web of kayaking

“INNER STRUCTURE OF THE

KAYAK TECHNIQUE”
imre kemecsey
edited by zoltan bako

“to a man with a hammer

everything looks like a nail. (Baruch)”

1.

“He seemed to really like the exercises in that he focus on one thing and search for the feel
without trying to do everything at once. This is what I like about your exercise it represents a
movement pattern* as an image rather than a description of the body/joint angles etc. One image
is easy, the 10 positions it takes to create that image can be very hard to do. But he can do them
if he forgets about the body position and tries to create the image and feel.”
(This comment was made by a coach who has a university degree in biomechanics)

(*Movement pattern: how the image of the space, time and dynamical structure – in this
case kayaking – is reflected in the athlete’s mind.)

“…and then you took away all the supports, beginning with the water…”
(She practiced the technique on the Australian kayak machine.)

“This is very much like the Eiffel Tower. If the Eiffel Tower was built on sand then it would fall
apart. I found this image very useful while I was helping the beginners to start with something
basic like PC #2; PC #3, so they could build upon it.”
(a 14 –year old athlete of mine)

This work is a compilation of the practices and the underlying images/concepts that I
have utilized in the preparation of my athletes over the years. Apparently, this will start
as a “mental training of kayaking” and will remain one until the last pages. The
teaching and/or learning process is a kind of mental training. The task of the coach is
to make the athlete grasp the motion or the movement with the help of an image or
concept. Naturally, the concept or image cannot be perfect. However, the athlete will
remember it much more than numbers relating to weight, strokes, or angles referring to
blade and water. The athlete must know what an efficient catch feels like. Visual images
can be used on water, kayak machines, in tank, or everywhere and any time the coach
wants to teach the technique. Even at a regular mental training combined with relaxation
and visualization.

The work intends to present a “man and a tool system” where the tool represents
kayak and paddle. This system will be presented in its own natural surroundings, in and
on water and will also be compared to the barracuda and his fascinating motion and
amazing acceleration. Biomechanics, a very exact branch of science deals with this
primarily. It measures all, mostly visible things that can be measured. Our task as a
coach, however, is to explain to our athletes what lies behind numbers. Why is that a
perfect dynamogram can represent good and bad catch at the same time. We must
make our athletes see and feel how to equalize while rotating and swinging their trunk. It
takes several months for our athletes to rotate and swing their trunk without any difficulty
with the help of the blade fixed in water.

It is a wonderful pedagogical and psychological process to create images and concepts.

These images are “hiding” practices that can make our athletes attain the maximum
level determined by their own inherited abilities. Coaching is definitely about leading a
psychological and mental practice. It is all about creating images to teach a cat-like
motion or making use of the motion and acceleration of the barracuda, shark or dolphin
in order to develop a better technique as well as making the athlete understand and feel
how a dolphin makes good use of water reaction to swim faster.

The athlete works with a fixed point: the blade fixed in the water. The whole trunk rotates
and swings and this is how the kayak presses itself ahead and sideways at the same
time. This movement combination can be described perfectly as a beautiful three-
dimensional (3D) image. All the tiny details of this 3D image cooperate with extreme
precision. The task of a coach is to teach these tiny details. The athlete must see and
feel them.

“The paddling greats”

2.

The photos I collected show the technique of the great champions of kayaking from 1956
to these days. I have chosen these athletes because I consider their technique the best
technique of kayaking. Some of them belong to the “traditional Hungarian school”,
others represent completely different technique and there are also some who combine
the above two.
G. Fredricsson; E. Hansen; L. Nagy; J. Uranyi; G. Csapo; Z. Bako; I.
Szabo; F. Csipes; Zs. Gyulai; A. Shaparenko; V. Parfenovich;
M. Kolehmainen; G. Barton; K. Holmann; P. Markiewicz; M. Kolganov;
A. Vereczkei; B. Storz; E. V. Larsen.
Among the kayakers listed above, J. Uranyi, I. Szabo, and A. Sapharenko represent the
“Traditional School”.

Some of them have given us completely different but at the same time wonderful
techniques, like E. Hansen, L. Nagy or Z. Bako.

The third group “blended” or “combined” so-called “traditional” and the basically
“Hansen” technique in order to repeat their world record in quick succession.

I have written this book to “salute” my athletes who have reached incredible success,
like Geza Csapo, who got 3 gold medals – in K – 1 500 meters, K -1 1000 meters
and K – 2 10 000 meters at the same World Championships. I find this achievement
extraordinary.

Some of my former athletes have proved to be very talented coaches, like Zoltan
Angyal, the very popular “Simon”, who get gold medal in K – 1 500 meters at the Junior
World Championships. Later on, he raised super athletes like Ferenc Csipes or Zsolt
Gyulai. At this time Zoltan Angyal is the leader (captain) of the Hungarian Kayak –
Canoe Team.

Zoltan Bako, who was a world champion several times (5 times), Knut Holmann and
Eirik Veraas Larsen are some of his best athletes today.

I would also like to “salute” those great kayakers and coaches all over the world who
gave us the “joy” to see amazing or “brand-new” techniques. They made me – and I
presume, other coaches, too – ask many questions like how this new technique can be
taught, etc.

Apparently, this material is not a scientific classification, analysis or explanation of the

kayaking technique. I’d rather call it “my training diary” because it contains my
extremely subjective views on kayaking and different kayak techniques that I formed
over the last nearly 50 years.

“way of paddle, angle of blade,

and the stroke rate”

3.

I do not particularly suggest this work to those who aim to search for success in the way
of the paddle, the angle of the blade or the number of stroke rates. Primarily, because
the paddle “has no way” when it really “makes an effect on” or propels the kayak.
Although, the blade can have different angles but it is not essentials as far as the glide of
the kayak is concerned. In other words I would say that the angles of the blade cannot
be taught.

The blade is fixed in the water. Although, it lasts only for a split second, it must not make
a significant move during the pull either. In the case of a super athlete, the “link” between
the paddle and the kayak is perfect. It is the kayak that makes a move either in the right
or the wrong direction. We can measure big forces on the paddle mostly when the kayak
is “fighting” the water, or especially, when the athlete is dragging the boat.

The same is true for the stroke rates. Lots of studies on stroke rates have been
published and they try to compare great athletes. As coaches we saw all this and we
created physiological “mysteries” to explain the phenomenon. We also created different
sorts of practices to make our athletes “survive” or break the “deadlock”, with more or
less success.

A few years ago, I think, to everyone’s surprise, a super athlete, P. Markiewich

“appeared on stage”, and won the K -1 500 meters with amazing technique, with around
110 or even slower stroke rates. We were even more astounded when he won the K – 1
200 meters too, paddling the same number of stroke rates. All the others in the final did
around 140 or faster stroke rates. It all happened in 1995.

What happened in the final to this athlete, or rather to the others who came behind him?
Somehow we tend to think that there is a strong link or correlation between the large
number of stroke rates and the successful athletes in 200 and 500 meters events.
Moreover, we are still teaching it. Apparently, P. Markiewich was not among the
strongest athlete in the final.

