocnemius (calf) and lower buttocks. Meanwhile, your quadriceps are inhibited (relaxed and lengthened somewhat) so as not to resist the flexion (see section Reciprocal Inhibition). In this example, the hamstring serves as the agonist, or prime mover; the quadricep serves as the antagonist; and the calf and lower buttocks serve as the synergists. Agonists and antagonists are usually located on opposite sides of the affected joint (like your hamstrings and quadriceps, or your triceps and biceps), while synergists are usually located on the same side of the joint near the agonists. Larger muscles often call upon their smaller neighbors to function as synergists.

The following is a list of commonly used agonist/antagonist muscle pairs:

pectorals/latissimus dorsi (pecs and lats)
anterior deltoids/posterior deltoids (front and back shoulder)
trapezius/deltoids (traps and delts)
abdominals/spinal erectors (abs and lower-back)
left and right external obliques (sides)
quadriceps/hamstrings (quads and hams)
shins/calves
biceps/triceps
forearm flexors/extensors

Types of Muscle Contractions

The contraction of a muscle does not necessarily imply that the muscle shortens; it only means that tension has been generated. Muscles can contract in the following ways:

isometric contraction
This is a contraction in which no movement takes place, because the load on the muscle exceeds the tension generated by the contracting muscle. This occurs when a muscle attempts to push or pull an immovable object.

isotonic contraction
This is a contraction in which movement does take place, because the tension generated by the contracting muscle exceeds the load on the muscle. This occurs when you use your muscles to successfully push or pull an object.

Isotonic contractions are further divided into two types:

concentric contraction
This is a contraction in which the muscle decreases in length (shortens) against an opposing load, such as lifting a weight up.

eccentric contraction
This is a contraction in which the muscle increases in length (lengthens) as it resists a load, such as lowering a weight down in a slow, controlled fashion.

During a concentric contraction, the muscles that are shortening serve as the agonists and hence do all of the work. During an eccentric contraction the muscles that are lengthening serve as the agonists (and do all of the work). See section Cooperating Muscle Groups.

What Happens When You Stretch

The stretching of a muscle fiber begins with the sarcomere (see section Muscle Composition), the basic unit of contraction in the muscle fiber. As the sarcomere contracts, the area of overlap between the thick and thin myofilaments increases. As it stretches, this area of overlap decreases, allowing the muscle fiber to elongate. Once the muscle fiber is at its maximum resting length (all the sarcomeres are fully stretched), additional stretching places force on the surrounding connective tissue (see section Connective Tissue). As the tension increases, the collagen fibers in the connective tissue align themselves along the same line of force as the tension. Hence when you stretch, the muscle fiber is pulled out to its full length sarcomere by sarcomere, and then the connective tissue takes up the remaining slack. When this occurs, it helps to realign any disorganized fibers in the direction of the tension. This realignment is what helps to rehabilitate scarred tissue back to health.

When a muscle is stretched, some of its fibers lengthen, but other fibers may remain at rest. The current length of the entire muscle depends upon the number of stretched fibers (similar to the way that the total strength of a contracting muscle depends on the number of recruited fibers contracting). According to SynerStretch you should think of "little pockets of fibers distributed throughout the muscle body stretching, and other fibers simply going along for the ride". The more fibers that are stretched, the greater the length developed by the stretched muscle.

Proprioceptors
The Stretch Reflex
The Lengthening Reaction
Reciprocal Inhibition

Proprioceptors

The nerve endings that relay all the information about the musculoskeletal system to the central nervous system are called proprioceptors. Proprioceptors (also called mechanoreceptors) are the source of all proprioception: the perception of one's own body position and movement. The proprioceptors detect any changes in physical displacement (movement or position) and any changes in tension, or force, within the body. They are found in all nerve endings of the joints, muscles, and tendons. The proprioceptors related to stretching are located in the tendons and in the muscle fibers.

There are two kinds of muscle fibers: intrafusal muscle fibers and extrafusal muscle fibers. Extrafusil fibers are the ones that contain myofibrils (see section Muscle Composition) and are what is usually meant when we talk about muscle fibers. Intrafusal fibers are also called muscle spindles and lie parallel to the extrafusal fibers. Muscle spindles, or stretch receptors, are the primary proprioceptors in the muscle. Another proprioceptor that comes into play during stretching is located in the tendon near the end of the muscle fiber and is called the golgi tendon organ. A third type of proprioceptor, called a pacinian corpuscle, is located close to the golgi tendon organ and is responsible for detecting changes in movement and pressure within the body.

When the extrafusal fibers of a muscle lengthen, so do the intrafusal fibers (muscle spindles). The muscle spindle contains two different types of fibers (or stretch receptors) which are sensitive to the change in muscle length and the rate of change in muscle length. When muscles contract it places tension on the tendons where the golgi tendon organ is located. The golgi tendon organ is sensitive to the change in tension and the rate of change of the tension.

The Stretch Reflex

When the muscle is stretched, so is the muscle spindle (see section Proprioceptors). The muscle spindle records the change in length (and how fast) and sends signals to the spine which convey this information. This triggers the stretch reflex (also called the myotatic reflex) which attempts to resist the change in muscle length by causing the stretched muscle to contract. The more sudden the change in muscle length, the stronger the muscle contractions will be (plyometric, or "jump", training is based on this fact). This basic function of the muscle spindle helps to maintain muscle tone and to protect the body from injury.

One of the reasons for holding a stretch for a prolonged period of time is that as you hold the muscle in a stretched position, the muscle spindle habituates (becomes accustomed to the new length) and reduces its signaling. Gradually, you can train your stretch receptors to allow greater lengthening of the muscles.

Some sources suggest that with extensive training, the stretch reflex of certain muscles can be controlled so that there is little or no reflex contraction in response to a sudden stretch. While this type of control provides the opportunity for the greatest gains in flexibility, it also provides the greatest risk of injury if used improperly. Only consummate professional athletes and dancers at the top of their sport (or art) are believed to actually possess this level of muscular control.

Components of the Stretch Reflex

The stretch reflex has both a dynamic component and a static component. The static component of the stretch reflex persists as long as the muscle is being stretched. The dynamic component of the stretch reflex (which can be very powerful) lasts for only a moment and is in response to the initial sudden increase in muscle length. The reason that the stretch reflex has two components is because there are actually two kinds of intrafusal muscle fibers: nuclear chain fibers, which are responsible for the static component; and nuclear bag fibers, which are responsible for the dynamic component.

Nuclear chain fibers are long and thin, and lengthen steadily when stretched. When these fibers are stretched, the stretch reflex nerves increase their firing rates (signaling) as their length steadily increases. This is the static component of the stretch reflex.

Nuclear bag fibers bulge out at the middle, where they are the most elastic. The stretch-sensing nerve ending for these fibers is wrapped around this middle area, which lengthens rapidly when the fiber is stretched. The outer-middle areas, in contrast, act like they are filled with viscous fluid; they resist fast stretching, then gradually extend under prolonged tension. So, when a fast stretch is demanded of these fibers, the middle takes most of the stretch at first; then, as the outer-middle parts extend, the middle can shorten somewhat. So the nerve that senses stretching in these fibers fires rapidly with the onset of a fast stretch, then slows as the middle section of the fiber is allowed to shorten again. This is the dynamic component of the stretch reflex: a strong signal to contract at the onset of a rapid increase in muscle length, followed by slightly "higher than normal" signaling which gradually decreases as the rate of change of the muscle length decreases.

The Lengthening Reaction

When muscles contract (possibly due to the stretch reflex), they produce tension at the point where the muscle is connected to the tendon, where the golgi tendon organ is located. The golgi tendon organ records the change in tension, and the rate of change of the tension, and sends signals to the spine to convey this information (see section Proprioceptors). When this tension exceeds a certain threshold, it triggers the lengthening reaction which inhibits the muscles from contracting and causes them to relax. Other names for this reflex are the inverse myotatic reflex, autogenic inhibition, and the clasped-knife reflex. This basic function of the golgi tendon organ helps to protect the muscles, tendons, and ligaments from injury. The lengthening reaction is possible only because the signaling of golgi tendon organ to the spinal cord is powerful enough to overcome the signaling of the muscle spindles telling the muscle to contract.

Another reason for holding a stretch for a prolonged period of time is to allow this lengthening reaction to occur, thus helping the stretched muscles to relax. It is easier to stretch, or lengthen, a muscle when it is not trying to contract.

Reciprocal Inhibition

When an agonist contracts, in order to cause the desired motion, it usually forces the antagonists to relax (see section Cooperating Muscle Groups). This phenomenon is called reciprocal inhibition because the antagonists are inhibited from contracting. This is sometimes called reciprocal innervation but that term is really a misnomer since it is the agonists which inhibit (relax) the antagonists. The antagonists do not actually innervate (cause the contraction of) the agonists.

Such inhibition of the antagonistic muscles is not necessarily required. In fact, co-contraction can occur. When you perform a sit-up, one would normally assume that the stomach muscles inhibit the contraction of the muscles in the lumbar, or lower, region of the back. In this particular instance however, the back muscles (spinal erectors) also contract. This is one reason why sit-ups are good for strengthening the back as well as the stomach.

When stretching, it is easier to stretch a muscle that is relaxed than to stretch a muscle that is contracting. By taking advantage of the situations when reciprocal inhibition does occur, you can get a more effective stretch by inducing the antagonists to relax during the stretch due to the contraction of the agonists. You also want to relax any muscles used as synergists by the muscle you are trying to stretch. For example, when you stretch your calf, you want to contract the shin muscles (the antagonists of the calf) by flexing your foot. However, the hamstrings use the calf as a synergist so you want to also relax the hamstrings by contracting the quadricep (i.e., keeping your leg straight).

2008-07-19T23:46:00.002-07:00

Causing Damage of His Play

Source: badminton central.com

I went ahead and translated the article Cheung asked for about causing damage to your opponents. It has some interesting ideas so I hope everyone enjoys it. I decided not to try and copy the diagrams used in the article as I`m not sure a) how to put them up here and b) there are probably copyright issues. Enjoy!!!!
P.S Sorry it`s such a long post!!

Causing “Damage”
Translation of an article written by Gu Xiamin, 1998 All England Champion and Bronze medalist at the 1987 World Championships. Printed in Badminton Magazine, Japan.

DAMAGE 1 – MAKE THE OPPONENT RUN

Using a strange phrase, not only badminton but sports in general are an unkind game. Testing courses (of the shuttle) so the opponent must make a big effort, using their expectations to deceive and then steal a point, taking the intiative and grasping hold of the game. In short, realizing what makes the opponent think “ If this happens I`m in trouble “ and use this cleverly to be ruthless in your play. A simple example is in doubles where we often say to aim for the middle of your opponents. This is because both players can reach the shuttle on this course which causes some uncertainty for them and then your team can expect the reply to be late. In singles an example would be to at first only serve long and then from time to time weave in some deceptive short serves. Above all though, from the same form being able to hit a variety of different shots is, at a basic level, a very shrewd idea.

Being ruthless is difficult for many people to follow so let`s try to improve this – how can we cause damage to our opponents? The fastest way is to look at your self. If it was you what position/situation would make you feel under pressure? For example from the back of the court in an unbalanced position you return the shuttle, only to see it returned, dropping close to the net, knowing even if you make a huge effort you won`t make it to the shuttle in time. Another example is being made to run a long distance by your opponent. This is the first step towards being ruthless.

“Diagonal is the key” – this is a well known basic concept. If the opponent plays a cross court clear from their back forehand corner, play a straight cut to your front forehand corner. As in diagram 1, from the round-the-head position a cross court clear(1) is played, and then the opponent plays a straight return(2) which you then play a cross court cut(3) from. From cross court then straight, from straight then cross court. In short if you look at the 6.7m x 5.18m (singles) court from above, the idea is to have the shuttle coming and going along the longest diagonal line of the rectangle. If you keep playing shuttles along the diagonal the opponent will have to move the furthest distance. Consequentially the opponents movement will take more time. If you can make the opponent have to scramble to the back forehand corner and then run to the front backhand corner you will use up a little of their stamina. Little by little you cause damage. It`s due to this that we say the diagonal is the basis of badminton.

DAMAGE 2 – DON`T ALLOW THE OPPONENT TO GO WHERE THEY WANT TO.

Making the opponent run diagonally is “ruthlessness” at its basic level, however as the level of play gets better this is not the only thing. Connected with the “diagonal” concept is the role of the catcher in baseball. If a high inside ball is thrown the next ball will likely be a low outside pitch. The eye has an after image of the inside ball and to then have a pitch on a course further away confuses the batter. However if the batter recognizes this tactic and knows that after a high inside ball the next pitch will be low and outside they can probably swing and connect with that pitch. In this case the pitchers intent to fool the batter backfires, as he is waiting and ready for this pitch.

Badminton is the same. If you continually play the “diagonal” tactic it becomes too easy for your opponent to read the course of the shuttle. For example in diagram 2, B plays a cross court clear from the round-the-head position to A. In this case if you follow the “diagonal” theory A should play a straight cut/smash to B`s forehand front corner. This is because the distance B will have to travel is the greatest, right? However to reach this straight reply may take the longest distance, but if B responds quickly its easy to reach this position. If A is a little late in making a reply and plays a cross court, for example, it is A who is then in trouble. The intiative has suddenly changed places. In this case it is more effective for A to play to the round-the-head area of B.

After playing a cross court clear from round-the-head B instantly moves back to the home base, right? B wants to limit the amount of open space. A plays a straight return to B`s forehand corner. For B, who has just played a shot from round-the-head, this is the furthest distance to travel but as B has traveled back to the home base immediately after playing the shot it`s easy for B to use this momentum and reach the next shot without much trouble.

If we look at this again, but this time A plays the return back to B`s round-the-head position, what happens? We attack on the same course that the shuttle reached us on. For B, who has already returned to his home base, this is much more tiring. First B has to stop his legs and then if his balance isn`t okay, going to the back left side is very difficult to do smoothly. If we compare this to going to the front forehand corner it`s obvious that the players speed decreases. This ploy is more effective than using the “diagonal” tactic and returning to the front forehand corner, don`t you think? How about if B had played a straight clear – using the “diagonal” theory B could look out for a cross court cut. This would make B come forward looking to cut out this shot. If A was then to play a straight clear in reply, just as in our last example I`m sure this would be a body blow to B.

If you follow this idea persistently it becomes very difficult for the opponent to cope with. Little by little it becomes more difficult for the opponent to rely on his sense of where the reply will come. If you can follow this plan and then from time to time play a variety of shots on the “diagonal” course it should be possible to deceive your opponent. By using both of these tactics, the “diagonal” and “returning to the same position”, it causes great damage to your opponent.

Thinking in the same vein, I`ve noticed that Japanese players always return to the home base without fail after every shot. From a young age it`s drilled into them that after hitting a shot you must return to the home base no doubt. You hit then return to base. So this becomes instinct. Even if the footwork to the round-the-head is poor, you take care of the shot and then secure the home base position at all times. So if once again the shuttle comes back to the same place what happens? The loss in movement is great and the psychological effect is also great. In this situation going back to the home base every time is not only slow, but as far as the length of time to make a reply and stamina are concerned, it produces only terrible results.

The feeling of wanting to move forward if at all possible, is understandable but returning to the home base without fail after every shot actually leads to a greater overall loss. Of course it`s important to return to the home base, but sometimes it`s better not to. Your mind should be thinking “move forward”, but your body should be hanging back. Doing away with this idea of always returning to home base results in a more attacking, dynamic playing style.

