Professional Taekwondo Africa

GTTF Gambia hosts Master Bemba Mbye in the country. This is his first official visit since his appointment as GTTF Director for Africa. The visit provided an opportunity to review on-going and planned activities, and an intense working session., which participants enjoyed greatly. The visit was professionally managed by Master Maimuna Drammeh, the GTTF National President for The Gambia.

THE OMNIPRESENT PUSH-UP
push-up is a classic, no-equipment bodyweight exercise performed in a prone (facedown) position. By raising and lowering the body using your arms while keeping your body rigid, you build strength in your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. The push-up is practiced in all sports. There are dozens of types of push-up, some more difficult than others. Differences are determined by intensity, speed, hands placement and position of the body.
For me the most difficult types of push-up: the Spiderman push-up, the 360o push-up and the phoenix/tiger push up. These are my killers. But I enjoy them in pain. I do my best. Age is not just a number. .

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CHAMBERING AND BODY MECHANICS
I Taekwondo and other striking Martial Arts, chambering is the crucial preparatory phase of drawing back a limb or weapon before launching a strike. Much like pulling back a bowstring, it condenses energy, maximizes striking power, and improves balance before the explosive release of the technique. As important as it is, it is generally neglected in training. However, much can be gained by focusing on it through repetitive practice.

1. Kicking (The "Chamber" and "Re-chamber")
For techniques like sidekicks, front kicks, or roundhouse kicks, chambering involves pulling your knee up and bending the leg closely toward your body before extending.
■Power and control: It acts like a loaded piston, allowing you to drive explosive force through the target.
■Tactical Advantage: The tight tuck protects your groin and vital areas while allowing you to quickly adjust your target or re-chamber (pull the leg back sharply) to prevent an opponent from grabbing your foot.

2. Punching and Striking
Chambering involves pulling your non-striking hand back to your hip or chest as the other hand punches.
■Body Mechanics: This reciprocal pull-and-push motion generates torque and increases the speed and impact of the striking fist.
■Defense and Trapping: Chambering the retracted hand can be used to block, parry, or pull an opponent off balance.

3. Forms
In forms (Poomsae), chambering motions are often exaggerated. This is done to help build muscle memory, strengthen the core, and reinforce the underlying body mechanics of the martial art.
The practice of Chambering is well-suited for Solo Training because it can be practiced hundreds of times, especially linked to the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC), which is the rapid, active muscle action where a muscle is stretched (eccentric contraction) immediately before it shortens (concentric contraction). This natural mechanism acts like a spring, storing elastic energy to generate significantly more explosive power and force than a purely concentric movement.
I highly recommend the practice of chambering, not only as a step in the ex*****on of techniques but also in isolation. This will significantly contribute in the quality of the technique.