What is the whole technique about? Something that we can see in photos, movies or on
videos? Theoretically and biomechanically, the boat should glide faster once we
increase the stroke rates. But how come that there is a loss of force and the boat slows
down in spite of the increased stroke rates? What should be the link between the paddle
and the boat like? What has a biomechanical study got to do with a boat?

Where did P. Markiewich get the power from to win all the events at the competition with
unprecedentedly few numbers of strokes? What can be the secret that lies behind slow
stroke rates? Large blade or longer shaft? Neither. Physiology, neurophysiology,
anatomy, extraordinary muscles, perhaps, or simply, a brilliant technique. The latter
seems to be the most “suspicious” in this amazing feat of athleticism.

Several years back, already in the 1970‘s we discussed all these issues with my athletes
and we agreed that there must be more to technique than what we can see or measure.
The trunk of the athlete must do a great deal of very accurate job if the athlete wants to
be successful.

“building the strongest possible structure

by using the least material”.
4.

Over the past 30 years as a coach, I made up several power circles that helped me to
understand and teach the technique of “super kayakers”. These power circles make it
possible that the trunk, legs, arms of the athlete “help each other’s job”. The “structure”
made from power circles is very flexible but, at the same time, rather rigid, firm, and
powerful. The Australian kayak machine proved to be a great tool since we were able to
see everything while working on it. Even the athlete can see what he is doing because
we record it on video.

My idea of power circles goes back to the 1970’s. Mainly because there were quite a few
athlete who were neither very muscular nor the giant type but had amazing technique.
Let me remind you of Gert Fredriksson, the “kayak king” or my own super athletes,
Istvan Szabo and Zoltan Bako.

Even 30 years ago I tried to make all my athletes believe that the trunk of the kayaker is
neither a concrete pole not a stump of wood. In modern kayaking, the trunk rotates, to
be more exact, 1 or 2 cm at the hip area and 30 cm or more at the shoulders. It is
impossible to win international competitions by applying great power merely with arm
muscles. In addition, the power applied on the paddle has to be transformed through the
rotating and swinging trunk into the boat or into speed.

As I mentioned in my “explanation”, large muscles need to be fed. They “consume” more

than smaller muscles, especially when they are in a contracted tone. One can argue that
athletes with huge muscles and relatively poor technique can also win international
competitions. It is true, indeed. However, the victory of an athlete paddling with brilliant
technique means a lot more to me.

We began measuring and monitoring the force that was applied on the paddle while
paddling in the early 1970’s. Our intention was to help the athletes improve further and
to use the dynamograms we got later on when preparing junior kayakers. Istvan Szabo
and Zoltan Bako had already won several World Championships by this time. I wanted to
know more about the force applied on the paddle. It was quite shocking for us that we
did not find too many similarities between the dynamograms of the two above mentioned
athletes, even though, they were one of the greatest and most successful K – 2 in the
middle of the 1970’s.

The dynamogram of I. Szabo showed two separate “peaks” after the blade caught the
water. It happens so fast that there is no trace of this on videos or photos, not even
when we were paddling on water did I notice anything like this. I simply could not find
any possible explanation for it. What I figured out at last was that the dynamogram
suddenly “runs up” after the literally “miraculous” catch. The most important part to find
out was what happened afterwards. Perhaps, the traditional (wood) shaft got bent for a
split second and got straight again right after the catch. I also had the idea that the
supporting hand got into a position where it was not able to work together perfectly with
the pulling hand. Actually, this was the starting point, starting image or “the nascent
state” of the 3D (three dimensional) way of thinking or as I call it, the power circles.

What I also found incredible was that the dynamogram of Z. Bako was completely
different. It does not “run up” so fast at the catch. It was one-humped and very much like
a dromedary. By the way, I. Szabo paddled the refined and highly advanced technique
of the “Hungarian School” while the technique of Z. Bako was a duplicate of Eric
Hansen.

The shape of the dynamogram on the paddle is unique like a finger-print. Not any two of
them are identical. It is also true, however, that it takes a long time, sometimes 3 to 5
years for a super kayaker to reach the professional international standards. These are
the years when individual dynamograms are formed. The only question is whether the
shape of these dynamograms can or cannot be changed while they are being formed.

When I was watching my two kayakers paddle, it was the work of the supporting hand
that helped me to “realize” and later to “describe” the notion of power circles. This power
circle starts at the pulling hand goes through the pulling arm to the pulling shoulder at
first. From the pulling shoulder it goes to the supporting shoulder, then to the supporting
arm and the supporting hand. Eventually, from the supporting hand it goes back to the
pulling hand through the shaft. This is the power circle #2. When we take a closer look at
this power circle, it can be seen that by bending the shaft slightly, the supporting arm
can increase the force on the paddle, while in the opposite case, the relatively “lazy”
supporting hand puts too much pressure on the pulling arm. And this is the most
important point about the power circle.

In the past 50 years there was quite a lot of argument about “use” of legs, timing of their
stretch, gradual or sudden flexing of leg muscles, etc. so I ended up concentrating on all
these for a long time. Unfortunately, leg movements cannot be seen very well in
kayaking, therefore, I had to rely on what athletes told me and on my own guesses.

Summing up all that we saw on water, in the boat and on the kayak machine, it is
evident that legwork has a lot to do with success in kayaking. Nothing proves this better
than the legwork of Holmann.

So legwork has become power circle #3. It starts at the foot board on the pull side, it
goes to the hip through the straightening and contracting leg, then back to the foot board
on the pull side.

The next power circle can be seen well when watched from a motorboat or from the
dock. When watching it from a side-view, one can see that the knee on the pulling side
goes down, the hip is rotating slightly and the shoulders are rotating intensively.
Intensive legwork and the proper rotation of the trunk will surely result in good catch.
This has become power circle #1. It starts from the foot board, goes through the
straightening and contracting leg to the hip, then through the pulling side muscles of the
trunk, up to the shoulders and from there it goes through the arm, the hand and finally,
back to the foot board.

The following two power circles are a little bit more complicated, nevertheless, they can
be taught without any difficulty even at a very early age. Both intend to help and
coordinate power transfer, arm and leg work. Power circle #4 starts from the blade and it
goes to the pulling shoulder, from there it goes to the hip on the support side and then
back to the blade.

And finally, power circle 5 starts at the foot board and through the straightening and
contracting leg on the pull side it goes to the hip. From here it goes through the trunk to
the shoulder on the support side, then through the supporting arm to the hand and from
the hand it goes back to the foot board on the pull side.

Power circles spin a kind of web around the body of the kayaker. We can see similar
images on computers when cars or airplanes are being tested. This web is everywhere,
it supports every tiny part. Originally, my intention was to make the kayaker imagine that
kayaking is like a “lightweight structure” that rotates, swings, flexes, etc. but always
remains integrated.

“Tensegrity”

5.

My idea of power circles is rooted in architecture as the term tensegrity was used in
architecture for the first time about 30 years ago. Perhaps, lightweight construction is the
best example for this. They want to build “the strongest possible structure by using as
little material as possible”. Nature managed to put this principle into practice several
million (or even more) years ago when “designing” living organisms.