DAMAGE 3 – AT THE NET AREA STRIKING WITH THE UNEXPECTED- USING THE ATTACKING LOB

If we control the shuttle around the net area we can lure the opponent forward. We call this “cutting” with regards to the net. So cut drops, hairpin, cross net are all examples of this kind of shot. The shots which are easiest to cut are those which are above the level of the net. Another way of looking at this is if the shot you play is sent upwards, then you should expect that the shuttle can be “cut” by your opponent.

If we look at diagram 4, we see that B plays a short straight drop and expecting the return to come cross court tries to get forward to cut out this shot(1). The distance B has to travel is far so at the same time the reply will be coming into court. If A faithfully follows the plan and plays a cross net shot the result is only half successful. Following the theory of “cutting to the net” in this situation, the opponent has a 50%-plus expectation of the shuttle coming to the front and so the expectation of it coming to the back is secondary. However if A sends the shuttle deep to the back this is a completely different play.

In this situation the best shot to use is an attacking lob. Wait until the opponent has read the net shot and then at the very last moment send the shuttle to the back. B who has been forced to turn to the back of the court, probably can`t hit a good shot as long as A`s shot has enough speed. From this weak reply A should then be in a winning position in the rally.

A different example from the opposite view would be if from your opponents smash you make a great return to the net area. Your opponent will probably have dashed forwards after the smash, something which you will pick up on. In this case, to prepare for the next attack you instantly try to get back to the home base. Then the shuttle is played back onto the net by your opponent and being in the position you are, you feel quite foolish as you can`t reach it.

If you can strike at the front and back in this way you can make maximum use of the width and length of the court. If the opponent looks like they`re going to come forward play to the back, if they are moving to the back play to the net. In this way you can cause a lot of damage to the opponents stamina and spirit.

In baseball being struck out with a 150km/h fastball is less frustrating than having a 100km/h slowball, hitting it and then being caught out. In badminton it’s the same – being beaten by a powerful smash is not as bad as being fooled around the net and then being beaten. Sometimes when you are being beaten badly you can change things around by thinking “ I`ve nothing to lose”, but with offense and defense around the net, thinking you can get to the shot but not actually making it causes a large amount of damage.

DAMAGE 4 – FROM A NARROW COURSE TO A WIDE COURSE – AIM TO THE BODY AND THEN TO THE CORNER.

Even when you have the opponent under pressure and right into the corner it`s not automatic that you`ll score an “ace”. Most players hate being pushed right into the corner, but during training you practice this situation so the return becomes easier to make. Due to the improvements in racquets and other equipment, and with the general level of defensive skills having improved, you can no longer expect to score from a single shot. Even making use of great control to place the shuttle right into the corner you need to be prepared for the shuttle to come back. Even with the exactly the same shot, the process up to the shot and it`s effectiveness can change a lot. For example as in diagram 5, the back forehand area, the varying degrees of difficulty of the course of the shuttle are numbered. Let`s work our way through them. From no.1 as we go further out the degree of difficulty increases. Another way of thinking of this is the degree of your body to the shuttle as it crosses the net increasing. A shuttle that comes straight is 0 degrees and as the proportionate difficulty increases so does the angle.

So lets imagine a situation where the first shot is on course 4, and the next shot is even more severe on course 5. Over and above the numbers it is a good attack, but there is a better option. The first shot is placed on course 1, close to the body so without moving the opponent can handle the shot, then from there to attack on course 5 is far and away a more effective play. If we look at these two rallies and add up their degrees of difficulty we see that the former is 9, the latter is 6. Over and above the numbers however, the latter is a tougher attack to deal with. So in a real game situation the easier rally in terms of numbers, is actually worse for the opponent. Why is this? For the first shot on course 1, a light step and a small adjustment of the body`s position has to happen or else you can`t swing the racquet. Then if the next shot is on course 5, you need a big footwork movement to be able to reach the shuttle. A very small movement and then a very large movement. The nature of movement in 1 and 5 is different.

If we look at playing on course 4 and then 5, with very similar movement you can return the shuttle. The degree of each course is different, but the basic nature of the movements on the two, look the same. The human body remembers the previous movement the easiest and so moving from 4 to 5 is actually an easier sequence of returns. Moving from 1 to 5 there is a sudden big difference, from a small to a large movement, and this is quite difficult to do, much more so than attacking on similar courses. From a small angle to a wide angle, there is a delicate change in the nature of the movement, and this causes the kind of damage that you can`t see. Rather like with cooking, changes during the preparation affect the final taste.

DAMAGE 5 – MAINTAINING/CHANGING THE RHYTHM. CHOOSING THE RIGHT REPLY FOR EACH SITUATION.

If we say that as a pre-condition to stopping the opponents movement, we have to get into a position to hit the shuttle as fast as possible to then say that we also have to hit the shuttle quickly is actually not true. If we are going to be deceptive the trick is to hold off hitting the shuttle immediately as it falls, and from there, with the same form, hit a variety of shots. This means playing the shuttle late, not early. However the players nowadays, compared with the players in my era, have much better defensive skills and even if your intention is to deceive the opponent, they won`t be so easily deceived. Even if they are halted once, from there they are able to regain composure and reach the shuttle. Compared to before, I think that deception is now not such an unusual tool.

However changing the rhythm of play is important. Recently in mens singles and doubles play, we have seen that many players are showing they are going to jump smash and then at the last moment take the power of the shot to confuse the opponent. It used to be that if the opponent was jumping you wouldn`t expect anything but a smash……Expecting a smash and then to have a variety of shots of varying speed, weight and angle forcing you into an emergency situation, is the worst scenario for the opponent. If we think of baseball again, you`re waiting for what you`re sure will be a straight fastball, only to have a gentle curveball thrown at you. Your rhythm gets thrown all over the place.

In badminton I take the rhythm of the game very seriously. The first time I face a new opponent, before the game starts in the warm-up the things I notice aren`t the players speed or angle of shot. Instead I look for the rhythm of the players racquet preparation, wait for the shuttle and then the shuttle leaving the racquet. If I can get my body familiar with this rhythm during warm-up then this will spill over into the game. Each rally has it`s own rhythm – at its simplest in response to a drive shot you play a drive shot. A fast shot gets a fast shot in reply, this is the cycle of badminton. The ability not to detract from this cycle requires skillful matching of the rhythm to this cycle. If we want to dent our opponents spirit then for us we shouldn`t give away any easy chances. From a clear we return a clear if we can, whatever shot the opponent plays our reply is the same shot.

If the game becomes a real tussle then the comparative patience and endurance of each player becomes a factor. You come up against a deep cross court shot in a rally and know that if you just slice to the net the point will become easier, even though you may lose it. However you don`t want to give away that chance and so you go to great lengths to return the shuttle cross court. If this happens often during a rally the players will be worn out, but the strange thing is that the player who tries to change the pattern will most likely lose that rally.

2008-07-19T23:46:00.001-07:00

Makanan sebelum Bertanding

Beberapa anjuran yang banyak disampaikan adalah untuk menghadapi pertandingan adalah:
· Disarankan jangan memakan kombinasi karbohidrat dengan makanan yang kaya protein
· Jangan makan makanan kombinasi protein dengan protein lainnya (daging, telur dan susu)
· Bila mungkin makan hanya “single dish meal” (nasi, mie, pasta)
· Jangan makan buah sesudah makan
· Jangan minum alkohol