Even our ancestors used tensegrity as a principle when they found the perfect solution
how to build arched entrances or beautiful domes, bridges and water conduit systems
later on.

One definition of the tensegrity is:

“A state of strong and harmonious integrity that cannot be spoilt or demolished
by the disintegrity surrounding it as its own structure is so orderly that it can be
separated from its surroundings.”

Tensegrity is made up of two words: tensional and integrity. It means that

compression will result in tension. When these two equalize each other, we get integrity.
This principle helped me “re-interpret” the “flexible” part of kayaking, that is the body of
the athlete, which “can either transfer the power to the boat or absorb it”.

When it comes to the paddling of great kayakers, there is an “integrating principle” that
“holds” the technique together. I thought this “integrating principle” might as well be
called tensegrity as the power circles themselves can increase or decrease the power
in the blade. A good example for this is the interaction between the pulling and the
supporting arm in what I call power circle #2. The good timing of the work of the
supporting arm can actually increase the power of the pulling arm. The power circles
make it possible that the trunk, legs and arms of the kayaker all help each other’s work.
This interaction can especially be taught and improved on a kayak machine but also in
the boat on the water.

An excellent coach made an interesting and at the same time very helpful observation in
Florida a few month ago. Among other things he told me about a 40 km long practice
kayaking and said that by the end of the practice all the kayakers “were dead”, lost their
technique and were doing everything but kayaking. There was one athlete Knut
Holmann, however, who managed to “hold onto” his technique till the very last meters. It
is not a secret that this kind of “marathon preparation” of kayakers is only popular in
Europe.

Obviously, not everyone follows this principle. It is food for thought, however, that the
best kayakers who have won world competitions for years or decades actually opt for
this method. Presumably (and obviously) it improves AEROBIC capacity and has a very
effect on technique.

“When we were paddling today I figured out the power circle #2 and the bending shaft. We had
paddled up the river, and then Grant separated us so that we could paddle at our own pace and
not talk. Then when I was paddling, I thought about the technique, and putting my weight onto my
upper arm, as I rotated. It suddenly just clicked, and I could do it. Doug had said to me that when
I got it, I would be able to feel it and I could. My arms weren’t sore, and I was not putting pressure
on my arms. I could feel the paddle grabbing at the water in each stroke. And the power that
came from each stroke. I then paddled for 10 km, non stop, and still could have gone further. I
hope that on Wednesday I will still have the technique. I am a concrete learner, so I had to keep
thinking it over and over again until I could put it into my paddling”.

(This 13 year old girl learnt the technique used by Eirik Veraas Larsen and the Norwegians)

According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, all activities performed at an advanced level must

be FUN or JOY first of all and this fun and joy will result in a FLOW, meaning an
activity or motion that is seemingly light and effortless. The movement patterns interact
follow each other perfectly. The technique of great athletes is like this, it is very much a
“cat-like motion”.

“Use the water

and do not fight it”

6.

I gave up teaching technique by using traditional methods thirty years ago. Traditional
method means, for instance, when you look at the blade angle, analyze and measure
stroke length, count the stroke rates or look at the height of the elbow, the fist, etc.
Instead, I started to create images about how to grab the water, about strokes and the
position of the trunk at pull, etc. Since the early 1970s I have been using expressions
like “the water can help you but can also turn against you” or “use the reaction of
the water and do not fight it”, etc. And somehow my athletes, G. Csapo and Z. Bako
once mentioned the new term “water wall” referring to the water forming at the
side of the boat opposite the pull. This water wall can help or hinder the boat, depending
on the way, strength and direction (angle) of the kayak when “attacking” it.

It took me several years to realize that “making use” of the water wall is absolutely
essential in modern kayaking. The water wall, or in other words, “the bouncing effect” led
to the comparison between kayaking and waterskiing and kayaking and windsurfing.
Only recently, in the past 10 years did I realize the similarity between kayaking and the
motion of big fish (or any fish, for that matter). The motion of large fish like the
barracuda, shark or the dolphin (even though it is not a fish) can be used very well
when teaching kayaking techniques, especially the perfect 3D trunk motion or how the
whole body rotates and swing.

I often wondered how the barracuda can reach a speed of 100 km/h within less than half
a second. I found it amazing, and I figured he was probably not doing it by using his
pectoral fins only. It took me month to realize that with the help of his tail fin that is
motionless for a very short time, he presses himself against the water wall. The water
wall around the barracuda behaves like “water in a closed system” for the fraction of a
second. This closed system “is aware” of the bouncing effect that one can see when
watching an indoor football game. The water bounces the snake-like trunk of the
barracuda almost as powerfully as the fish pressed himself into it. It is also the tail fin
that uses when straightening its body.

The above mentioned expressions and images were very efficient when it came to
teaching the technique or to the communication between coach and athlete. There had
been images that were skipped, others were used more often or developed further. We
had to make significant changes, for instance, on the “pole-vaulting” image that we
originally used to demonstrate how to get more or less part of the weight out of the boat
with the help of the bent shaft in order to ease the pressure on the paddle. This,
however, broke the smooth gliding of the boat in most cases. The vertical movement of
the boat increased. In order to use the “pole-vaulting” image or principle properly, a more
detailed analysis had to be done.

A coach friend of mine wrote the following about the similarity between pole-vaulting and
kayaking:

“the carbon fiber paddle or the pole of the pole-vaulter has changed the technique of the two
branches of sport significantly… Technique has become more important than rough muscle
strength. It seems that one of the practices leading the pole-vaulting, the trench-vaulting that
mainly involves moving ahead instead of moving upwards fits exactly with kayaking. In both
cases, we swing past our tool while using it for support.”

In my explanations I started to use fewer 2D (two dimensional) images when referring to

blade angles, stroke length, fist position, the vertical movement of the knees, etc and
more 3D (three dimensional) images when explaining, for example, the interaction
between the pulling and supporting hands and trunk, hip, legs. Over the years, as the
speed of the boat became faster and faster, we were forced to reduce the number of
mistakes to the minimum.

One of the greatest but at the same time most shocking revelations in the past few years
for me was to realize that it is absolutely natural for an athlete aged between 10 and 14
to see and think in 3 dimensions (Apparently, it does not present a great problem to a
child to arrange the colors on the Rubik Cube in the proper way.) Later on however, we
seem to lose this ability. When we do coaching we concentrate on the mistakes or the
wrong movement and were use 2D images to explain and correct them. We mainly aim
to improve stroke-length, blade angle, fist and elbow position, or the movement of the
shoulders, and to accomplish this, we use only 2D images most of the time.
The best coaches are able to “see something” that nobody else can in a movement. In
my opinion, good coaches always form and see movement in 3 dimensions. They are
the ones who improve the technique with a firm hand and adjust it to the speed of the
boat. They are able to teach and improve the 3D vision of athletes.