2008-07-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

POLA MAKAN SEHAT UNTUK MENUNJANG KEBUGARAN ATLIT

Ditulis Oleh: Administrator
Rabu, 16 Januari 2008
Oleh:Toto Sudargo IKM-FK UGM YOGYAKARTA 2007 Pola makanan masyarakat dipengaruhi oleh berbagai macam faktor, antara lain, sosial budaya, pendidikan, jenis kelamin, pekerjaan, suku bangsa bahkan ras, turut andil didalamnya. Pola makanan bergantung pada jumlah, jenis dan frekuensi. Berbagai cara telah ditempuh oleh manusia sejak berabad-abat yang silam, dengan tujuan untuk mendapatkan makanan yang dapat menguatkan tubuh, serta selalu dapat disimpan dalam waktu lama. Dan lebih spetakuler lagi saat ini berbagai perusahanan makanan mengkaji bagaimana cara membuat makanan menjadi praktis, baik dibawa, disimpan maupun dikonsumsi. Secara alami pertumbuhan fisik seseorang akan sangat dipengaruhi oleh asupan makanan yang diterimanya. Genetik yang baik untuk seorang kandidat atlit olahraga prestasi tanpa asupan gizi yang baik, pertumbuhan fisiknya tidak akan sempurna. Hal lain yang sangat mempengaruhi perkembangan fisik tersebut adalah aktifitas fisik yang dilakukan sepanjang kehidupannya, apakah itu berupa latihan yang teratur dan terprogram ataupun kegiatan fisik lainnya. Kedua hal ini merupakan faktor pembentuk dasar utama dalam olahraga prestasi (Sidi, 2007 Bahan makanan bukan semata untuk menghilangkan rasa lapar, akan tetapi makanan tersebut memiliki fungsi yang lain, baik untuk tujuan pengobatan, diet, maupun untuk tujuan – tujuan lainnya. Seperti apa yang dikatakan Soebagyo bahwa sudah sejak lama masyarakat kurang meyakini, dan saat ini seringkali dapat dibuktikan kebenarannya. Ungkapan Hippocrates seperti “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food” kini kian banyak terbukti. Bagi atlit nasional Indonesia masalah asupan gizi merupakan tantangan utama. Hal disebabkan kondisi, dimana umumnya mereka datang dari keluarga dengan kemampuan ekonomi menengah kebawah. Pemenuhan makanan sehari-hari untuk pertumbuhan rata-rata masih kurang baik secara kuantitas apalagi kualitas. Jadi pada usia pertumbuhan saja, seorang dengan karakter genetik yang baik sudah mengalami defisit dari syarat untuk bisa tampil sebagai atlit yang prima. Padahal untuk kebutuhan seorang olahragawan berprestasi, seperti halnya pelari jarak jauh dan maraton bisa dua kali lebih besar dari seseorang untuk kehidupan yang normal (Sidi, 2007). Berbagai jenis makanan yang dikonsumsi manusia mampu meningkatkan kondisi kesehatan sel-sel tubuh, sebab berbagai jenis bahan makanan dapat bertindak sebagai obat didalam tubuh. Perubahan perilaku makan sehari-hari yaitu dengan lebih banyak mengkonsumsi bahan makanan yang telah diketahui akan berakibat positif didalam tubuh, dan akan meningkatkan kesehatan bahkan akan terhindar dari berbagai penyakit akut maupun kronis atau yang lebih populer yaitu penyakit degeneratif. Dengan kondisi geografi serta etnik yang ada di Indonesia ini boleh dikatakan, bahwa setiap atlit dari propinsi yang berbeda mempunyai kebiasaan makan serta jenis makanan favorit yang berbeda. Kebiasaan ini tentu saja dibawa oleh mereka dalam memasuki pemusatan latihan nasional. Ada atlit yang bisa menyesuaikan dengan makanan yang disediakan (biasanya telah dinilai oleh ahli gizi), bahkan makan secara berlebihan. Adapula yang masih harus mencari makanan yang biasa dikonsumsi didaerahnya, sekalipun nilai gizinya kurang. Hal ini bisa menimbulkan kesulitan di dalam pembinaan, karena sementara atlit kelebihan berat badan (obesitas) sementara yang lain tetap berada dalam kondisi kekurangan nutrisi(Sidi, 2007). Hasil pengamatan pada beberapa atlet dengan latar belakang berbagai cabang olah raga menunjukan bahwa gizi dan olah raga secara bersama-sama akan menghasilkan prestasi yang baik. Dengan menggunakan strategi gizi untuk olah raga baik sebelum, selama dan sesudah latihan dapat membantu atlet mencapai performa terbaik mereka. Memang tiap cabang olah raga berbeda kebutuhannya, akan tetapi secara umum telah diakui bahwa energi dan cairan merupakan 2 (dua) zat gizi yang perlu diprioritaskan (Purba, 2007). Sampai saat ini, makanan selalu akan dikaitkan dengan zat gizi yang telah lama dikenal yaitu karbohidrat, lemak, protein vitamin dan mineral. Berkenaan dengan penemuan-penemuan baru tentang manfaat bahan makanan, sesungguhnya kita tidak boleh puas hanya dengan memahami istilah-istilah yang selama ini sudah kita kenal, yaitu karbohidrat, lemak dan protein, akan tetapi kita juga perlu mengetahui dan mempelajari istilah-istilah seperti “desmutagens”, “antimutagens”, anticarsinogens”, dan lainnya, yang merupakan senyawa dalam bahan makanan yang selama ini kurang mendapat perhatian. Senyawa-senyawa bahan makanan yang relatif masih baru ditemukan ini berbeda dengan zat-zat gizi, bahkan sebagian besar nilai gizinya sangat rendah. Hal ini disebabkan jumlah yang dikonsumsi sangat sedikit. Meskipun senyawa ini secara fisiologis tidak potensial, akan tetapi senyawa misterius “allicin” ini secara radikal dan menakjubkan dapat mempengaruhi mekanisme fisiologis tubuh yang merupakan kunci untuk mencapai derajat kesehatan yang optimal, bahkan menggapai usia lebih panjang. Tidak seperti obat-obat modern yang bertujuan tunggal, maka senyawa-senyawa misteruis dalam bahan makanan ini lebih berfungsi sebagai obat mujarab seumur hidup terhadap terjadinya perusakan sel-sel yang bersifat akumulatif yang dikenal orang yang disebut penyakit. Berbagai bahan makanan memiliki khasiat yang bersifat farmakologis, sehingga mampu menjaga sel-sel secara individual dengan cara memotong musuh dalam serangkaian biologis. Walaupun belum semua rahasia farmasi makanan diketahui, tetapi menunggu sampai semua informasi diperoleh merupakan pekerjaan yang sia-sia. Berbagai bahan makanan yang mempunyai manfaat bagi optimalisasi kesehatan harus dimanfaatkan sebesar-besarnya. Farmasi makanan ini sudah banyak diungkap dalam berbagai diskusi, tetapi yang paling banyak dibahas adalah mengenai manfaat buah, sayur dan berbagai bahan mineral lainnya. Hal ini karena pada individu yang hanya makan buah dan sayur (vegetarians) banyak ditemukan bukti serta kenyataan bahwa mereka lebih tahan terhadap penyakit. Badan sehat adalah unsur yang sangat penting dalam mencapai kebahagiaan hidup dan dapat diperoleh melalui makanan yang kita makan sehari-hari. Makanan yang bergizi merupakan sumber kekuatan tubuh dan kesehatan. Manusia sebagaimana makhluk sosial lainnya, membutuhkan makanan untuk mempertahankan hidup. Perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan telah memberi keyakinan bahwa makanan yang dimakan harus dapat memenuhi kebutuhan hidup terhadap zat-zat gizi. Demikian pula perkembangan teknologi makanan, prioritas diutamakan kepada penyediaan yang cukup zat-zat gizi dalam makanan. Hal yang sama dituntut pula pada formula makanan bayi, catering, restoran dan berbagai makanan lainnya (convenience foods). Saat ini teknologi mengenai penyediaan makanan sudah sangat maju, maka arti makananpun mengalami banyak pergeseran. Makanan saat ini tidak saja dituntut harus memenuhi zat gizi, tetapi makanan juga harus aman dimakan atau tidak menyebabkan sakit bagi yang mengkonsumsinya. Kecukupan Konsumsi Zat Gizi Kecukupan konsumsi zat gizi atau yang dikenal dengan istilah Recommended Dietary Alowances (RDA), adalah jumlah zat gizi yang dianggap cukup yang harus dikonsumsi seseorang setiap hari agar tubuhnya sehat. Jumlah yang dianjurkan ini tidak berarti rata-rata. Artinya apabila zat gizi yang dikonsumsi tidak cukup banyak sesuai dengan RDA, tidak berarti orang tersebut langsung akan menderita kekurangan gizi. Sebab, barangkali orang yang bersangkutan makan lebih banyak pada hari- hari berikutnya. Seseorang akan kekurangan gizi apabila setiap hari makanan yang dikonsumsi selalu rendah dibandingkan dengan RDA dalam jangka waktu yang relatif lama, berbulan-bulan atau bertahun-tahun. Para ahli gizi menggunakan RDA sebagai reference, atau standar konsumsi zat gizi. Dari standar ini makanan yang dikonsumsi setiap hari diterjemahkan kedalam menu seimbang, sesuai dengan kebudayaan masyarakat setempat. Kecukupan konsumsi setiap hari disesuaikan dengan jenis kelamin, umur, dan keadaan tertentu, misalnya ibu hamil dan menyusui. Pengertian menu siembang adalah ekspresi hubungan antar berbagai zat gizi dalam sehari-hari. Ada berbagai istilah yang dikenal, misalnya calorie balance, iron balance yaitu lebih ditujukan pada single individu, yaitu keseimbangan antara zat gizi yang keluar dari tubuh dengan zat gizi yang dikonsumsi dari makanan. Untuk menyusun menu seimbang dipergunakan penuntun, misalnya pengelompokan bahan makanan sesuai dengan kebiasaan yang berlaku di masyarakat seperti berikut Kelompok sumber vitamin dan mineral seperti sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahan. Karbohidrat Bahan makanan pokok biasanya merupakan sumber utama karbohidrat, karena selain tinggi amylumnya, juga dapat dimakan dalam jumlah besar tanpa menimbulkan rasa nek atau mual. Bahan makanan pokok masyarakat kita adalah beras, sagu, terigu, jagung, ubi jalar, singkong, talas, kentang dll. Di dalam tubuh karbohidrat merupakan salah satu sumber utama energi. Karbohidrat merupakan sumber energi yang paling murah. Karbohidrat yang tidak dapat dicerna tidak dapat menghasilkan energi, misalnya selulosa, galaktan dan pentosan, jadi tidak akan menyebabkan kegemukan, dan sangat baik untuk membantu proses pencernakan. Di Indonesia 70 – 80% dari seluruh kebutuhan energi berasal dari karbohidrat. Pada kondisi sekarang ini kelompok masyarakat yang tingkat ekonominya rendah, maka konsumsi karbohidrat akan lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan bahan makanan hewani. Masyarakat yang mengalami kemajuan dalam tingkat ekonominya, maka akan terjadi pergeseran sumber energi yang berasal dari karbohidrat kearah lemak dan protein. Pada negara maju kebutuhan energi hanya disuplai 30-40% berasal dari karbohidrat. Memberi perhatian terhadap berapa lama suatu makanan untuk dicerna dapat membantu atlet dalam mmilih makanan. Karbohidrat dicerna dalam satu sampai tiga jam; protein dalam tiga sampai empat jam; lemak antara empat sampai lima jam. Makanan pokok dengan daging rendah lemak, segelas susu, sayuran dan buah-buahan serta biskuit merupakan menu yang baik misalnya untuk pemain basket dua atau tiga jam sebelum latihan. Sebaliknya, segelas jus buah-buahan atau susu dan biscuit dapat dicerna dengan cepat dan merupakan pilihar yang baik satu jam sebelum latihan basket. Selama latihan yang berlangsung satu jam atau kurang, atlet sebenarnya tidak perlu makan selama latihan tersebut berlangsung. Akan tetapi minum cukup cairan selama beraktivitas akan membuat atlet stabil secara emosional, memperlambat timbulnya kelelahan, mempertahankan stamina dan kecepatan. Air putih merupakan cairan yang paling baik untuk olah raga secara tim termasuk atlet bola keranjang. Cara penentuan jumlah cairan yang dibutuhkan sangat mudah. Timbanglah berat badan sebelum dan sesudah latihan. Asupan cairan dapat dikatakan cukup bila perbedaan berat badan sebelum dan sesudah bertanding tidak lebih dari 2%. Jika aktifitas fisik cukup intense dan berlangsung lebih dari 60 menit, minuman olah raga dapat merangsang kerja otot (Purba, 2006). Protein Protein merupakan zat gizi yang sangat penting, karena yang paling erat hubungannya dengan proses-proses kehidupan. Semua hayat hidup sel berhubungan dengan protein. Protein terdiri dari unsur C, H, O, dan N. Berdasarkan komponen yang menyusun protein, maka dapat dibedakan menjadi 3 bagian yaitu 1). Protein sederhana (simple protein) adalah hasil hidrolisa total protein jenis ini merupakan campuran yang hanya terdiri atas asam-asam amino; 2). Protein komplek adalah hasil hidrolisa total dari protein jenis ini, selain terdiri atas berbagai jenis asam amino, juga terdapat komponen lain, isalnya unsur logam, gugusan phosphst dsb (contoh: hemoglobin, lipoprotein, glicoprotein dsb; 3). Protein derivat, ini merupakan ikatan antara sebagai hasil hidrolisa parsial dari protein native, misalnya albumosa, peptone dll. Daftar Kadar Protein Bahan Makanan (per 100gram) No Bahan Makanan Protein (gram%) 1 Daging 18.8 2 Hati 19.7 3 Babat 17.6 4 Jeroan(iso) 14,0 5 Daging kelinci 16.6 6 Ikan segar 18.7 7 Kerang 21,0 8 Udang segar 18,2 9 Susu sapi 3.2 10 Ayam 18.2 11 Telor 13,0 12 Kacang kedelai kering 34.9 13 Kacang hijau 22.2 14 Kacang tanah 25.3 Daftar Komposisi Bahan Makanan, Depkes RI, 1990 Berdasarkan sumbernya, protein diklasifikasikan menjadi 2 bagian yaitu : 1). Protein hewani, yaitu protein dalam bahan makanan yang berasal dari binatang, seperti daging, telor, c susu, ikan dll; 2) Protein nabati, yaitu protein yang berasal dari bahan makanan tumbuh-tumbuhan, seperti: tempe, tahu kacang-kacangan dan hasil olahnya dll. Untuk mempercepat proses pemulihan setelah latihan atau kompetisi, ada 4 hal yang perlu diperhatikan yaitu "4 R": rehydrate (rehidrasi) , refuel (mengisi energi/ makan), rebuild/ repair muscle (membangun atau memperbaiki otot) dan rest (istirahat). Atlet berkesempatan mempunyai waktu unik untuk pemulihan yang cepat melalui pengisian energi kembali (refueling) segera setelah latihan karena enzim yang membantu metabolisme karbohidrat di otot paling aktif pada saat tersebut. Jika seorang atlet misalnya tidak merasa lapar setelah pertandingan, maka minuman berenergi akan memulai pengisian kembali energi dan cairan. Konsumsi protein bersamaan dengan karbohidrat di saat awal pemulihan akan membantu otot mengisi energi dari karbohidrat dan dapat meningkatkan kadar hormon yang dibutuhkan untuk sintesis protein. Lemak Lemak adalah zat makanan yang paling banyak menghasilkan energi, dimana tiap 1 gram lemak menghasilkan 9 Kcal. Lemak dalam bentuk padat disebut lemak atau gajih, seangkan lemak dalam bentuk cair disebut minyak. Lemak atau gajih yang berbentuk padat umumnya terdiri dari lemak jenuh, dan berasal dari hewani. Akan tetapi tidak semua lemak hewan adalah lemak jenuh, misalnya minya ikan yang pada temperatur kamar berbentuk cair mengandung lebih banyak lemak tak jenuh. Lemak jenuh dikenal dapat meninggikan kolesterol di dalam badan. Minyak lebih banyak mengandung lemak tak jenuh. Lemak tak jenuh ada 2 macam, yaitu 1). Lemak tunggal tak jenuh yang hanya mempunyai satu ikatan rangkap. Lemak ini tidak meyebabkan peningkatan atau penurunan kolesterol didalam tubuh; 2). Lemak majemuk tak jenuh yang mempunyai dua atau lebih ikatan rangkap, lemak ini lebih banyak terdapat didalam minyak tumbuh-tumbuhan dan minyak ikan dan berfungsi menurunkan kolesterol. Linoleik dan linolenik atau yang disebut EFA (Essetial Fatty Acid) banyak terdapat pada lemak majemuk ganda. Bahan makanan yang banyak mengandung lemak jenuh antara lain es krim, krim susu, lemak babi, lemak daging gemuk coklat dll. Fungsi lemak adalah sebagai pelarut vitamin, dan vitamin yang larut dalam lemak yaitu Vitamin A, D, E dan K. Lemak membuat makanan menjadi lebih gurih dan enak, selain itu lemak membuat rasa kenyang lebih lama dibanding dengan konsumsi karbohidrat dan protein. Yogurt, Makanan Masa Kini Yogurt mulai terkenal di Indonesia, makanan ini cocok untuk segala umur, termasuk bagi mereka yang tergolong tidak tahan terhadap susu. Orang yang bila minum susu langsung diare, disebut tidak tahan terhadap susu, tetapi orang ini tahan terhadap yogurt, karena yogurt tidak menyebabkan diare. Hal ini disebabkan karena bakteri yang dipergunakan pada proses pembentukan yogurt mencerna laktosa, sehingga pada yogurt laktosa sudah hilang. Laktosa inilah yang tidak dapat dicerna pada orang-orang yang tergolong “milk intolerance”, singga menimbulkan diare. Dari hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa yogurt bermanfaat untuk menurunkan kolesterol dalam darah. Makin banyak yogurt yang dikonsumsi makin besar jumlah kolesterol yang diturunkan didalam darah. Selain itu yogurt mempunyai potensi anti tumor. Apabila hewan percobaan ditrasplasi tumor,serta diberi minum yang dicampur yogurt, maka sebanyak 28% hewan tersebut terhindar dari tumor. Sebaliknya hewan percobaan yang hanya diberi air minum biasa, tampak tumor tumbuh dengan cepat. Vitamin dan Mineral Nilai gizi makanan tidak hanya tergantung pada komposisi zat-zat dalam bahan makanan mentah, tetapi juga ditentukan oleh berbagai proses, seperti: penyimpanan, transportasi dan pemasakan (pengolahan) dimana vitamin dan mineral akan sangat mudah hilang oleh proses tersebut. Oleh karena itu sayur-sayuran yang segar merupakan sumber vitamin dan mineral yang sangat baik bagi tubuh. Sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahan segar tidak saja mengandung vitamin dan mineral yang sangat banyak serta sedikit sekali mengandung kalori, sehingga sangat baik untuk menjaga kesehatan antara lain penyakit jantung, kanker, obesitas dan penyakit degeneratif lainnya. Vitamin adalah substansi organik yang dibutuhkan hanya dalam jumlah sedikit untuk metabolisme zat-zat gizi makro (karbohidrat, lemak dan protein), tetapi fungsinya sangat vital. Vitamin dapat digolongkan menjadi 2 kelompok besar, yaitu vitamin yang larut dalam lemak : vitamin A, D, E, dan K. Sedangkan vitamin yang larus dalam air: vitamin B, dan C. Vitamin A hanya terdapat dalam makanan yang berasal dari hewani, sedangkan yang berasal dari tumbuh-tumbuhan disebut karoten. Di mukosa usus halus karoten diubah menjadi vitamin A. Kekurangan vitamin A pada balita dapat menyebabkan kerusakan pada mata, dan pada keadaan yang berat dapat menyebabkan kebutaan. Beberapa hasil penelitian, seperti di Aceh dan di Jawa Tengah ternyata vitamin A dapat meringankan kejadian ISPA dan diare, dimana penyakit-penyakit seperti yang telah disebut itu dapat menyebabkan kematian pada balita. Dampak lain dari kekurangan vitamin A adalah terhambatnya pertumbuhan tinggi badan balita. Vitamin C selain dikenal secara tradisional hubungannya dengan scurvy, akhir-akhir ini vitamin C bersama-sama vitamin E dan karoten dapat mencegah penyakit kanker. Proses kimianya adalah ketiga macam zat gizi tersebut mempunyai fungsi tertentu dalam oksidasi radikal, sebagai zat anti oksidan. Dibeberapa negara maju banyak diperdagangkan vitamin C, vitamin E dan karoten dalam dosis tinggi (mega dosis) yang manfaatnya antara lain untuk tindakan preventif terhadap penyakit kanker. Bermacam-macam mineral yang dibutuhkan oleh tubuh, yaitu calsium, phospor, magnesium, strontium dan zat besi. Selain itu ada lagi yang disebut trace element yang hanya sedikit dibutuhkan tubuh tetapi sangat vital yaitu : iodium, fluorine, zinc, cobalt, cooper dan sellenium. Adapun yang paling berhubungan dengan penyakit defisiensi gizi di Indonesia adalah zat besi dan iodium. Zat besi merupakan zat gizi yang dibutuhkan untuk pembentukan sel-sel darah merah. Apabila zat besi tidak cukup banyak tersedia, maka sel darah merah tidak cukup banyak diproduksi, akibatnya tubuh akan kekurangan sel darah merah, sehingga kadar hemoglobin rendah dan terjadi anemia. Anemia karena kekurangan zat besi saat ini mudah sekali dijumpai, kurang lebih 45 % penduduk Indonesia menderita anemia. Orang yang menderita anemia mudah terserang infeksi, sehingga mudah terserang berbagai macam penyakit. Selain itu orang yang menderita anemia produktifitasnya rendah, kesegaran jasmani menurun, prestasi belajar menurun dan labil terhadap perubahan. Makanan Suplemen Mengapa sebagian orang sangat bergantung pada suplemen makanan ?, jawabnya bisa bermacam-macam, akan tetapi ada beberapa alasan mengapa seseorang membutuhkan suplemen makanan tersebut, antara lain : 1) makanan yang mereka makan merasa masih kurang atau belum mencukupi; 2) kebutuhan zat gizi sangat tinggi, misalnya orang sehabis sakit, atlet, penderita penyakit yang sangat sulit makan, pekerja berat, militer dll; 3). beberapa suplemen makanan diyakini dapat mengubah prestasi atau meningkatkan kemampuan mereka secara langsung. Contoh suplemen makanan yang diberikan pada atlet biasanya mempunyai gambaran sebagai berikut 1. Pada umumnya mengandung zat-zat gizi yang jumlahnya hampir sama dengan kecukupan gizi yang dianjurkan 2. Diberikan untuk melengkapi jumlah zat gizi dari makanan dan bentuknya harus praktis atau sesuai dengan situasi setempat Beberapa contoh suplemen makanan yang beredar dan diyakini sangat mengoptimalkan prestasi adalah sebagai berikut: 1. Minuman oleh raga karbohidrat tinggi, misalnya gatorade, pocari Sweat dll 2. Suplemen makanan dalam bentuk cair, misalnya sustagen, sustacal, ensurere, milo dll 3. Multi vitamin dan mineral, misalnya calsium D-redoxon, caxon F. 4. Zat besi dan Kalium Ergogenik Gizi. Ergonenik merupakan suplemen makanan yang berisi zat-zat gizi yang berhubungan dengan makanan, dan bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kinerja dalam waktu relatif singkat. Dipasaran ergonenik merupakan produk Farmakologi atau bersifat sebagai obat yang “terdaftar”. Dalam beberapa pengamatan ergogenik belum memberikan hasil seperti yang diharapkan, sebab masih sangat sedikit penelitian yang mengamati keberhasilan dari suplemen makanan tersebut. Hal ini disebabhan seseorang mengkonsumsi makanan bukan hanya dari suplemen makanan saja melainkan beraneka ragam makanan yang dikonsumsi pada hari itu. Macam-macam Ergogeneik yang kita jumpai adalah sebagai berikut: 1. Minuman olah raga karbohidrat tinggi. Minuman ini sering disebut sebagai “sport drink” biasanya digunakan pada olah raga endurans untuk memenuhi kebutuhan karbohidrat. Minuman ini umumnya mengandung karbohidrat berupa glukosa polimer, fruktosa, sukrosa dan maltosa serta mengandung elektrolit. Penggunaan karbohidrat yang tepat saat pertandingan sangat membantu meningkatkan prestasi olah raga maupun dapat mempertahankan stamina. 