New boats and paddles appeared at international competitions and it was the use of new
paddles that brought about the greatest technical improvement. It encouraged or rather
“forced” athletes and coaches to create incredible smart technical patterns or series of
movement of movement patterns.

Methods of coaching have also changed and “lived up the expectations”, which resulted
in better and better time results like less than 18 seconds in 100 m or less than 36
seconds in 200 m. The 100 split time in 500 m is also around or even less than 20
seconds. The speed of the kayak has become more than 5.5 m / seconds, which means
that in one second the boat covers more distance than its full length. It is so amazing
that it is almost impossible to imagine that the time results of men’s kayak finals could
improve any significantly or faster in the near future.

“technique adjust itself to the speed of the boat,

they improve together”.

7.

Apparently, the technique of athletes also adapts itself to the speed of the boat as a
result; we can see great technical solutions. K. Holmann’s movement pattern is perfect
at each stroke he makes. He propels the boat while keeping together all force-lines (line
of forces) impeccably throughout the whole competition. His movement pattern serves
as a model of the combination of the traditional (Hungarian) and Hansen technique.

Michael Kolganovs start and acceleration in the first 100 m made us, spectators ask a lot
of questions. The first was whether it is the stroke rates or the force that dominates most
in this technique or whether it is the amazing combination of the two that brings about
the “barracuda-like” acceleration of the boat. It is not easy to answer this question but we
cannot skip it as our athletes would also like to learn and put this technique into practice.
What lies behind Kolganov’s acceleration is not only a very thorough physiological
preparation but also a technique that was developed to perfection.

We can see that during starts, Kolganov rotates his trunk with tremendous force. He
especially uses his back musculature on the opposite side of the fixed blade. The blade
produces the torque on the opposite side of the pull. At the same time, the mass of the
torso presses the side of the boat against the water wall on the support side. The water
wall pushes back on the boat with the same force. This way, the two opposite forces, the
torque and pressure of the water wall maximize efficiency and launch the boat straight
forward.

The greatest and most amazing surprise regarding technique seems to be connected to
the name Akos Vereczkei. For some people his paddling technique is incredibly brave, it
is almost impossible to teach how he moves his whole trunk. Probably, it is also takes an
extraordinary coach who is able to see, think and teach in 3D.

Like that of Holmann, Kolganov and Vereczkei, the technique of the Norwegian Larsen
(Eirik Veraas Larsen) is also sensational. The way he moves makes me think of Eric
Hansen’s flawless, perfectly “supported” crystal-structured technique that he produced
more than 40 years ago. In my opinion, the “structure” or the “framework” of the
technique can be imagined and taught best when we compare it to the 3D model of a
carbon atom. (Like the atomium model in Mechelen, Belgium).

When I first saw Larsen paddling a few years ago, I tried to understand what he was
doing. Soon afterwards, I tried to teach it. At first, only on the kayak machine because
apparently, it was not easy to move significantly away from the axis.

For unstable athletes, it presented and still presents a big problem to make a dynamic
swing with the shoulders to the opposite side of the pull, increasing the pulling force this
way.

“Water-skiing.
Tipping the boat to the pull side.”

8.

“The other thing I liked was the water skiing. When I did this on the water that day in the cove, I
would plant the blade then move my body to the paddle, keeping a solid form, rather than
bending my pulling arm to bring the blade back. Everything stayed solid and I couldn’t swing
around the paddle…a pivot point.”

“When you told me that my paddle is not moving through the water, a whole lot of thoughts went
through my mind like how do you compress the boat and water-wall, but I think I got now. To
compress without moving the paddle through the water, you get a strong catch and do a lot of
Power Circle #5 and #3 along with your butt too.”

“When I wasn’t getting this feeling and paddling with not so good technique I felt like the paddle
was moving through the water as opposed to my boat moving past my paddle. When I tried to put
any body weight on the paddle the blade just started moving through the water. I also felt that if I
stopped using power Circle #3 then the whole technique fell apart.”

Both kayaker and water-skier use a “fixed” point, they dynamically move sideways while
“pressing” the slightly tipped or “edged” boat or “edged” water ski against the water wall.

“When I was paddling the other day I was thinking about the difference between tipping my boat
and compressing it into the water wall. The idea behind the water wall is that the athlete tries to
compress the boat into the water wall and the water wall will push back to make the boat go
straight and to make the water wall push the boat forward.”

“The other idea I loved was the water walls. When I tried on the water, pushing my lower body
against the stroke my boat moved more forward than side to side.”
“When my boat tipped over the other day, I was doing a very sharp turn while edging my boat as
much as I could pressing it into the water wall. On this day while paddling and imitating Akos
Vereczkei and other great kayakers, I realized how important the water wall was and how badly
we need a very strong one. But for the water wall, we would all find ourselves in the water.”

During warm-up, before practice. We always make a point of doing sharp turns around a
buoy and figure 8. Both are very effective because they make the athletes feel the water
wall. It is also one step further from the passive balance practices like standing up in the
boat, throwing paddles like javelin, paddling with hands, etc. These are referred to as
passive balance practices because, in this case, the water wall cannot support the kayak
as the boat runs very slowly. Passive balance practice is essential, especially, during
preparation because they maintain good sensation.

“I’m still thinking about how to exactly describe how I feel about my water-skiing experience and
how it relates to kayaking, but I’ll give a shot anyways.
In terms of kayaking, when we think about practicing the water-skier, we try to focus on quite a
few technical aspects which we must do very precisely. For example, it is extremely important to
find a solid, yet at the same time, dynamic support in the water with which we can pry ourselves
past out paddle, and through the water. We can achieve this through twisting our boat, leaning
toward the stroke side, edging our boat, and utilizing a very vigorous swing with the upper body
towards the opposite side (doing this as well as keeping one’s weight on the stroke side can be
achieved simultaneously, but it is very delicate balance) etc. Furthermore, in order to enhance our
ability to do the “water-skier”, the athlete must also have a rigid, yet at the same time a very
adaptable body structure.

How does this all relate to real water-skiing?

A few weeks ago I went water-skiing, and I was thinking, about some of these concepts at that
time. In terms of kayaking, I think of myself as being a fast learner and quite competent
technically. Water-skiing however, that is an entirely different story. I knew what I was doing
wrong, but due to my lack of experience I could not seem to correct my technical errors. My arms
were bent, so just getting up alone was a challenge. My feet were not together, which tired out my
lower body so much, and I was leaning forward just like a rubber ducky with a rope around my
neck.

I watched some of the pro’s for quite some time, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not seem
to duplicate what they were doing, and how they worked with the water (body was horizontal to
the water). I, on the other hand, was working against the water. (DF)

“Ako – Nor”

9.

“When I was practicing, I realized I was not good enough. I tried to figure out how to do this more
efficiently. When I was pressing the boat against the water wall and concentrating very hard on
power circles #1; #2; #3 and #5 while using the Ako-Nor (Akos and the Norwegian) technique, it
just clicked how I can make the water help me more. I also noticed that when I made a more
vigorous swing with my trunk and shoulders sideways, it sort of improved power circle #5 and
helped to run the boat straight forward, and it was easier to press the boat against the water wall.
(GA)
This young athlete, together with my former athletes (Z. Bako and G. Csapo) put the 30
years old “use the reaction of the water and push the boat forward with the help of the
water wall” principle into practice. Another and very popular image was the “wet soap
effect”, more exactly, “press a wet soap with your fingers” image. If we are pressing it
from both sides, the soap will leap forward.

Ako – Nor:

The term Ako – Nor refers to a technique. My athletes gave this name to the technique
used by Akos Vereczkei and the Norwegian Eirik Veraas Larsen. Everyone wanted and
wants to copy them and learn their technique.

“When I was paddling today with the Ako-Nor and the water skier, I noticed that it felt as if was a
metal pole running from my bottom hand, up to my arm, across my body and over to my other
hand. When I was paddling with good technique the metal pole was bending into an arc shape
just like the shaft bend on the paddle. (DA)

There is no doubt, the two greatest kayakers of the past few years were Akos Vereczkei
and the Norwegian Eirik Veraas Larsen. They both, though in different ways, presented
a challenge to coaches and athletes, too. They made dramatic changes in kayaking and
kayaking techniques. For me, it seems that these two kayaking greats started a new era
in the history of kayaking.

The credit goes to the incredible smart coaches who taught and let their athletes paddle
with their own very efficient, unique and brilliant technique. It is great challenge for all
coaches in the world to understand and teach these two kinds of entirely different
technique. As I mentioned before, Larsen’s technique is a “déjà vu” technique that
reminds us of a super kayaker’s, Eric Hansen’s unique and unusual technique he used
40 years ago.

The technique of Akos Vereczkei raises a lot of questions about “equilibrium”, especially
when we analyze his movement pattern from a front-view. Equilibrium in kayaking
means that the forces, transfer of body weight, acceleration of the different parts of the
body, etc. are equalized in a “system”, that is in the 3D image of the kayaker.

This is how I explain and teach Vereczkei’s technique to my athletes: “the kayaker
makes a vigorous swing with his trunk to the opposite side of the pull while holding on to
his paddle. In order to hold the bent shaft firmly, his arms, trunk and legs together make
up a solid and firm frame during the whole time. This frame is supported by the boat
edged a bit to the pull side and pressed against the water wall on the support side. “Line
of the Force” start at the paddle in the water and get to the water wall beside the boat on
the opposite side with more or less strength, depending on the firmness or solidity of the
frame.

Everything is equalized, so this is the “equilibrium”. The force is increased on the paddle
because the trunk swings to the opposite side. The frame is well supported by the
properly edged and slightly tipped kayak. Finally, the boat is supported by the water. If
the frame (the frame of technique) is not firm enough, the athlete is not able to make a
powerful swing with his trunk to the opposite side. In this case, paddling usually
becomes “dragging” the boat.
The “Nor” part makes up the term Ako – Nor, originally comes from Eirik Veraas
Larsen’s technique.

This is how I explain E. V. Larsen’s movement pattern to my athletes: “After a very

strong catch, you have to bend the shaft by swinging your shoulders vigorously to the
opposite side of the pull. You have to keep the force mainly within the “arm-shoulders-
shaft” power circle. Press the slightly tipped kayak against the water wall on the support
side”.

Equilibrium, just like in the technique of all great kayakers is apparent in his technique,
too. It is also relatively easy to see that the “line of force” starts at the blade and through
the solid firm framework it goes to the water wall on the opposite side of the pull.

“aircraft carrier”

10.

It was very important for me when I realized that quite a few athletes (and unfortunately
coaches, too) think that the kayak is similar to an aircraft carrier or an insensitive barge.
The truth is that the kayak is very sensitive and reacts immediately to all moves the
athlete makes. Then this reaction goes into the water through the boat. The reaction can
actually increase or decrease the speed of the kayak. For us the most important point is
that the kayak itself is a vital part of the “framework” and “structure” of kayaking and of
the technique itself, after all.

The set-up and the inner equilibrium of the movement patterns start at the boat. The
water supports the boat from underneath, from the front and the side. The water itself is
doing nothing else but “waiting for a certain action” initiated by the athlete. After all, the
water itself is also an integral part of the internal structure of the kayaking technique.
More precisely, a solid but at the same time very flexible and adaptable framework
cannot be made up without the adequate support of the water.

Perhaps, the easiest way to explain the link between the water and the boat is by
pushing a ball under the water. It comes back to the surface immediately. Actually, this
“experiment” is very popular with 10-12 year old kids, but others also like to do it either at
home or at a lake or during practice. The kayak brings about the same effect when you
put it on water and get into it. When the water is still and it is not windy, and you lean a
bit forward, you can see some small waves starting from the front of the boat. You can
see the same thing when you rotate your trunk and shoulders. You will see waves at the
front and at the stern of the boat. Exactly the same thing happens when you are
paddling. If you are not making the right movement with your trunk, you actually change
the position of the “wet surface” of the boat. As a consequence, the speed of the kayak
will be decreased.

Another “experiment” is when you stick out your hand from the car while driving and try
to feel the lifting force of the air. When you change the position or the angle of your
hand, you will instantly feel the increased or decreased resistance of the air. Apparently,
the kayak does not run at the same speed as a car, but the density of the water as
medium is much higher. When the kayak is doing 20 km/h, even the slightest inadequate
change of angle will decrease the speed of the boat.

It is also good thing to use a “wet soap” as an example to teach how the kayak runs. If
you press the soap with your fingers, it will “launch” forward. This is exactly what you do
with your paddles and swinging body weight. The boat is pressed not only against the
water “waiting” in front of the boat but also down and sideways. In this way, a water wall
is formed in the shape of a “V” and “U”. The water reacts instantly and launches the boat
back or forward. Reaction depends on how much force is applied when the boat is being
pressed against the surrounding water wall.

“When you told us about the rubber ducky on the first day, I found it very good and it helped a lot
to understand how to catch the water.

“I was working with you last week and I think the way you teach helped me a lot. What I liked
most was that you used everyday things like rubber ducky to explain kayaking.”

“The rubber ducky is a good example for everyone when we want to show how to do and how not
to do things when kayaking. When we want to push the rubber ducky forward by a knitting
needle, there is only one tiny little point to put the needle upon if we want to push the duck’s head
will rise up too much. If the knitting needle is too low, the duck’s head will go down too much. The
same is also true with the knitting needle being too much to the left, or too much to the right, and
everything in between. The knitting needle symbolizes an axis that transforms muscle strength
and swinging body weight into the speed of the boat.”

“The idea and image of an axis helped to understand not only the action like Akos and the G-
force (gravity; swinging body weight), but also how power circles make up an efficient system. I
think, it also helps me feel the boat that you are part of”.