2. Protein dan Asam Amino. Hingga saat ini, banyak masyarakat terutama atlet beranggapan bahwa suplementasi protein dan asam amino yang banyak sangat penting dalam peningkatan prestasi olah raga. Akan tetapi hasil penelitian membuktikan bahwa diet tinggi protein tidak meningkatkan prestasi olah raga. 3. Vitamin dan Mineral Megadosis. Vitamin megadosis umunya mengandung vitamin B kompleks dan vitamin C serta Calsium dalam jumlah besar. Banyak masyarakat awam terutama atlet yang mengkonsumsi vitamin dan mineral megadosis beranggapan dapat meningkatkan prestasi olah raga atau prestasi kerja. Supleman vitamin dan mineral megadosis sangat mahal harganya, serta dapat membuat harapan palsu dalam peningkatan prestasi olah gara. Vitamin dan mineral megadosis dapat diberikan pada atlet-atlet yang kekurangan gizi atau mereka yang sedang melakukan diet ketat, akan tetapi harus dibawah pengawasan ahli gizi dan dokter. 4. Anti Oksidan. Terbentuknya zat radikal bebas pada tubuh sebagai suatu hal yang normal pada suatu kehidupan. Olah raga berat dapat menyebabkan peningkatan proses oksidasi dalam sel otot rangka yang menyebabkan terjadinya peningkatan produksi zat radikal bebas. Olah raga berat dapat menurunkan antioksidan pada tubuh manusia. Apabila hal ini berlangsung lama, zat radikal bebas dapat merubah dan merusak struktur biologi tubuh. Pada beberapa pengamatan juga ada indikasi bahwa zat radikal bebas berhubungan dengan terjadinya kelelahan saat melakukan olah raga. Tujuan dari pemberian antioksidan, vitamin dan mineral dimaksudkan untuk mencegah kerusakan struktur biologi sel tubuh dan memperlambat terjadinya kelelahan selama melakukan aktifitas. 5. Kafein. Secara alami terdapat didalam kopi, the dan minuman cola. Suplemen kafein bertujuan untuk memperpanjang endurans dan merangsang metabolisme pembentukan energi, oleh karena kafein meningkatkan metabolisme lemak. Efek samping dari kafein menimbulkan diuresis dan mempercepat dehidrasi. Jika konsentrasi kafein lebih dari 12 gram/ml atau setara dengan 6-8 cangkir kopi, maka dinyatakan sebagai “doping”. 6. Ginseng. Pemberian suplemen ginseng dalam meningkatkan prestasi olah raga masih menjadi bahan perdebatan. Ginseng berperan sebagai adaptasi dan belum terbukti dapat meningkatkan prestasi olah raga, namun peneliti lain mendapatkan adanya peningkatan kekuatan otot dan VO2 Max setelah pemberian ginseng. Makanan Alami Saat ini sedang terjadi pergeseran pada masyarakat strata maju, yaitu tentang makan makanan sehat. Makanan yang sehat adalah makanan yang alami, yaitu makanan yang belum mengalami penambahan teknologi dalam bentuk pengalengan, pembotolan, pengawetan dll, melainkan masih dalam bentuk asli. Makanan tersebut belum ditambahkan zat-zat kimia agar supaya lebih awet, warna lebih menarik, atau supaya aroma dan rupanya lebih enak, melainkan makanan yang segar yang baru dipanen atau dipetik dari kebun. Makanan tersebut paling banyak mengandung zat gizi dan aman untuk dikonsumsi. Apabila disuruh untuk memilih makanan berikut ini, udang goreng steak daging sapi, kambing guling, atau semur hati, maka masyarakat sekarang ini jarang memilih hidangan yang disebut terakhir, sebab sudah tidak populer lagi. Orang tua kita dahulu lebih senang makan hati daripada makanan hewan lainnya. Mereka mengakui bahwa hati mempunyai sesuatu yang superior untuk kesehatan yang melebihi bahan-bahan makanan lainnya. Hati mengandung protein yang kualitasnya sangat tinggi, yang amat sangat berguna untuk pertumbuhan dan pertahanan tubuh dari berbagai penyakit. Hati mengadung vitamin A yang sangat tinggi. Hati juga mengandung vitamin C sebanyak yang terdapat didalam jeruk. Semua macam vitamin B, ada didalam hati, kurang lebih 6-15 kali lebih banyak dibandingkan yang terdapat didalam daging, dan zat besi yang berasal dari hati paling mudah untuk diabsorbsi, dibandingkan dengan zat besi lainnya. Selain itu hati banyak mengandung zink (untuk pertumbuhan) dibandingkan dengan bahan makanan lainnya. Zink yang terdapat didalam hati ini sangat tinggi nilai biologisnya. Hati juga mengandung banyak zat-zat gizi lainnya “trace element”, dan dari hasil berbagai penelitian hati banyak mengandung segala macam zat gizi, dalam jumlah dan kualitas yang tinggi. Bagaimana Menyediakan Makanan Yang Baik Makan saja tidak cukup untuk membuat tubuh kita sehat, tetapi kebiasaan makan yang baik akan meningkatkan derajat kesehatan kita. Pemberian makanan yang baik harus memperhatikan kemampuan tubuh seseorang untuk mencerna makanan meliputi umur, jenis kelamin, jenis aktivitas, dan kondisi lain seperti hamil, menyusui dan kondisi sakit. 1. Kesegaran Jasmani a. Pengertian Kesegaran Jasmani Kesegaran jasmani adalah kemampuan seseorang untuk menunaikan tugasnya sehari-hari dengan mudah, tanpa merasa lelah yang berlebihan dan masih mempunyai sisa atau cadangan tenaga untuk menikmati waktu senggangnya dan untuk keperluan-keperluan yang mendadak. Dapat pula ditambahkan, kesegaran jasmani merupakan kemampuan untuk menunaikan tugas dengan baik walaupun dalam keadaan sulit, dimana orang yang kesegaran jasmaninya kurang tidak akan mampu melakukannya (Sumosardjuno, 1992). Kesegaran jasmani akan menggambarkan kehidupan sehari-hari seseorang secara harmonis, penuh semangat dan kreatif. Orang yang bugar adalah orang yang berpandangan sehat, cerah terhadap kehidupannya baik untuk masa kini maupun masa depan, menjaga harga diri dan memiliki pergaulan dengan sesama manusia (Wahjoedi, 2001). b. Komponen Kesegaran Jasmani Wahjoedi (2001) menjelaskan bahwa kesegaran jasmani dapat diklasifikasikan menjadi dua, yaitu : 1) Kesegaran Jasmani yang Berhubungan dengan Kesehatan (health related fitness) Kesegaran jasmani yang berhubungan dengan kesehatan (health related fitness) meliputi : a) Daya tahan jantung-paru adalah kapasitas sistem jantung, paru dan pembuluh darah untuk berfungsi secara optimal saat melakukan aktivitas sehari-hari dalam waktu yang cukup lama tanpa mengalami kelelahan yang berarti. Daya tahan jantung paru sangat penting untuk menunjang kerja otot dengan mengambil oksigen dan menyalurkannya ke seluruh jaringan otot yang sedang aktif sehingga dapat digunakan untuk proses metabolisme tubuh. b) Daya tahan otot adalah kapasitas sekelompok otot untuk melakukan kontraksi yang beruntun atau berulang-ulang terhadap suatu beban submaksimal dalam jangka waktu tertentu. c) Kekuatan otot adalah tenaga, gaya atau tegangan yang dapat dihasilkan oleh otot atau sekelompok otot pada suatu kontraksi dengan beban maksimal. Seseorang mungkin memiliki kekuatan pada bagian otot tertentu namun belum tentu memiliki pada bagian otot lainnya. Pada pengukuran kekuatan otot, yang diukur adalah kekuatan kontraksi volunter maksimal (maximal voluntary contraction-MVC), di mana kekuatan otot harus maksimal dan kontraksi tidak terjadi akibat rangsangan eksternal tetapi benar-benar secara suka rela (volunter atau voluntary). d) Kelentukan (flexibility) adalah kemampuan tubuh untuk melakukan gerak melalui ruang gerak sendi atau ruang gerak tubuh secara maksimal. Kelentukan gerak tubuh pada persendian tersebut, sangat dipengaruhi oleh : elastisitas otot, tendon dan ligamen di sekitar sendi serta kualitas sendi itu sendiri. Terkait dengan kesehatan, maka kelentukan merupakan salah satu parameter atau tolok ukur kesembuhan akibat cedera dan penyakit-penyakit sistem muskuloskeletal. e) Komposisi tubuh (body composition) digambarkan dengan berat badan tanpa lemak dan berat lemak. Berat badan tanpa lemak terdiri dari massa otot, tulang dan organ-organ tubuh. Masing-masing unsur tersebut memiliki komposisi sebagai berikut : - Massa otot : 40 – 50% - Tulang : 16 – 18% - Organ-organ tubuh : 29 – 39% Berat lemak dinyatakan dalam persentasenya terhadap berat badan total. Secara umum dapat ditarik konklusi bahwa semakin kecil persentase lemak, maka akan semakin baik kinerja seseorang. 2) Kesegaran Jasmani yang Berhubungan dengan Keterampilan (skill related fitness) Kesegaran jasmani yang berhubungan dengan keterampilan gerak (motorskill related fitness) meliputi : a) Kecepatan (speed) adalah kemampuan tubuh untuk melakukan gerakan dalam waktu yang sesingkat-singkatnya. b) Kecepatan reaksi (reaction speed) adalah waktu yang diperlukan untuk memberikan respon kinetik setelah menerima suatu stimulus atau rangsangan. Rangsangan (stimulus) untuk bereaksi tersebut dapat bersumber dari : pendengaran, pandangan (visual), rabaan maupun gabungan antara pendengaran dan rabaan. c) Daya ledak (power) adalah kemampuan tubuh yang memungkinkan otot atau sekelompok otot untuk bekerja secara eksplosif. d) Kelincahan (agility) adalah kemampuan tubuh untuk mengubah arah secara cepat tanpa adanya gangguan keseimbangan atau kehilangan keseimbangan. e) Keseimbangan (balance) adalah kemampuan untuk mempertahankan posisi atau sikap tubuh secara tepat pada saat melakukan gerakan. Keseimbangan tersebut dapat berupa keseimbangan statis (static balance) pada saat berdiri maupun keseimbangan dinamis (dynamic balance) pada saat melakukan suatu gerakan tertentu. f) Ketepatan (accuracy) adalah kemampuan tubuh atau anggota tubuh untuk mengarahkan sesuatu sesuai dengan sasaran yang dikehendaki. g) Koordinasi (coordination) adalah kemampuan tubuh untuk melakukan gerakan secara tepat, cermat dan efisien. Koordinasi menyatakan hubungan berbagai unsur yang terjadi pada setiap gerakan. c. Manfaat Kesegaran Jasmani Kesegaran jasmani bermanfaat untuk menciptakan citra penampilan tubuh yang bagus dipandang, membangkitkan kesan mampu melaksanakan tugas, dan percaya pada kemampuan diri. Bagi remaja dan dewasa, kesegaran jasmani dapat menjadikan mereka semakin cerdas dan cerah berfikir, serta siaga melaksanakan tugas (Lutan, 2001). Kesimpulanya adalah antara pola makan dan kebugaran tidak dapat dipisahkan. Pada kelompok masyarakat yang pola makanannya baik (sehat) secara otomatis diikuti pula dengan kebugaran jasmani yang sehat pula. Orang yang sehat dapat dipastikan penampilannya menarik. Beberapa anjuran yang banyak disampaikan adalah untuk menghadapi pertandingan adalah: · Disarankan jangan memakan kombinasi karbohidrat dengan makanan yang kaya protein · Jangan makan makanan kombinasi protein dengan protein lainnya (daging, telur dan susu) · Bila mungkin makan hanya “single dish meal” (nasi, mie, pasta) · Jangan makan buah sesudah makan · Jangan minum alkohol Kebutuhan Minuman Atlit Tubuh manusia diciptakan bersifat dinamis dan berkaitan dengan proses metabolisme yang membutuhkan air sebagai media berlangsungnya reaksi-reaksi biokimiawi. Otot sebagai bagian dari sistim gerak sel-sel penyusunnya hidup di lingkungan air, sehingga baik kuantitas maupun kualitas lingkungan di luar selnya (cairan ekstra sel) berpengaruh langsung terhadap aktivitasnya. Cairan ekstra sel tidak hanya berupa air tetapi mengandung elektrolit yang diperlukan untuk bekerjanya sel-sel eksitabel (saraf, otot dan kelenjar) pada atlet harus dapat dipertahankan kadarnya pada batas normal, mengingat pengeluaran air tubuh berupa keringat dalam jumlah banyak dapat meningkatkan suhu tubuh sehingga mengganggu proses metabolisme dan juga mengakibatkan berkurangnya kadar elektrolit yang selanjutnya berdampak pada penurunan kinerja fisik (performance) dan rentan terjadinya cedera olahraga. Pada suatu sesi latihan di klub bulutangkis tempat anak saya latihan, seorang anak tampak kebingungan. Tubuhnya basah dengan keringat dan bibirnya kering. Ia panik ketika melihat kantin yang biasanya menyediakan makanan dan minuman tertutup. Dengan gugup, ia meminta ijin cari pelatih untuk membeli minuman ke toko yang tidak jauh dari tempat berlatih. Saya cukup sering mendapatkan anak-anak tidak membawa air minum pada waktu latihan bulutangkis. Sering juga, mereka kehabisan air minum di tengah sesi latihan. Bahkan, beberapa orang tua yang mengantar dan menemani anaknya ke tempat latihan membeli air kemasan untuk anaknya. Saya juga belum pernah mendengar pelatih mewajibkan anak-anak untuk membawa air minum yang cukup pada saat berlatih bulutangkis. Tampaknya, membawa persediaan air minum dipandang tidak sama pentingnya dengan membawa persediaan grip, senar, raket cadangan dan baju ganti. Seberapa banyak persediaan air minum yang harus dibawa saat latihan bulutangkis. Untuk menjawab itu, maka kita harus mengetahui seberapa penting kecukupan konsumsi cairan bagi penampilan seorang atlit bulutangkis? Fungsi Utama Air Saat belajar di Sekolah Dasar, setiap anak telah diajarkan tentang fungsi utama air bagi keberlangsungan aktivitas tubuh mahluk hidup. Dikatakan, 60 - 70 % tubuh manusia terdiri dari air yang terdapat di seluruh bagian tubuh. Kekurangan air akan mengganggu keseluruhan fungsi tubuh atlit. Air berfungsi: 1. Mengangkut oksigen dan zat-zat gizi ke seluruh tubuh sehingga organ-organ tubuh dapat berfungsi dan pergerakan dapat terjadi; 2. Mengatur suhu tubuh. Pergerakan dan proses-proses yang terjadi di dalam tubuh menghasilkan panas. Semakin banyak pergerakan tubuh, semakin banyak pula panas yang dihasilkan. Untuk menurunkan panas selama latihan atau pertandingan, atlit akan mengeluarkan keringat. 3. Mengeluarkan zat-zat yang tidak digunakan tubuh sbagai hasil sisa-sisa metabolisme, terutama pemecahan protein. Kelebihan air yang diminum atlit akan dikeluarkan tubuh dalam bentuk urine (air seni). Akan tetapi, semakin temperatur udara dan semakin berat dan lama latihan maka pengeluaran air seni semakin sedikit. Pengeluaran air secara tidak disadari terjadi dalam proses penguapan dan aktivitas tubuh, melalui pernafasan dan keringat. Justru, pengeluaran melalui saluran nafas, kulit dan keringat akan semakin tinggi pada saat temperatur tinggi dan latihan semakin berat dan lama. Pengeluaran keringat yang menyebabkan penurunan berat badan 1 % pada gilirannya akan mengakibatkan keadaan lemah yang diikuti dengan sakit kepala, peningkatan dan ketidak teraturan denyut jantung. Jika kekuarangan tidak diatasi secepatnya, maka dapat berakibat kekejangan bahkan dapat berakibat kematian. Tujuh Rahasia Hidrasi Jika ingin tampil pada titik puncak, semua atlit membutuhkan konsumsi cairan. Setiap persen kehilangan berat tubuh akibat dehidrasi mengakibatkan kemampuan atlit merosot sekitar 2 %. Kehilangan 2 persen berat tubuh akan memaksa denyut jantung dan temperatur tubuh meningkat cepat. Keadaan tubuh seperti itu tidak memungkinkan untuk melakukan latihan berat. Dehidrasi bukanlah masalah jika atlit berlatih tidak lebih dari 20 menit. Ia akan muncul menjadi masalah pada latihan yang memeras tenaga dalam jangka waktu yang lebih lama. Misalnya, atlit yang cenderung berkeringat banyak dapat mengeluarkan sekitar 1,5 liter atau sekitar 1,5 kg cairan per jam melalui kelenjar keringat. Jika orang yang mempunyai kecenderungan berkeringat banyak tersebut beratnya 60 kg, maka ia akan kehilangan 2,5 % berat tubuhnya setelah satu jam dan kemampuannya merosot 5 %. Kemerosotan kemampuan sebanyak 2 % dalam waktu 30 menit kelihatannya kecil, akan tetapi keadaan ini tetap merupakan penentu bila seorang atlit bulutangkis ingin menang. Tetapi, apa aturan dalam pemenuhan cairan pada atlit? Seberapa banyak seorang atlit harus minum dan seperti apa minumannya? Untuk membuatnya mudah, SEPUTAR BULUTANGKIS menterjemahkan dan meringkas persoalan kebutuhan cairan pada atlit. Jika mengikuti aturan ini, dijamin, atlit dapat mempertahankan kebutuhan cairan sepanjang latihan dan tampil pada titik puncak. bulutangkisindonesia.blogspot.com Aturan 1: Aliran air dari lambung ke dalam usus halus bergantung pada seberapa banyak cairan yang ada di dalam lambung. Jika banyak air di lambung, cairan mengalir dari lambung ke usus halus seperti banjir. Jika sedikit air di lambung, alirannya seperti tetesan-tetesan air. Karena itu, untuk meningkatkan aliran dari lambung ke usus halus (dan keseluruhan penyerapan cairan) kita perlu menyimpan sejumlah cairan di dalam lambung sebelum memulai latihan. Meminum sekitar 1 liter cairan adalah permulaan yang baik pada saat latihan. Ini akan terasa tidak nyaman pada awalnya, jadi berlatihlah untuk membiasakannya. Aturan 2: Untuk mempertahankan kecepatan gerakan cairan di dalam usus halus selama latihan berat, sebisa mungkin teguklah sekitar 3 sampai 4 teguk air minuman setiap 10 menit, atau 5 sampai 6 tegukan setiap 15 menit. Aturan 3: Jika atlit akan berlatih tidak kurang dari 60 menit, jangan ragu untuk mencampur karbohidrat ke dalam minuman; walaupun air minum biasa sudah cukup bagus. Untuk kegiatan yang lebih lama, kita membutuhkan karbohidrat. Aturan 4 : Hasil penelitian selama bertahun-tahun menyarankan konsentrasi karbohidrat dalam minuman bagi atlit adalah sekitar 5 sampai 7 %. Kebanyakan minuman sport yang dijual di pasaran berada sekitar kisaran ini. Kita dapat membuat sendiri minuman dengan menambahkan 5 sendok makan gula pasir pada setiap 1 liter air. Sedikit sodium akan membantu penyerapan atau 1/3 sendok teh garam sudah cukup memadai. Walaupun 5 sampai 7 % karbohidrat kelihatannya cukup baik untuk kebanyakan orang, ada pengecualian terhadap beberapa atlit yang dapat mempertahankan kemampuannya lebih baik dengan konsentrasi karbohidrat yang lebih tinggi. Untuk itu, atlit dapat mencoba beberapa campuran dan mendapatkan campuran minuman yang sesuai dengan dengan metabolisme tubuhnya. Aturan 5: Minuman buatan sendiri dengan 6 % kandungan karbohirat (Campuran 1 liter air dengan gula pasir dan sedikit garam) akan habis dari lambung dengan rata-rata kecepatan sama seperti minuman 6 % polimer glukosa (minuman sport komersial). Jadi jangan sampai sampai mempunyai pikiran bahwa minuman komeresial akan dapat mempertahankan kemampuan lebih lama dibandingkan minuman buatan sendiri. Atau jangan perdulikan minuman sport komersial. Aturan 6: Berlawanan dengan apa yang sering kita dengar, minuman dingin tidak dapat diserap oleh tubuh dibandingkan dengan yang hangat. Selama latihan, minuman dingin sering lebih menyegarkan dibandingkan dengan yang hangat. Jadi, jika rasa dingin dapat membantu atlit minum lebih banyak cairan ketika berlatih keras, maka bawalah minuman dingin. Aturan 7: Minum dengan lahap sepanjang latihan tidak meningkatkan resiko pada sistim pencernaan. Sebenarnya, kebanyakan dari kelainan usus yang muncul sepanjang latihan disebabkan oleh dehidrasi, bukan dari banyaknya minum. Dehidrasi menyebabkan rasa muak dan tidak nyaman oleh pengurangan aliran darah ke sistim pencernaan. Oleh karena itu, dengan cara apapun tetaplah minum! Daftar Pustaka 1. Brown, Myrtle L., 1990, Present Knowledge In Nutrition, ILSI Press Washington D.C. 2. Depkes, 1997, Gizi Olah raga Untuk Prestasi, Jakarta 3. Howson, Chistopher P., 1998, Prevention of Micronutrient Deficiencies, NA Press Washington D.C. 4. Lutan, R. 2001. Asas-Asas Pendidikan Jasmani. Jakarta : Departemen Pendidikan Nasional 5. Sediaoetama, Achmad Djaeni, 1991, Ilmu Gizi, Dian Rakyat, Jakarta. 6. Sumosardjuno, S. 1992. Pengetahuan Praktis Kesehatan Dalam Olahraga. Jakarta : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama 7. Wahjoedi. 2001. Landasan Evaluasi Pendidikan Jasmani. Jakarta : PT Raja Grafindo Persada 8. The Maintenance of Fluid Balance during Exercise, 1994. International Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 15(3), pp. 122-125, 9. The Effect of Different Forms of Fluid Provision on Exercise Performance, 1993. International Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 14, p. 298. 10. Sidi, B.D. 2006. Performance Athletes dan Pengalaman Mempersiapkan Atlit, kaitannya dengan Gizi. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Gizi dan Olahraga dengan tema “Peranan Gizi Untuk Meningkatkan Prestasi Olah Raga Bangsa Indonesia”. Prodi Gizi Kesehatan FK-UGM. 11. Purba, M.B. 2007. Pengaruh Kebiasaan Makan Terhadap Prestasi Atlet Prosiding Seminar Nasional Gizi dan Olahraga dengan tema “Peranan Gizi Untuk Meningkatkan Prestasi Olah Raga Bangsa Indonesia”. Prodi Gizi Kesehatan FK-UGM.