G-Force:

This is actually how swinging body weight is transformed into boat speed, or in other
words, how to use “increasing” gravity for propelling the boat. When the trunk of the
athlete swings from the one side to the other, there is a specific point where he pushes
the boat forward and a bit sideways with the maximum force. The reaction or resistance
of the water pushes the boat forward. All super kayakers “use” their swinging body
weight to increase force on the paddle. The proportion of muscle strength to body weight
differs with each kayaker. What I realized is that the most successful ones are very exact
and “use” a very straight axis as a “place” where muscle strength and G-force are
transformed into boat speed. I personally like Greg Barton’s technique best of all.

You can see the same thing with great water-skiers or windsurfers. The ski or the
surfboard is in contact with the water at a very precise angle. When kayaking, the
reaction of the water gets to the boat via a perfectly straight axis. The water “support”
makes it possible for the athlete to build a solid and firm but at the same time very
flexible “framework” or “system”. And moving “backwards” along this perfectly straight
axis, he transfers the body weight and muscle force into boat speed. By using this
analogy, one can understand why it so important to sharpen the ski or the surfboard and
to edge the kayak towards the pull side.
“Eiffel – Tower”
“Egg – Shell”

11.

The following image is relatively simple and intends to show how important it is to
maintain perfect link while paddling. The perfect link is between the blade fixed in the
water and the water wall on the support side. The line of force of this movement pattern
is like the Eiffel - Tower because it starts at the blade, goes above the head, then down
on the opposite side, through the side of the boat, and finally into the water wall. This
image helps the athlete to transform his swinging body weight almost perfectly into the
boat as well as to improve his balance.

“Eiffel – Tower: Very good when edging the boat and twisting the boat. Quite hard to visualize at
first but once you have, it is very interesting concept. I think rather than A.B.S. it helps the full
swing (which is usually a vertically based oscillation) to become more extended. It helps to free
the restraints of the full swing and to use energy to compress the water wall rather than to bounce
up and down. When you add the torque, you can imagine the tower twisting (like two plates’ #2 &
#1). This helps to join the more ridged circles together: you now have an extra picture in your
head to use the #4 & #5 more smoothly. The A.B.S. comes into play once you realize that you
can twist the tower”.

“This is very much like the Eiffel – Tower. If the Eiffel – Tower was made up on the top of
quicksand then it would fall apart. I found this is very useful while I was helping the beginners to
start with something basic like PC #2; PC #3, so they could upon it”.

The Eiffel – Tower image always helped and still helps my athletes to “involve” swinging
body weight (gravity) into the propelling of the boat. The Tower image can help to form
the proper shape and direction of the “line of forces” that are bent at the feet, like the
Eiffel – Tower, in order to form a very strong support for the structure of kayaking
technique. In this case the “line of force” starts at the blade in the water, goes above the
head of the athlete, down to the hip on the other side, through the wall of the boat and,
finally, into the water wall.

Egg – Shell

An egg shell is very strong, light and fragile at the same time. This image is very helpful
when it comes to making the athlete understand that the structure of the technique itself,
like the egg shell, is very powerful in one direction but otherwise, fragile. This is reflected
in the athlete’s mind as a kind of “condensed” image that includes the structure of the
body, line of forces, kayak and blade.

The analogy of egg shell was introduced by Z. Bako to help create and “maintain” a
“lightweight”, effortless and smart technique. Although, he used this image when he was
preparing some of the best kayakers in the world, I started to use it when I worked with
beginners. It was a great success because this image involves all important details. After
the first 4 or 5 month they understand and used it without any difficulty to improve their
own technique.
“…I don’t really know if all this was new to me or you just helped me realize it…”

It is the “internal structure” that I intend to build in the muscles, arms, legs and,
eventually, mind of the kayaker. They, like the pieces of a puzzle, are waiting to find their
own proper place with the help of the proper technique and to form the “right image”, the
perfect internal structure” and, eventually the technique that is built upon it. I often
suggest to my athletes that they should think that a very well-designed and well
constructed structure is what “supports” the egg shell inside.

“A.B.S.”.
“Full Swing and Torque”.

12.

A.B.S.

All three images play a significant role during warm-up. A.B.S. refers to the Anti-Lock
Brake System installed in cars. This image helps to understand perfect “water support”
of the constantly gliding kayak. As the computerized brake system in the car prevents
blocking all four wheels at the same time on an icy road the car actually goes straight
ahead.

When kayaking, the cooperation between the heels (two points) and the gluteal muscles
(the other two points) of the athlete is essential in order that the boat can “find” its most
efficient position as well as to find the best position of the whole body in the boat. Body
position needs to be adjusted before each stroke, that is, between air-work and stroke.
Especially, the powerful swing of the trunk makes it necessary.

Full Swing:

There are different types of swing. The first, small swing is when the shoulders and
upper arm of the athlete “want” to make a very powerful “approach”. It can be seen well
when the teres major & minor contracts more or less powerfully. It is very hard to see
this movement on videos or in photos made from front and side view and sometimes it is
completely invisible. One can usually see the more and less powerful swing only from
the back.

When doing a large swing the shoulders rotate very powerfully. This is typical of
kayakers who use the traditional technique.

Full swing comprises all three types of swing. The legs that straighten with a tremendous
force make for the hip to rotate and move backwards more than usual. Naturally, the hip
moves forward on the support side. This way, the gluteal muscle, the hip, the trunk, and
the shoulders can rotate vigorously. The swing of the back muscles to the opposite side
is the most visible. The swing that the kayaker uses to propel the boat forward.
This movement is very similar to the swing of the “punch bag” that prize-fighters use
during training. I like to “overdo” this and I always make my athletes use 5 kg bag packs
during trainings on the kayak machine. K. Holmann’s is a perfect example for a very nice
swing of the torso. This movement is always supported by the legs. One can see that the
knees of Holmann make a tremendous vertical movement. While the knee on the
support side is moving up, the shift position and leans on the knee moving down on the
pull side, which makes the boat a bit edged towards the pull.

Torque

The kayaker takes turn paddling on the right and on the left side. The blade is about 25-
30 cm away from the axis of the boat when it is dipped and fixed for a split second. This
way, the blade not only propels the boat forward but at the same time turns the front of
the kayak sideways. One can see it well on front view videos. At each stroke, the front of
the boat moves about 5 or 10 cm to the opposite side and the water pushes the front of
the boat with the same force. In fact, the water provides an approximately 1 –meter long
very strong support for the front of the kayak. The strength of the support, naturally,
depends on the speed of the boat.

“Bent shaft, pole-vaulting”

13.

We realized that the wing blade sort of “gets caught” in the water. Another phenomenon
was also revealed while we were analyzing the technique, namely, that the carbon-fiber
shaft is more flexible than the traditional shaft. This made us create a new analogy the
“pole-vaulting” image.