2008-07-19T23:45:00.001-07:00

PRO KONTRA “CARBOHYDRATE LOADING”

Oleh
Didit Damayanti, M.Sc
Akademi Gizi Jakarta

PENDAHULUAN

Meningkatnya keingintahuan mengenai informasi strategi pertandingan sering meningkatkan motivasi atlet untuk mencari nasehat di bidang gizi. Namun sukses dalam pertandingan tergantung dari banyak aspek, termasuk kualitas diet selama latihan, dan tidak hanya melakukan sesuatu yang benar segera sebelum atau pada saat bertanding.

Problem utama yang sering ditemui atlet yang sedang berlatih dengan keras adalah kelelahan atau ketidakmampuan untuk memulihkan rasa lelah, dari satu latihan ke latihan berikutnya. Untuk atlet kebutuhan energi dan karbohidrat pada saat latihan lebih besar daripada kebutuhan pada saat bertanding. Oleh karena itu pemulihan simpanan karbohidrat setiap hari harus menjadi prioritas bagi atlet yang menjalani latihan yang intensif.

Ketika atlet tidak mengkonsumsi karbohidrat dalam jumlah yang adekuat setiap hari, simpanan glikogen otot dan hati kemungkinan habis. Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengosongan simpanan glikogen secara bertahap dapat menurunkan daya tahan serta penampilan atlet.

MEKANISME PENYEDIAN DAN PENGGUNAAN KARBOHIDRAT SELAMA LATIHAN

Produksi adenosine triphosphate (ATP) selama kerja otot yang intensif tergantung dari ketersediaan glikogen otot dan glukosa darah. Aktifitas fisik yang ringan mungkin dapat dihasilkan dengan sumber karbohidrat yang rendah. Namun tidak mungkin memenuhi kebutuhan ATP dan untuk mempertahankan tekanan kontraktil yang dibutuhkan otot untuk penampilan fisik yang lebih tinggi jika sumber energi ini habis.

Jaringan otot merupakan simpanan glikogen yang utama (400 g; 6,7 MJ), kemudian hati (70 g; 1,2 MJ) dan glukosa darah (2,5 g; 342 kJ). Jumlah ini dapat bervariasi diantara individu, dan tergantung faktor seperti intake atau asupan makanan. Walaupun karbohidrat bukan satu-satunya sumber energi, namun karbohidrat lebih dibutuhkan sebagai sumber energi otot untuk aktifitas fisik yang tinggi.

Kandungan glikogen otot pada individu yang tidak terlatih diperkirakan 70-110 mmol/kg berat otot. Di lain pihak atlet endurance yang terlatih dengan diet campuran dengan istirahat sehari, mungkin mempunyai kandungan glikogen otot 130-230 mmol/kg berat otot.

Penggunaan glikogen otot selama aktifitas fisik dipengaruhi berbagai faktor, misalnya intensitas latihan (latihan dengan intensitas tinggi, penggunaan glikogen meningkat), diet sebelum latihan (semakin tinggi simpanan glikogen, semakin lama atlet dapat melakukan latihan). Diet tinggi karbohidrat selama 3 hari menghasilkan simpanan glikogen sebanyak 200 mmol/kg berat otot, dengan lama latihan 170 menit.

Simpanan glikogen hati memainkan peranan yang penting dalam mempertahankan kadar glukosa darah selama masa istirahat (diantara waktu makan utama) dan selama latihan. Kadar glikogen hati dapat habis selama masa puasa yang lama (15 jam) dan dapat menyimpan 490 mmol glikogen dengan diet campuran sampai 60 mmol glikogen dengan diet rendah karbohidrat. Konsumsi makanan tinggi karbohidrat dapat meningkatkan glikogen kurang lebih 900 mmol. Namun karena simpanan glikogen hati ini sifatnya labil, disarankan agar latihan yang lama dilakukan 1-4 jam setelah makan makanan sumber karbohidrat yang terakhir. Jika latihan yang lama dilakukan pada pagi hari setelah puasa semalam, maka diet tinggi karbohidrat harus dikonsumsi pada tengah malam.

FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI SIMPANAN GLIKOGEN OTOT

Jumlah Karbohidrat

Berdasarkan berbagai penelitian terlihat bahwa kecepatan simpanan glikogen yang maksimal terjadi ketika 0,7-1,0 g/kg BB karbohidrat dikonsumsi setiap 2 jam pada tahap awal proses pemulihan, atau total asupan karbohidrat 8-10 g/kg BB/24 jam. Jumlah karbohidrat ini dapat digambarkan dengan asupan karbohidrat 500-800 g/hari untuk rata-rata atlit atau dalam presentase 65-70% dari total energi untuk atlet dengan latihan yang berat.

Besarnya Pengosongan Glikogen

Kecepatan simpanan glikogen paling besar terjadi pada jam-jam pertama masa pemulihan setelah latihan, ketika pengosongan otot terjadi maksimal dibandingkan jika pengosongan otot hanya sedikit.

Waktu Konsumsi Karbohidrat

Kegagalan mengkonsumsi makanan sumber karbohidrat segera pada tahap pemulihan akan menghambat penyimpanan glikogen. Hal ini disebabkan kegagalan mengambil keuntungan waktu peningkatan sintesa glikogen langsung setelah latihan dihentikan, serta karena penundaan penyediaan makanan bagi sel otot. Hal ini penting ketika waktu antar latihan hanya 6-8 jam, namun sedikit efeknya jika waktu pemulihan lebih lama (24-48 jam). Sintesa glikogen tidak dipengaruhi oleh frekuensi makan (porsi kecil tapi sering atau porsi besar sekaligus). Atlet disarankan untuk memilih jadwal makan yang praktis dan nyaman; porsi kecil tapi sering mungkin bermanfaat untuk mengatasi problem makan makanan tinggi karbohidrat yang volumenya besar (“Bulky”).

Jenis Karbohidrat

Pemberian makanan sumber glukosa dan sukrosa setelah latihan yang lama menghasilkan pemulihan glikogen otot yang sama, sedangkan fruktosa menghasilkan simpanan yang lebih rendah. Penelitian menunjukkan pada 24 jam pertama karbohidrat sederhana dan komplek menghasilkan simpanan glikogen yang sama, kemudian pada 24 jam berikutnya intake karbohidrat komplek menghasilkan simpanan glikogen yang lebih banyak. Penelitian lain memperlihatkan bahwa konsumsi karbohidrat sederhana akan meningkatkan simpanan glikogen pada 6 jam setelah latihan. Sebagai tambahan penelitian oleh Burke (1993) memperlihatkan bahwa diet dengan indeks glikemik yang tinggi akan meningkatkan simpanan glikogen pada 24 jam pemulihan setelah latihan berat, dibandingkan dengan pemberian diet dengan indeks glikemik yang rendah. Klasifikasi karbohidrat sederhana dan komplek tidak sama dengan makanan yang indeks glikemiknya tinggi dan rendah. Ada karbohidrat komplek yang indeks glikemiknya tinggi misal kentang, roti. Dilain pihak karbohidrat sederhana misal fruktosa indeks glikemiknya rendah. Pada prinsipnya simpanan glikogen otot mencapai yang terbaik jika mengkonsumsi makanan sumber karbohidrat yang menghasilkan glukosa yang cukup cepat pada aliran darah.

FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI SIMPANAN GLIKOGEN HATI

Waktu Makan Makanan Sumber Karbohidrat

Puasa semalam dapat menurunkan simpanan glikogen hati dan mempengaruhi penampilan atlet jika latihan dilakukan dalam waktu lama. Untuk menjamin tingginya simpanan glikogen hati untuk menjalani latihan tsb, dianjurkan makanan terakhir dimakan tidak lebih dari 2-6 jam sebelum latihan. Hal ini mungkin tidak praktis untuk atlet yang akan latihan pada pagi dini hari. Pada kasus ini makanan terakhir yang dimakan malam sebelumnya sebaiknya mengandung banyak karbohidrat.

Jenis Karbohidrat

Konsumsi makanan yang mengandung fruktosa akan meningkatkan kecepatan sintesa glikogen hati dibandingkan dengan glukosa. Oleh karena itu untuk memaksimalkan simpanan glikogen hati, makanan yang tinggi fruktosa (buah, jus buah) harus termasuk di dalam diet selama masa pemulihan.

KARBOHIDRAT DAN PERSIAPAN PERTANDINGAN

Pada jenis olahraga “Endurance” (daya tahan) dengan intensitas yang tinggi seperti maraton, triatlon dan cross country sangat membutuhkan simpanan glikogen daripada olahraga “Non-endurance” dimana intensitasnya rendah, atau tinggi hanya untuk waktu yang pendek misalnya senam, ski, lari jarak pendek, sepakbola, bolabasket.

Simpanan glikogen yang normal cukup atau adekuat untuk olahraga non endurance. Hal ini dapat dicapai dengan mengkonsumsi secara teratur diet tinggi karbohidrat (7-10 g CHO/kg BB/hari atau 55-70% CHO dari total energi), kemudian dilanjutkan mengurangi latihan dan meningkatkan konsumsi karbohidrat 10 g/kg BB/hari 24-36 jam sebelum bertanding. Sayangnya kebiasaan makan atlet tidak dapat memenuhi asupan CHO ini, sehingga simpanan glikogen menjadi rendah.

Pada olahraga non endurance yang dapat digambarkan dengan lama latihan terus menerus <>90 menit) dan ultra endurance (> 4 jam), simpanan glikogen yang normal tidak akan memenuhi. Untuk mengatasi hal ini dikenal tehnik yang dinamakan “Carbohydrate Loading” yang dapat meningkatkan simpanan glikogen 200-300%, dimana kelelahan dapat ditunda dan penampilan atlet dapat ditingkatkan.

GLOKOGEN ATAU KARBOHIDRAT LOADING

Cara yang Asli (Astrand’s Carbohydrate Loading)

Tujuh hari sebelum bertanding dilakukan latihan yang berat (hari 1) untuk menghabiskan simpanan glikogen
Kemudian pada hari ke 2-4 diberikan diet rendah karbohidrat tinggi protein dan lemak untuk memenuhi kebutuhan energi, namun mencegah pengisian glikogen
Pada hari ke 5-7 sebelum bertanding diberi diet tinggi karbohidrat (70% dari total energi) untuk memaksimalkan glikogen ke dalam otot yang habis glikogennya. Pada masa ini latihan dikurangi untuk menurunkan penggunaan glikogen otot dan menjamin simpanan yang maksimal pada hari pertandingan (hari ke 8)

Cara ini dapat meningkatkan simpanan glikogen dari kadar normal (80-100 mmol/kg BB) menjadi 200 mmol/kg BB. Manfaat dari karbohidrat loading ini dapat menunda kelelahan (dikenal dengan istilah “Hitting the wall” sampai 90-120 menit, dan dapat mencegah hipoglikemia (dikenal dengan istilah “Bonking”

Kelemahan Cara Karbohidrat Loading yang Asli

Kenaikan BB mungkin terjadi pada fase diet tinggi karbohidrat, sebesar 2,1-3,5 kg berasal dari kenaikan simpanan air bersamaan dengan simpanan glikogen. Sementara ekstra glikogen dan air dapat menghilangkan rasa letih dan kemungkinan dehidrasi selama pertandingan, juga dapat menambah ekstra BB yang dapat mempengaruhi olahraga yang memperhatikan kecepatan, kelenturan daripada daya tahan.

Fase diet rendah karbohidrat dapat memberi efek samping seperti kelelahan, mual, ketosis, BB menurun, pengeluaran sodium dan air meningkat. Untuk mengurangi efek samping ini maka dilakukan modifikasi karbohidrat loading yang asli dengan menghilangkan fase diet rendah karbohidrat.

Karbohidrat loading yang Dimodifikasi

Modifikasi karbohidrat loading dilakukan dengan menghilangkan fase latihan yang berat serta pembatasan karbohidrat. Enam (6) hari sebelum pertandingan, diberikan makanan dengan tinggi karbohidrat (70% dari total energi) diikuti dengan jadwal latihan yang sedang selama 3 hari, dilanjutkan 3 hari dengan latihan ringan. Kenaikan konsentrasi glikogen otot diperoleh sebesar 130-205 mmol/kg BB dibandingkan dengan 80-212 mmol/kg BB dengan cara Astrand. Selain itu penghilangan latihan yang keras serta pembatasan karbohidrat, akan menurunkan resiko luka dan efek samping.

Atlet dan pelatih perlu memperhatikan kebutuhan latihan dan diet untuk memaksimalkan karbohidrat loading. Sementara kadar glikogen dapat ditingkatkan dalam waktu 24 jam dengan diet tinggi karbohidrat (7-10 g/kg BB atau 70-85% dari total energi), diperlukan waktu 3 – 5 hari untuk mencapai kadar yang maksimal. Tiga (3) hari diet tinggi karbohidrat umumnya dirasakan cukup untuk kompetisi dan juga untuk meminimalkan lipogenesis.

Jenis karbohidrat yang dikonsumsi atlet pada setiap kali makan utamanya harus berasal dari makanan sumber karbohidrat yang bergizi, namun makanan tsb volumenya besar (bulky) sehingga dapat mempengaruhi asupan yang adekuat atau meningkatkan frekuensi buang air besar. Penggunaan gula dan bentuk karbohidrat lain yang padat dapat menjamin konsumsi energi dan karbohidrat yang adekuat. Mengurangi jumlah serat atau pemberian makanan cair mungkin dapat dilakukan.

Daftar Makanan dengan kandungan 50 g karbohidrat – rendah lemak

Nama Makanan	Berat
Roti dan serealia
Nasi	1 gelas (125 g)
Roti	4 iris (90 g)
Mie kering	1,25 gelas (60 g)
Bihun	¾ gelas (60 g)
Ubi jalar	1 bj besar/2 bj kecil (170 g)
Singkong	1 ptg besar/2 ptg kecil (150 g)
Krackers	6 bh besar (60 g)
Muffin	1,5 sdg
Pancakes	3 bh

Produk susu
Susu skim	12 sdm
Yoghurt – buah (skim)	400 g
Yoghurt – natural (skim)	800 g

Sayuran
Jagung	4 tongkol
Kentang	2,5 sdg/3 kecil (260 g)
Bayam	5 gelas (500 g)
Daun singkong	5 gelas (500 g)

Buah
Pisang	2 bh sdg/4 bh kecil
Mangga	3 bh sdg (360 g)
Nenas	1 bh sdg (360 g)
Pepaya	4 ptg besar (500 g)
Kismis	4,5 sdm

Minuman, snack dll
Madu	2 sdm
Jam	3 sdm
Jus jeruk	600 ml (2-3 gls)
Softdrink	450 ml
Getuk singkong	100 g
Getuk pisang	125 g
Bika ambon	100 g
Dodol bali	75 g
Koya mirasa	75 g
Yangko	100 g

Contoh Diet Carbohydrate Loading

Menu Makanan	*Berat (g)*
*Makan Pagi*:
Nasi	200 g (1 piring)
Mapo tahu	100 g (mgk sdg)
Cah sayur	100 g (1 mgk)
Buah pisang	100 g (1 buah)
Susu	20 g (1 gelas)
Jus buah	300 ml (1 gelas besar)

*Pukul 10.00*:
Getuk singkong	50 g (2 ptg kcl)
Pancake + madu	1 bh sdg
Jus buah	300 ml (1 gls besar)

*Makan Siang:*
Nasi	300 g (1 piring penuh)
Sayur asem	100 g (1 mgk)
Empal/ikan mas goreng	50 g (1 ptg sdg)
Oseng oncom cabe hijau	50 g (1 mgk sdg)
Selada buah	200 g (2 mgk sdg)
Jus buah	300 ml (1 gls besar)

*Pukul 16.00:*
Bika ambon	50 g (1 ptg sdg)
Yangko	50 g (3 bh)
Jus buah	300 ml (1 gls besar)

*Makan malam:*
Nasi	300 g
Capcay sayuran + ayam	150 g (1 mgk besar)
Selada buah	200 g (2 mgk sdg)
Jus buah	300 ml (1 gls besar)

*Pukul 21.00:*
Roti isi pisang panggang + madu	50 g (1 tangkep)
Susu	20 g (1 gelas)

Analisa Diet :
Energi	4000 Kalori
Protein	100 g (10%)
Lemak	45 g (10%)
Karbohidrat	800 g (80%)

Sumber Pustaka

1. Burke, L; Vicki Deakin, Clinical Sport Nutrition, Mc-Graw-Hill Co, Sydney, 1994
2. Burke, L, The Complete Guide for Sport Performance, Allen & Unwin, Australia, 1995
3. Modulon, S and Dr. Louise Burke, Cooking for Champions : A Guide to Healthy Large Quantity Cooking for Athletes and other active people, AIS, Canberra, 1997
4. Depkes, Pedoman Pengaturan Makanan Atlet, Jakarta 1993
5. Depkes, Gizi Atlet untuk Prestasi, Jakarta, 1995
6. Th. Sediyanti, SKM, Masalah-masalah dalam pelayanan makanan atlet dan pemecahannya, PON XIII, 1993, Jakarta, 1993
7. Tim Penilai Jasa Boga, Laporan Tim Penilai Jasaboga PON XIV tahun 1996, Jakarta, 1996

Seputar Bulutangkis
bulutangkisindonesia.blogspot.com

2008-07-16T19:29:00.001-07:00

Pelatihan Phisik

Permainan bulutangkis sarat dengan berbagai kemampuan dan keterampilan gerak yang kompleks. Sepintas lalu dapat diamati bahwa pemain harus melakukan gerakan-gerakan seperti lari cepat, berhenti dengan tiba-tiba dan segera bergerak lagi, gerak meloncat, menjangkau, memutar badan dengan cepat, melakukan langkah lebar tanpa pernah kehilangan keseimbangan tubuh.

Gerakan-gerakan ini harus dilakukan berulangulang dan dalam tempo lama, selama pertandingan berlangsung. Akibat proses gerakan itu akan menghasilkan "kelelahan", yang akan berpengaruh langsung pada kerja jantung, paru-paru, sistem peredaran darah, pernapasan, kerja otot, danpersendian tubuh.

Karena itu, pebulutangkis sangat penting memiliki derajat kondisi fisik prima. Melalui proses pelatihan fisik yang terprogram baik, faktor-faktor tersebut dapat dikuasai. Dengan kata lain pebulutangkis harus memiliki kualitas kebugaran jasmani yang prima. Ini akan berdampak positif pada kebugaran mental, psikis, yang akhirnya berpengaruh langsung pada penampilan teknik bermain.

Itulah sebabnya pebulutangkis sangat membutuhkan kualitas kekuatan, daya tahan, fleksibilitas, kecepatan, agilitas, dan koordinasi gerak yang baik. Aspek-aspek tersebut sangat dibutuhkan agar mampu bergerak dan bereaksi untuk menjelajahi setiap sudut lapangan selama pertandingan.

A. Sistem Pelatihan Fisik Umum

Program dan aplikasi pelatihan fisik bulutangkis harus dirancang melalui tahapan sebagai berikut:

a. Persiapan fisik umum yang bertujuan meningkatkan kemampuan kerja organ tubuh, sehingga memudahkan upaya pembinaan dan peningkatan semua aspek pelatihan pada tahap berikutnya.
b. Persiapan fisik khusus bertujuan meningkatkan kemampuan fisik dan gerak yang lebih baik menuju pertandingan.
c. Peningkatan kemampuan kualitas gerak khusus pemain. Pada tahap ini pelatihan bertujuan untuk memahirkan gerakan kompleks dan harmonis yang dibutuhkan setiap pemain untuk menghadapi pertandingan.

Cara Terbaik untuk Mempersiapkan Kondisi Fisik Umum Pemain

1. Program Latihan Lari
Latihan lari sangat penting dan balk untuk mengasah kemampuan kerja jantung, paruparu, dan kekuatan tungkai. Membiasakan pemain berlatih lari selama 40-60 menit tanpa berhenti, yang dilakukan 3-4 kali seminggu, sangat baik untuk membina kemampuan daya tahan aerobik dan kebugaran umum pemain.

2. Program Latihan Senam
Bentuk-bentuk latihan senam peregangan untuk seluruh bagian tubuh dan persendian harus mendapat perhatian. Latihan peregangan hendaknya diselingi gerakan untuk memperkuat bagian tubuh bagian atas dan bawah yang dilakukan secara bergantian.

3. Program Latihan Loncat Tali
Latihan ini sangat balk untuk membina daya tahan, kelincahan kaki, dan kecepatan serta melatih kemampuan gerak pergelangan tangan lebih lentur dan kuat. Proses latihan dapat dilakukan de-ngan loncat satu kaki secara bergantian (seperti lari biasa), loncat dua kaki, dan masih banyak bentuk variasinya.

4. Program Latihan Gabungan
Model atau sistem pelatihan ini adalah menggunakan berbagai alat bantu seperti bangku, gawang ukuran kecil, tiang, tongkat, tali, bola, dan sebagainya. Tujuan latihan ini adalah membina dan meningkatkan kamampuan dan kete-rampilan gerak pemain sebagai upaya untuk pengkayaan gerak. Pelatih harus cermat dan terampil menciptakan rangkaian gerak yang ada hubungannya dengan gerakan-gerakan dalam permainan bulutangkis, di samping memberikan prioritas pada pembinaan aspek-aspek kelincahan, kegesitan, dan koordinasi gerak yang memang dibutuhkan dalam bulutangkis.

5.Latihan Pemanasan
Banyak pelatihan kurang memberikan perhatian khusus perihal peranan dan fungsi latihan pemanasan yang benar dan betul. Latihan pemanasan yang dikemas dengan benar akan memberikan pe-ngaruh positif pada proses kerja organ tubuh, mekanisme peredaran darah, dan pernapasan. Itu semua akan berpengaruh langsung untuk kerja berat selanjutnya. Di samping itu, sangat penting untuk menghindari terjadinya berbagai cedera otot, persendian, dan fungsi-fungsi tubuh lainnya.
Pada umumnya latihan pemanasan berbentuk:

a. Lari jarak pendek yang bervariasi seperti lari sambil angkat paha/lutut, lari mundur, lari maju dan ke samping.
b. Melakukan gerakan-gerakan senam yang bersifat mere-gang otot tungkai, paha belakang, depan, lengan, pergelangan kaki, pinggang, otot bahu, dll.
c. Kualitas peregangan harus dilakukan dengan pelan sampai terasa terjadi proses peregangan pada bagian otot dan persendian yang dilatih. Hindari melakukan gerakan sentak, yang dapat menyebabkan rasa sakit pada otot atau persendian.