“I was working with the pole vaulting when I was paddling today, and I have just written down
some on my thoughts on how I see it. While paddling, you can think of a pole vaulter to improve
your stroke. When someone pole vaults, they run up with a long pole in their hands, then they
reach as far forwards as they can, and stab the pole into the ground. They have to then lift their
bodies up and over the pole, to send them flighting forwards. If they do not have a strong support,
or they lean to the side, the pole vaulter will go up into the air and fall straight back down. What
you do in the kayak is similar to what a pole vaulter would do. Imagine that you are going to take
a stroke on the left side of your boat. You want to reach out and have your paddle in the proper
position as if you were going to take a stroke. Then you want to lift the right side of your body up.
(you should feel your bum lifting off the seat and your right shoulder lifting up and over your body
but not too high, just about an inch higher). Now you want to reach forward, for the last few
centimeters of your stroke. (this will add a bonus amount of power to your stroke.) Then you want
to come down with so much force that you will bend the shaft) this is normally when the pole
vaulter is flying forwards.) Coming down onto the shaft really gives us the extra power to our
stroke, and the force to rotate the right side of our bodies out and over the boat.

The trunk of the athlete is very flexible and powerful at the same time. Consequently, the
trunk can provide support for the shoulders and through the shoulders, for the arms, too.
The trunk, however, can also absorb the force or the energy. Normally, the hip provides
support for the trunk and helps it rotate but it can also happen that it fails to help the
trunk. The gluteal muscle moves approximately 1 or 2 cm forward and backward. The
hip can move between 3 and 5 cm. The back and forth movement or the rotation of the
shoulders, however, can be between 20 and 30 cm or even more.

The hip is supported by the straightening legs. The hip supports the trunk, the trunk
supports the shoulders, and finally, the shoulders provide support for the arms so that
they can “hold” the “bent shaft” during the power phase. What makes all this possible is
the seat and the foot board fixed in the kayak. And finally, the water supports the boat,
especially, the front.

“My most memorable practice when you were here was the day, we had some crazy weight
circuit, Mike put together, and we each came out one at a time. I think it was the Friday. I came
out, absolutely exhausted. You introduced to me the idea of bent shaft. You said to paddle, then
one by one take away the support of water, legs, trunk, shoulders and arms. This was very hard
for me, but made me realize how much each part affects another. I could not swing without the
water, not create power without legs, no connection without the trunk. I had trouble taking away
my shoulder support though. I was not clear on how that felt. But when I put everything back
together it made paddling feel so great and understood the connection. I went through this 3 or so
times, and I was so tired. I loved this particular session, I also learned to press my heel down.

The kayak machine (kayak ergo) cannot substitute kayaking, it is neither better nor
worse than the tank. The kayak machine is a totally different tool for preparing athletes.
In a way, it is a lot similar to the tank since the athlete actually pulls (through) the paddle
on the kayak machine, too. While in the boat, on the water, it is the athlete and his boat
that moves and the blade is fixed in the water. The athlete can put his body weight on
the paddle while kayaking on the water or in the tank, but seemingly not while practicing
on the kayak machine.

It is very interesting to see how poor the coordination of even great kayakers is when
they paddle on the machine for the first time. After a few days’ training almost everyone
“constructs” a very nice “structure” to build the technique upon. This structure, the set-up
and coordination of movement, the perfect order and integration of movement
sequences can also be referred to as a tensegrity-based formation in which one can
easily see the power circles that were already mentioned very briefly before.

Some athletes told me how they felt were paddling on the kayak machine and what great
feeling was when the whole “movement” just “clicked”. They were stunned to experience
that they actually put weight on their paddle even though they were not able to use
“water as support” when practicing on a kayak machine. The only possible explanation
for me was the perfect cooperation of the power circles. A perfect framework, a perfect
“egg – shell” had been formed and it kept paddle, legs arms and trunk from moving in a
disorderly manner.

Analyzing the technique of kayaking, describing or teaching it with the help of the
“behavior” of the blade, the movement of the paddle is like grabbing the head of a carp
and making consequences how it propels itself forward by its tail fins. If the tail fin moves
before the actual movement starts, the fish will not make any move forward, or the
motion will be very slow. When kayaking you can see the same thing, the blade is fixed
for a split second and stays motionless until the trunk starts rotating, swinging and the
kayak starts moving ahead. And then the fixed blade moves too, making room for the
rotating and swinging trunk.
The athlete works with a fixed point, too, it is the blade fixed in water. The whole trunk
rotates and swings, pressing the kayak sideways and forward in the water. This can be
described by using a bit complicated but at the same time very nice 3D image.

“Power Circles”

14.

“I had a new idea about the Power Circles today. It is as if the Power Circles are a frame that fills
a sphere, just like that frame (tensegrity) held together with elastic you gave me.”

The above idea of one of my athletes is very much like the egg shell image. The well-
designed Power Circles “fill” a sphere in the form of an egg shell.

“After you came though my mindset was up, because of all the new ideas you introduced. I don’t
know if they were actually new to me, or just stated them to me in a way I could relate to”

A super kayaker, mostly with the help of his talented coach, will find the perfect egg
shell framework sooner or later. In order to make this “learning process” faster, I found it
very efficient to introduce power circles to athletes, regardless of their age. It usually
takes months to learn the power circles.

“All the Power Circles work together to keep the tension created to move the paddle, boat & body
moving & not bouncing the boat to go anywhere but forward. It is all a process so
counterbalancing the tension & force created. If not moved created a negative effect on the boat
& efficiency & movement. All parts & segments must be in motion to get movement in the
direction you want it to go”.

The motion of the most finalists is very economical, efficient and most of them graceful.
It is a perfectly balanced cat-like motion. This constant, elegant motion is what we call
“flow” and it is a delight to see for both athletes and spectators. Apparently, the
technique of these athletes is built on a flexible but at the same time very strong
structure. In my view, each athlete is able to build this flexible but strong structure by
using the five power circles.

The five Power Circles are the following:

Power Circle #1

→ foot board on the pulling side → straightening, contracting leg → hip → trunk muscles
on the pulling side → pulling arm, hand → “back” to the foot board on the pulling side

Power Circle #2

→ pulling arm, hand → shoulder on the pulling side → shoulder on the support side
→ supporting arm, hand → through the shaft to the pulling hand
Power Circle #3

→ foot board on the pulling side → straightening, contracting leg → hip on the pulling
side → hip on the support side → “back” to the foot board on the pulling side

Power Circle #4

→ blade fixed in the water → shoulder on the pulling side → hip on the support side →
“back” to the blade fixed in the water

Power Circle #5

→ foot board on the pulling side → straightening, contracting leg → hip on the pulling
side → shoulder on the support side → supporting arm, hand → “back” to the foot board
on the pulling side

“Paddle, the athlete’s body, boat, water

- they all make up the system together”

15.

Going back to the analogy of the water-skier, the body of the water-skier should be very
flexible to be able to adapt to slightly or dramatically changing water conditions. On the
other hand, the athlete’s body is very strong so that he can press the ski down
powerfully, evenly and at the proper angle to the water while “hanging” at one end of the
rope.

The same fits exactly with kayaking. The kayaker is “hanging” on the shaft of the paddle
fixed in water all the time while pulling. At the same time the athlete’s trunk is rotating
and swinging vigorously. By swinging sideways, he is pressing the boat into the water on
the opposite side of the pull. While doing this the athlete is aiming to find the best
possible angle between the kayak and the water wall to make the most of the reaction of
the water.