6. Latihan Pendinginan
Latihan ini dilakukan setelah program latihan selesai dilaksanakan sebagai upaya agar bagian otot yang bekerja berat tadi kembali pada posisi rileks dan tidak kaku. Bentuk latihannya adalah senam dan gerakan meregang. Kualitas latihan meregang, khususnya untuk otot besar seperti paha belakang dan depan, ping-gang, punggung, otot lengan, bahu, dada, dan berbagai persendian tubuh, harus dicermati betul. Lakukan gerakan pendinginan ini dengan benar,

B. Sistem Pelatihan Fisik Khusus

Pelatihan fisik bulutangkis dituntut untuk memahami dan mengetahui secara spesifik kebutuhan gerak olahraga ini. Bahkan harus mendalami makna proses kerja otot, sistem energi, dan mekanisme gerak yang terjadi dalam permainan bulutangkis. Atas dasar pengetahuan ini, pelatih akan mampu merancang bentuk-bentuk latihan fisik secara spesifik, sesuai kebutuhan pemain.

1. Latihan Daya Tahan
(Aerobik dan Anaerobik)
Kemampuan daya tahan dan stamina dapat dikembangkan melalui kegiatan lari dan gerakan-gerakan lain yang memiliki nilai aerobik. Biasakan pemain menyenangi latihan lari selama 40-60 menit dengan kecepatan yang bervariasi. Tujuan latihan ini adalah meningkatkan kemampuan daya tahan aerobik dan daya tahan otot. Artinya, pemain dipacu untuk berlari dan bergerak dalam waktu lama dan tidak mengalami kelelahan yang berarti.

Selanjutnya proses latihan lari ini ditingkatkan kualitas frekuensi, intensitas, dan kecepatan, yang akan berpengaruh terjadinya proses anaerobik (stamina)pemain. Artinya, pemain itu mampu bergerak cepat dalam tempo lama dengan gerakan yang tetap konsisten dan harmonis.

2. Latihan Kekuatan
Pemain bulutangkis sangat membutuhkan aspek kekuatan. Berdasarkan analisis dan cukup dominan pemain melakukan gerakan-gerakan seperti meloncat ke depan, ke belakang, ke samping, memukul sambil loncat, melakukan langkah lebar dengan tiba-tiba. Semua gerak ini membutuhkan kekuatan otot dengan kualitas gerak yang efisien.
Cara terbaik untuk meningkatkan kemampuan kekuatan ini adalah berlatih menggunakan beban atau dengan kata lain latihan beban (weight training). Sebaiknya sebelum melakukan program latihan beban sesungguhnya, disarankan agar pemain lebih dulu mengenal berbagai bentuk gerakan seperti:
- mendorong (push up, pull up)
- bangun tidur, angkat kaki
- memperkuat otot punggung, pinggang
- jongkok berdiri untuk membina kekuatan tungkai - loncat-loncat di tempat atau sambil bergerak.
Proses selanjutnya adalah meningkatkan kualitas geraknya dengan menggunakan beban (weight training) yang sebenarnya. Dianjurkan untuk tidak melakukan atau berlatih loncat di tempat yang keras karena akan berdampak terjadinya sakit, cedera pada bagian lutut, dan pinggang.

3. Latihan Kecepatan
Aspek kecepatan dalam bulutangkis sangat penting. Pemain harus bergerak dengan cepat untuk menutup setiap sudut-sudut lapangan sambil menjangkau atau memukul kok dengan cepat.
Cara untuk bergerak cepat adalah melatih kecepatan tungkai/kaki. Aspek kecepatan dalam bulutangkis juga bermakna pemain harus cekatan dalam mengubah arah gerak dengan tiba-tiba, tanpa kehilangan momen keseimbangan tubuh (agilitas). Bentuk-bentuk latihannya antara lain:
a. Lari cepat dalam jarak dekat
b .Lari bolak-balik, jarak enam meter (shuttle run)
c. Tingkatkan kualitas latihan dengan menggunakan beban, rintangan, dan lain-lain.
d. Jongkok-berdiri dan diikuti lari cepat dalam jarak dekat pula.

4. Latihan Kelenturan/Fleksibilitas
Fleksibilitas adalah komponen kesegaran jasmani yang sangat penting dikuasi oleh setiap pemain bulutangkis. Dengan karakteristik gerak serba cepat, kuat, luwes namun tetap bertenaga, pembinaan kelenturan tubuh harus mendapat perhatian khusus.

Latihan fleksibilitas harus mendapat porsi yang cukup. Orang yang kurang lentur rentan mengalami cedera di bagian otot dan daerah persendian. Di samping itu, gerakannya cenderung kaku sehingga banyak menggunakan energi, kurang harmonis, kurang rileks, dan tidak efisien.
Latihan-latihan peregangan dengan kualitas gerakan yang benar memacu komponen otot dan persendian mengalami peregangan yang optimal. Oleh karena itu, fleksibilitas ini harus dilatih dengan tekun dan sistematis.

5. Model-Model Latihan Fisik dengan Menggunakan Alat Bantu Pelatihan

a. Latihan denganBola Medisin
Bola medisin yang beratnya bervariasi antara 1-5 kilogram merupakan alat bantu pelatihan, antara lain untuk kekuatan dan kecepatan melempar, membina kekuatan lengan, tungkai, dan kekuatan bagian atas dan bawah tubuh.
Bentuk latihan bola medisin ini antara lain dilakukan dengan melempar ke arah tembok dengan satu atau dengan dua lengan. Berdiri kira-kira 3-4 meter dari tembok, lalu lempar bola itu dan segera tangkap bola tersebut sambil lari mundur ke arah garis start, seperti layaknya gerak mundur dalam permainan bulutangkis.

b. Latihan Loncat Tali
Pemain bulutangkis dianjurkan untuk terampil dan menguasai bentuk latihan loncat tali ini. Pengaruh latihan ini sangat membantu untuk membina kekuatan kaki, pergelangan kaki, daya tahan, koordinasi gerak, dan membantu peningkatan kualitas gerak pergelangan tangan.
Latihan loncat tali dirancang dengan sistem interval antara lain sebagai berikut:

• Sesi I: • Sesi H:
1. 3 X 30 detik 1.5 X 25 detik
2. 5 X 25 detik 2. 7 X 20 detik
3. 7 X 20 detik 3. 5 X 30 detik
4. 3 X 30 detik 4. 3 X 40 detik

Masa istirahat antara kegiatan adalah 15-20 detik. Tingkatkan latihan ini dengan menambah jumlah sesi, waktu kegiatan masa istirahat diperpendek. Dalam aplikasi latihan loncat tali, pelatih harus berperan memberikan motivasi dan pengawasan gerak loncat, sehingga tujuan latihan tercapai dengan optimal.

c. Latihan Bayangan
Latihan ini berfungsi untuk meningkatkan kemampuan gerak kaki, kecepatan, serta daya tahan. Latihan ini dapat dijadikan sebagai program khusus, rutin bagi pemain agar langkah dan gerakan kaki (footwork) senantiasa ditingkatkan dan dipelihara terus.
Untuk meningkatkan kualitas latihan ini, pemain harus menggunakan "jaket pemberat" yang dibuat khusus untuk itu. Sangat balk untuk membina kualitas dan kecepatan gerak pemain.

d. Latihan Loncat Bangku/Gawang
Latihan ini berfungsi untuk membina kekuatan tungkai, konsentrasi, dan kecepatan gerak yang dibutuhkan dalam permainan. Bangku atau gawang dibuat dengan berbagai ukuran tinggi antara lain 40, 50, 70, 80 cm. Alat ini berfungsi sebagai alat pemberat, rintangan, tantangan, agar pemain terpacu untuk mengatasinya. Proses kerja "overload' (beban lebih) dengan menggunakan beban rintangan ini, latihan makin terasa berat bagi pemain.
Dalam pelaksanaan latihan, pelatih harus terampil meletakkan gawang/bangku itu sesuai dengan tujuan latihan dan kebutuhan pemain.

(Sumber: "PEDOMAN PRAKTIS BERMAIN BULUTANGKIS", Oleh: PB PBSI)

www.bulutangkis.com

2008-07-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Badminton Instruction

Badminton is a great game to get involved in and badminton instruction can be simple when laid out in a clear and concise manner.

The interest in starting to become involved in the game of badminton can often be abandoned due to the lack of easy direction provided for many beginners. Here you will find a simple and easy step by step instruction for playing badminton.

Every game of badminton involves serving, offense and defense. The game is played to score points on your opponent or opponents, depending on whether you are playing a game of singles or doubles. A singles badminton game is you against another player and a doubles game consists of you and a partner playing against two other competitors.

The first step in badminton instruction will be to decide who will get the starting serve. This is usually done with the flip of a coin or some other random selection process. After the serve is decided the team that has won the starting serve will serve the shuttlecock or "bird" across the net to the opposing team.

The beginning serve is always underhand and served from the right side of the court so you will need to situate your play to serve from this point. The serve also needs to be aimed to land diagonally from the serve point so you will want the serve to end up across the net on the left side of the opposing teams court.

After the shuttlecock is served the match will remain in play sending the shuttle over the net with one hit per opposing team. If the shuttle lands for any reason on the court of the team that did not serve a point is awarded to the serving team.

You can only score a point if you are the serving team. If the shuttle comes to rest on the court of the serving team the opponents have won the next serve and the chance to score a point by stopping play on the opposite side of the court.

As you rally the shuttle from one side of the net to the other you will want to do all possible to return it every time without a second hit or the shuttle landing on the court. Either of these will result in a point for the serving team or send the serve to the opposing team depending on which side of the net the shuttle comes to rest.

Other ways that the serving team will score points is if the non-serving team hits the shuttle out of bounds on the other side of the net. If the non-serving team or player hits the shuttle over the net and out of the marked boundaries on the court the serving team gains a point. If the serving team sends the shuttle over the net and out of the marked boundaries the rally is stopped and the serve is then given to the opposing team.

The game of badminton is usually played in these sets of rallies to the score of 15. The first team or player to reach 15 points wins the match. Most games according to official badminton instruction are played in games of three and the best two out of three games wins the match. However the International Badminton Federation has adopted a new scoring system called the Badminton 21 points scoring system.

With the new scoring system eventually all badminton games will grow to be played in the new standard. The 21 points system has changed the scoring system to the first team to reach 21 points wins the game. Every time a rally is won the rally winning team adds one point to their score.

If there is an instance where the score becomes tied 20 to 20 the side scoring the next 2 consecutive points will win the game. If the score reaches 29 to 29 with no winner which ever team wins the 30th point will win the game.

2008-07-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Something You Can't Afford to Ignore

As a badminton player, you need to have complete information about badminton scoring.

It becomes extremely important to know every detail about badminton scoring when playing professionally. Here is a lucid description on badminton scoring to offer you an idea on how a player actually scores in this game.

The scoring system:

A badminton match is comprised of the best of three games of 21 points. It's a rally point system whereby whoever wins a rally, wins a point. In case, the score reaches 20 all, the side that gains a 2 point lead first wins the game. For instance, the score is 27-25, the side scoring 27 will win.

At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point is the winner of the game. The side winning a game is entitled to serve first in the next game.

Now this is the time for intervals and change of ends.

The players get a chance to enjoy up to a one minute interval when the leading score reaches eleven points. Players can change ends at the end of each game. When the leading score reaches eleven points in the third game, players can change ends.

The Scoring System and Service:

- When a player wins a rally, a point is added to his score.

- There are three games in a match; the player with an aim to score 21 points wins each game. In case, a score reaches 20 points, the player would continue until the other achieves a two point lead or his score reaches 30.

- A match starts with a coin toss between the players. The winner of the toss may either choose to serve or receive first. He may also choose a particular end he wishes and desires to occupy. Once the choice is made, the opponents have to agree with the remaining choice.

- In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game are offered to serve first. In case of the first rally of a doubles game the serving pair can decide on who would serve. The players change ends during the start of the second game. In case, a third game proceed the players would change ends at the start of the game as well as the point where the winning pair's score reaches 11 points.

- In case of singles, the serve must stand in his right service court when his score is even.

Additionally, we know that badminton is played either singles or doubles. There is a difference in scoring between these two.

During the doubles, only one player of the pair can serve. The service is passed on consecutively to the players. The one, who serves at the beginning of the game, serves from the right court if the score is even. If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point. Here, the same server serves again from the alternate service court.

If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. This side also becomes the new serving side. Now, the serve passes to the player who did not receive at the beginning of the game. If players serve from or receive in the wrong service court, the error is rectified when the mistake is discovered but the score is not corrected.

It is worthwhile here to note that badminton scoring is changing nowadays. For example, setting at 13 all has not been done for some years now with setting at 14 all only. In addition to that there are changes to the overall system as well involving playing games to 21, having one service hand only in doubles and winning a point on every rally. So that means if your opponents serve and lose the rally, you win the serve and a point.

Lastly, we must understand the lets. In case, a let is announced, the rally is resumed immediately and replayed without any changes in the score. A let can also be announced when the receiver is not ready while the service is being delivered.

2008-07-13T17:25:00.002-07:00

Similarities between Tennis and Badminton

This is nice to think of. On the one side is a high power sport where a ball much heavier than shuttle is used and graphite rackets are employed to whack them to all corners.

On the other side is a feather touch shuttle played with gentle rackets in a much smaller court. Similarities between the two? I must be kidding. But there are certain similarities between tennis and badminton, which we will start enumerating one by one.

The first obvious similarity is both games use rackets, how much ever different they are in looks and performance. Tennis strings are much stronger and thicker than badminton racket strings but why bother about the subtle difference in the face of such overwhelming similarity?

Sure enough, both games use nets in between players to challenge them play their shots. Of course, badminton scores over tennis in this aspect as the net is tied at the height of 5 feet, much taller than tennis nets.

Now I can sense that you are becoming interested. Right, the next similarity between tennis and badminton is both games have men's singles, doubles, women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Although the women's events have less sex appeal in badminton thanks to the regulations in outfits, hopefully in future the regulations can become as lenient as the flapping skirts of women playing tennis.

Well, coming to the more serious issues, both the games feature in both Olympics and Asian games and the badminton players vie with each other to uphold the honor of their countries as much as their tennis counterparts.

In both games, players serve underhand. Now don't get me wrong. Although tennis players always serve overhand, they are permitted to serve underhand if they want to. Only they don't want to because, the opponent will pummel it. In spite of the limitation and disadvantage, tennis ace Michael Chang, afflicted by severe fatigue and cramps, served underhand to Ivan Lendl in a French open match on his match point...and won it!!!

In enumerating about the similarities between tennis and badminton, one cannot fail to mention that the major event for both these games happen to occur in England, the Wimbledon and All-England respectively. Kudos to the Englishmen for keeping it so even in the postcolonial era.

Both badminton and tennis are played and followed all over the world, albeit with different success and failure ratios. Western world rules tennis and the eastern world rules badminton in general.

2008-07-13T17:25:00.001-07:00

Feasibility Study on Badminton Court

Feasibility study on badminton court is essential before planning to construct one because badminton is one of the most popular racket sports today, and it's needs are very specific.

It is certainly one of the fastest growing racket sports of the past decade or so. But the availability of proper infrastructure, especially badminton court, has not kept pace with the phenomenal growth of the game.

Many beginners who cannot find a badminton club in their neighborhood take to playing the game outdoors in makeshift badminton courts. Feasibility study on badminton court is meant to serve as a guide to preparing a badminton court of proper dimensions, even in your backyard.

Before undertaking a feasibility study on badminton court, it is very essential to understand the dimensions of the court. A full badminton court for doubles play measures 44 feet by 20 feet and is rectangular in shape. The net, spanning the width of the court at the center, divides the court into two equal halves measuring 22feet by 20feet. The net is 5 feet tall at the center. Any badminton court-feasibility report should make note of these dimensions, which cannot be compromised at any cost.

A short service line 6feet 6inches from the net line marks the non-volley zone or the frontcourt of the playing area. There is a central longitudinal line from the short service line to the back boundary line that separates the right and left service courts.

There are two lines along the sides of the court. The outermost boundary line marks the sideline for the doubles version of the game, while a parallel line one and a half feet inner to this marks the sideline for the singles. The area between the two is the side alley of the court.

Another important point to be noted during feasibility study on badminton court is that the outermost line at the back of the court serves as the back boundary line or baseline for both the singles and doubles version of the game. This is also the long service line for the singles play. But the long service line for the doubles play is marked two and a half feet inside the back boundary line. The area between the two marks the back alley of the court.

An important consideration that is to be given while doing a feasibility study on badminton court is that it is truly an indoor sport. Setting up an indoor court is a professional job, typically consisting of multiple court packages. Readymade badminton courts can easily be laid with professional help.

Wheeled net posts made of steel or tecton anodized aluminium are available with plastic slots to fix the net and a device for tensioning the net. The badminton net is typically made of nylon twine with a white headband spanning its length at the top and tie slips at the bottom. Nets are available for single court and for multiple courts too. In the case of multiple courts, additional central posts are used to maintain the height of the net.

Readymade rollable courts are available which come pre- painted with the official court lines. These rollable courts are multi- layered and provide a non-slip surface.

Reports of feasibility study on badminton court should take in to account all these up to date innovations that are possible in constructing or converting a place in to a badminton court before giving the final recommendations.

2008-07-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Badminton Content Management System

Badminton content management system is a system of computer software to manage all contents related to badminton.

It is possible to control and edit badminton documents, facilitate auditing and adopt proper timeline management with badminton content management system.

Badminton content management system can be in the following forms:

1. Web content management system.

2. Document management system.

3. Single source content management system.

4. Workflow type for publication of badminton related articles.

5. The work of a staff organization for newspaper editorials regarding badminton.

Among the types of badminton content management systems available, the web content management system is the most versatile and recent. It provides the following special facilities:

1. Management of documents related to badminton.

2. Ability to template badminton contents automatically.

3. Upgradation to current web standards automatically.

4. Smooth management of badminton related workflow.

5. Ability to easily edit badminton contents.

6. Improvement in function of the existing site by easy modification.

With badminton web content management system, it is possible to control and manage large collections of HTML documents and their related images covering the various aspects of badminton. The following details can be done easily and stored efficiently:

1. Publishing news.

2. News articles.

3. Players' manuals.

4. Coaching manuals.

5. Rules and regulations of badminton.

6. Badminton equipment details.

7. Equipment specifictations.

8. Ranking details.

9. Player profiles.

10. Events calender.

In addition, badminton content management system enables:

1. Segregation and allotment of work and responsibilities related to badminton to different people and organisations.

2. Compilation of badminton related multimedia details and documents.

3. Knowledge of all important and vital users and their roles in managing badminton related content.

4. Searching and managing different versions of a single content pertaining to various aspects of badminton.

5. Alerting people who are managing badminton content regarding the changes in content like events and allotted tasks.

6. Converting the badminton content to a repository to facilitate content access.

Recently, badminton web content systems have developed features like community blogging, community building, online calenders, personalization and even real time analysis in website. Such advanced features enable one to:

1. Build separate online badminton communities for blogging, threaded discussions, message boards and participating in forums.

2. Analyse website regarding the life cycle of visitors to the website.

3. Increase web customer hits with web alerts and subscriptions.

4. Enable online personalization and portal building.

5. Convert the website into a street with high speed net traffic in both ways.

6. Associate with related and compliant badminton sites.

2008-07-13T17:24:00.002-07:00

Beginner's Guide : 10 Rules of Badminton

The sport of badminton is supposed to have originated in Greece, about 2000 years ago.

From there it spread to other parts of Europe, Asia and the World. Today, it's a popular sport worldwide, both at amateur and professional levels. The following article contains the 10 rules of badminton and other regulations that you familiarize yourself with to play the sport.

Badminton is played with two single or two teams of two players each. It is a racquet sport. The rectangular court is divided into two halves with a net in the centre. Unlike other racquet games like squash or tennis badminton does not use a ball. It is played with a feathered projectile, which is called a shuttlecock.

Shuttlecocks characteristically are light weight and are thereby affected by the wind. Thus professional badminton is played indoors as even the slightest breeze can effect the direction of the shuttlecock. The 10 rules of badminton given below are valid for both professional and amateur badminton games.

The game involves the two opponents hitting the shuttlecock over the net into the other person's side. The rally ends when the shuttlecock touches the ground. Only one stroke is allowed to pass it over the net. One badminton match is made up of three games, of 21 points each. Professional badminton games are of five kinds: Men's singles, Men's doubles, Mixed doubles, Women's singles and Women's Doubles.

In a badminton match, the court size for a single's game is 44 feet long X 17 feet wide and for a doubles match it is 44 feet long X 20 feet wide. The height of the net is 5 feet.

The 10 rules of badminton are as follows:

1. A game starts with a coin toss. Whoever wins the toss gets to decide whether they would serve or receive first OR what side of the court they want to be on. The side losing the toss shall then exercise the remaining choice.

2. At no time during the game should the player touch the net, with his racquet or his body.

3. The shuttlecock should not be carried on or come to rest on the racquet.

4. A player should not reach over the net to hit the shuttlecock.

5. A serve must carry cross court (diagonally) to be valid.

6. During the serve, a player should not touch any of the lines of the court, until the server strikes the shuttlecock. During the serve the shuttlecock should always be hit from below the waist.

7. A point is added to a player's score as and when he wins a rally.

8. A player wins a rally when he strikes the shuttlecock and it touches the floor of the opponent's side of the court or when the opponent commits a fault. The most common type of fault is when a player fails to hit the shuttlecock over the net or it lands outside the boundary of the court.

9. Each side can strike the shuttlecock only once before it passes over the net. Once hit, a player can't strike the shuttlecock in a new movement or shot.

10. The shuttlecock hitting the ceiling, is counted as a fault.

Learning and inculcating the 10 rules of badminton is the first step towards getting into the game. Besides these, it's a good idea to get to know more about the equipment laws, which govern what equipments can be used - the design of the racquet, the weight and shape of the shuttlecock (for correct speed). Surprisingly there is no rule for the minimum height of the ceiling, but nevertheless, a low ceiling would be problematic.

2008-07-13T17:24:00.001-07:00

Badminton for Beginners

Badminton for beginners can be explained in many different forms. However for the person who is very unfamiliar with the game of badminton it can be compared to several different sports that may help to explain the idea and benefits of the game of badminton.

Badminton is much like tennis in that it can be played with teams of two (two people on each opposing team) or as a singles game where one person plays against another single person. Both of these sports including other sports such as Squash, Racket Ball and Ping Pong use a type of racket (in Ping Pong a paddle). However the differences between badminton and these various racket sports are many.

Different from tennis, badminton uses a shuttlecock, otherwise known as a shuttle or birdie and the shuttle is not allowed to hit the ground as in tennis. Squash is another racket sport that is played with two players but differs in several ways from badminton.

In the game of squash two opposing players take turns hitting a rubbery ball against a wall. The rackets are shorter at the handle and have a larger target area or "sweet spot". Each player hits the ball against the wall, usually quite violently and their opponent is supposed to return the ball to the wall by hitting it themselves.

In the game of squash there are similarities as well, when the opponent misses the ball and does not hit it back to the wall the other player scores a point. In squash the ball is allowed to hit the floor once much like tennis. If the ball bounces on the ground more than once a point is given to the opposing team.

Much like badminton there are deceptive shots in both tennis and squash and both sports use the same types of strikes. The strikes will include different variations of backhand, forehand and around the head shots.

Ping pong is much like a miniature tennis game that is played on a table. It can be considered to be like badminton and other racket sports as the goal is to score points by ensuring that your competitor does not get the proper chance to hit the hollow plastic ball back to your end of the court.

The ping pong table looks much like a small version of a badminton or tennis court and is raised to waist level with a small 6 inch net stretching across the middle. The players must hit the ball across the net, it is allowed to bounce once and then needs to be returned to the opposer by way of hitting it with a paddle.

All of these sports have the same general idea which is to score a point on your opponent by creating sufficient doubt or hesitation causing them to miss the shot available. There are deceptive shots and similarities in the types of swing in all these games when compared to badminton.

The main differences will be the subtle differences in the equipment and scoring systems. They are all great games but badminton is one of the most exciting in my book.

2008-07-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Badminton Essentials

Badminton essentials are going to include the main points that you need to know before you get involved in the great sport of badminton.

Many people who are not already badminton fans or avid players believe that badminton is a simple sport of knocking a funny looking 'ball' over a net. Honestly there is much more to this wonderful sport! It is often thought of much like tennis and though it may look the same it is quite different in many respects.

Some very important information to know about badminton is that it is a true sport. It is recognized nationally and through the Olympics. As with any other competitive sport there are defensive and offensive maneuvers that one must learn in order to play a competitive game of badminton.

Badminton is also a sport that you must be in good physical shape to play, especially given some of the opponents that you will encounter if you become serious about the sport. Other essential aspects of badminton that will be important to understand are about the equipment needed to play and other subtitles that will affect your decision of whether badminton is the right game for you.

One of the essentials that many do not consider when looking at badminton for a new sport or hobby is that it is always played indoors. This may not seem important to some but if you are looking for a sport you will be enjoying out of doors then this is not it.

Badminton is played indoors because of the light weight shuttlecock that is used in play. This is the item that is hit back and forth across the net. Because of the very light weight and shape of the shuttlecock, wind greatly affects the game of badminton and even a slight breeze can hinder play.

Badminton is also a sport that uses equipment that is essential to your play. Aside from having a shuttlecock, you will need a light weight badminton racket, a quality net and often you will want to have back up equipment pieces or extra of all of these.

When learning to play badminton you will find that there are strategies for both the defensive and offensive side of the game. Because of this badminton is also a game that requires practice and thought to how you will challenge your opponent.

There are a variety of trick shots or deceptive shots that will help to improve your game as well as hone your abilities to out play your opponent through the art of deception. Badminton essentials include all of these aspects and they are easy to find information on through articles and blogs on the Internet to in depth books that will bring a great amount of knowledge on how to practice and prepare yourself in this sport.

Badminton is a sport that does require you to be in good physical condition. How good your condition must be will greatly depend on your intentions for playing. There are many people that play badminton merely as a hobby to get into shape, exercise or for stress relief. For these purposes you will need to be moderately healthy, with the ability to move across the court quickly to give your opponent a fair game.

If you are looking into badminton on a more competitive level such as playing in tournaments or even professionally you will need to up your health condition considerably. To play badminton professionally you will need to be in excellent condition and continue to shape your body as well as the way you mentally play this highly energetic sport.

Players that are interested in playing competitively in tournaments and other arenas will do extensive conditioning, weight training, study of offense and defense, and practice their game to the point of perfection including their serves. Let's face it without practice in any competitive sport you will not rise to the occasion or in this case the game to out play your opponents.

2008-07-13T17:17:00.001-07:00

Indonesian Badminton

Among the Asian countries, Indonesia is one of the badminton juggernauts, often overriding other leading badminton Asian nations like Malaysia and China for titles.

The success story is such that Indonesia often gets at least a gold medal in many Olympic and Asian games conducted so far.

The Indonesian Badminton Federation (PBSI) is the organization responsible for the huge success of badminton in Indonesia. It was formed during 1951 in Bandung.

Since Indonesian badminton players from localities do not get as much attention as their Chinese counterparts, the Indonesian Badminton Federation had started conducting many National sport events in Badminton like National sport Championships. In this manner, the junior local players ascended to world level professionals bringing home many badminton glories.

In the case of Indonesian Badminton, both the Government and Private sector organizations take the responsibility of noting a local player's talent and grooming him. The Government badminton training centers are known as PELATNAS (National Training Center).

In PELANTAS (National Training Centers), the training and coaching is not as intensive as in the private training centers. It is due to the fact that in National Training Centers, the training players are not the just young ones, but also consists of experienced and professional players. Whereas in private badminton training centers, predominantly only the young talented and interested players are groomed to become professionals at world level.

Indonesians consider the Thomas cup, Uber cup and the Sudirman cup as very precious and makes every attempt to win them. The same intensity is also seen with other leading badminton savvy Asian countries that non-Asian countries have only occasionally been able to make an impact in those cup games.

Indonesia has given many gems to the crown of badminton. Some of the gems are Susi Susanti, Icuk Sugiarto, Liem Swie King and Rudi Hartono. Currently they have Taufik Hidayat who is on his way to legendary status with his impressive attacking display of aggressive badminton.

One more feather in the cap of Indonesian badminton was the introduction of Sudirman cup in 1989. It is a world cup for mixed team event. The cup has a rich history.

By 1988, IBF, the world governing body for badminton had given approval to the idea of conducting a mixed world team championship.

Mr.Dick Sudirman was an excellent badminton player himself, serving IBF initially as counselor and later as Vice-president. He was also the founder of Indonesian Badminton foundation and served excellently as its president for 22 precious years.

The Badminton Association of Indonesia gave the suggestion of naming the cup in his honor and memory, keeping in mind the service he had done to badminton worldwide and in Indonesia. It was accepted and the first Sudirman cup competition was conducted in Copenhagen where Indonesia fittingly lifted the title.

It is to be noted that players don't even get a penny for participating in Sudirman cup. All they vie with each other is for their country's honor and international rankings.

Badminton Yogyakarta

Selalu untuk Indonesia

Bangkitnya Bulutangkis Putri Indonesia

Peraih Emas Pertama Olimpiade

Liem Swie King

Dari Wikipedia Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas berbahasa Indonesia.

[sunting] Kiprah di luar bulutangkis

Rudy Hartono Kurniawan

Dari Wikipedia Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas berbahasa Indonesia.

Daftar isi

[sunting] Sejarah

[sunting] Masa Kecil

[sunting] Awal Karir Profesional

[sunting] Daftar prestasi pada kejuaraan All England

Alan Budikusuma

Dari Wikipedia Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas berbahasa Indonesia.

[sunting] Prestasi

Susi Susanti

Dari Wikipedia Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas berbahasa Indonesia.

[sunting] Prestasi

Susy Terima Hall of Fame

Ketenangan Bawa Kemenangan Bao Chunlai

Kertas Warna Warni Meriahkan Kemenangan Tim Thomas China

Kertas Warna Warni Meriahkan Kemenangan Tim Thomas China

China Atasi Korsel, Raih Piala Thomas Tiga Kali Beruntun

Rudy Sang "Maestro"

Iie Sumirat, "Sang Pembunuh Raksasa"

Icuk Sugiarto, Ketangguhan Pebulutangkis Bertahan

Stretching

How to Stretch

30 September 2007

Section: 3 Types of Stretching

20 September 2007

Section: 2 Flexibility

19 September 2007

Physiology of Stretching

Causing Damage of His Play

PRO KONTRA “CARBOHYDRATE LOADING”

Nama Makanan

Berat

Roti dan serealia

Produk susu

Sayuran

Buah

Minuman, snack dll

(Sumber: "PEDOMAN PRAKTIS BERMAIN BULUTANGKIS", Oleh: PB PBSI)

Badminton Instruction

Something You Can't Afford to Ignore

Similarities between Tennis and Badminton

Feasibility Study on Badminton Court

Badminton Content Management System

Beginner's Guide : 10 Rules of Badminton

Badminton for Beginners

Badminton Essentials

Indonesian Badminton