For me the similarity between water-skiing and kayaking was the starting point to
understand and describe the link between compression and tension. Compression
cannot exist alone, it always coexist with tension.

The kayak carrying the body weight and strength of the athlete, presses itself into the
water. Seemingly the pulling arm is just “hanging” on the shaft of the paddle. The
compression in this system is the “water – boat - the athlete’s trunk and the supporting
arm”. Compression results in tension, in this case, in the pulling arm. Tension in the
pulling arm, eventually, force depends on the quality, scale, acceleration, and direction
of compression.
At first I made up the 5 power circles to create models for trunk, leg and arm
movements. Then, I started to “refine” the details and tried to figure out how the different
parts of the body work at catch, while at work, and before and during air – work. The
kayak machine helped me a lot because you can also see how the legs work. I also did
video recordings from all views to see the whole motion as well as the minor details. I
usually analyzed the videos with my athletes. We concentrated on the wrong
movements, we wanted to find out the point where the “flow” of the motion breaks or
changes for the worse. In the beginning, we also compared the movement pattern with
that of the super athletes. The problem was that we were able to make videos of the
paddling greats at the competitions only. In spite of this, we always tried to trace back
and find the movements, especially, the wrong ones.

After long years of observation I made up the pair “compression – tension”. In this way, I
wanted that pulling from the arm would be less significant. What made it absolutely
essential was the fact that most super kayakers do not use their biceps dominantly. They
are sort of “hanging” on their tool, the paddle. Their pulling arm is like a “rope” fixed on
the shaft.

The trunk rotates and swings tremendously to the opposite side of the pull, increasing
the force in the blade locked in the water. If we take a closer look at the rotation of the
trunk, we can see that the position of the leg changes significantly. The rotation of the
trunk is smaller at the hip and larger at the shoulders. Apparently, the trunk is neither a
“block of concrete” nor a “big stump”. I came to realize that in each body or trunk
position, the internal structure of the technique is supported in a brilliant way. The
purpose of this that the body can use the less possible energy to maintain the speed of
the boat.

“Compression – Tension”

16.

Compression and tension in the Power Circles look like this:

Power Circle #1

This is usually recorded from a side view and this is the PC that coaches analyze most
often.

Compression: contracting leg → hip → trunk on the pulling side

Tension: pulling arm

Power Circle #2

The technique is seen from above

 Compression: shoulder on the pulling side → shoulder on the support
side → arm

Tension: pulling arm

Power Circle #3

Seen from above.

Compression: straightening and contracting leg → hip on the pulling side

→ hip on the support side → “back” to the foot board on
the pull side

Tension: none in this power circle

Power Circle #4

The technique seen from front and back view

Compression: blade in the water → shoulder on the pull side → hip on

the support side → “back” to blade in the water

Tension: none in this power circle

Power Circle #5

Compression: foot board on the pulling side → straightening and

contracting leg → hip shoulder on the support side →
supporting arm → hand → “back to the foot board on the
pulling side

Tension: none in this power circle

For me, it is very important that compression is present in all power circles. They all help
to increase the tension in the pulling arm. Tension is present only in the pulling arm in
PC #1 and PC #2. The upper arm bends the shaft forward. All the other parts of the body
support this work. After practicing the power circles for a few weeks, all details are
automatically “put together” to “serve” the pulling arm. It is not about holding the elbow
too high or too low or doing poor or too much legwork. The rotation of the trunk that
differs with each athlete is also “set” and the balance of the athlete improves
significantly.

Power Circles are to create a good basis to improve and work on the details of the
technique like catch, power phase, recovery, or air-work. Practically, all these and the
glide of the boat need to be analyzed and improved at the same time. In my opinion, the
glide of the boat is very crucial to look at because it often happens that although catch
visibly improves, the boat bounces more. Another problem that comes up very often is
that the boat slows down a great deal during air work.

It has also become apparent for me that the power circles help only to a different extent
from catch during the power phase until recovery. In other words, the power circles
cannot work “at full capacity” in the different phases. Mainly because the body position
and the relation between the body parts of the athlete constantly change from catch till
the end of recovery. To what extent each power circle contributes is not proven
scientifically, like many other things in this book. This all was made up on the basis of
what I found and with the help of my athletes. I collected these things to improve catch,
power phase, and recovery while practicing.

“The work of the Power Circles”

Power Circle #3

17.

The order I set up to practice the Power Circles is the following:

It starts with PC #3, that is with the legwork then comes PC #1, followed by PC #4,
which was originally made up to improve posture. The next one is PC #2 and the last
one is PC #5.

The first thing is to practice and improve legwork with the help of PC #3. It is very
important because there is no solid “structure” without good legwork.

“Today’s practice felt really good…it was one of my best technical days. As soon as I got on the
water and started to paddle I could feel a difference in my stroke, balance and perception of what
I’m supposed to be doing. I started using my legs, and the power automatically appeared. I could
reach out farther, still not changing the knowledge I already had of keeping hands at eye level,
and my rotation was greater. I felt connected, and the boat just flowed freely, gliding through the
water. I understand completely about what Imre was talking about when he said to use the water
instead of fighting it”.

“Your idea of lifting the opposite heel and leaning the boat to the side of the stroke was also
valuable information”.

“When I was paddling the PC #3 circle, I pressed my heel down (on the extended leg) and I felt
very powerful. I felt I was really getting my full glide. Afterward my heels were sore, from the
pushing down on them so hard. It was easier for me to control my boat, but as soon as I let up, or
wasn’t completely using the PC #3, everything else fell apart. It’s impossible for me to get a
powerful “locked” blade for my “swing” from stroke to stroke without a strong base. The PC #3
also gave me more balance to be aggressive in my boat, both on the footboard and with my
paddle (again ‘locking’).”

Power Circle #3 is apparently for legwork. Good legwork is made up of various kinds of
movement and movement patterns. The first:
The simplest and it is when make our athletes “bicycle” very hard. This helps them to
build a strong base to practice how to press the lower part of the trunk and the legs
between the seat and the footboard.

“One can see that the knee goes up very high on the opposite side of the pull and leans over to
the pulling side. This way, the hip and the trunk can rotate totally and the body weight is on the
pulling side. There are so many amazing details but now I just want to concentrate on the knee.
One has to move it over to the pulling side and leave it there while the hip on the pulling side
moves over to the opposite side of the seat. This is a GREAT technique. And at the same time K.
Holmann’s boat is a bit tipped to the direction of the blade, showing that the athlete’s body weight
is on the paddle.”

I would like to add two more details to this. One is that the boat is tipped to the pulling
side because the athlete is pressing the boat down with his heel. On the other side,
however, he is lifting it up with the help of the pole.

It is also apparent that the technique, or I should say, the structure of the technique is in
perfect equilibrium, regardless of the fact that this is only a photo that we are looking at
and the athlete is not in motion. The slightly tipped boat is leaning against the “V” or “U”
shaped water wall.

And this is the training to improve legwork:

b)

Edging the boat gradually towards the pulling side

• The gluteal muscle is flexed and contracted on the pulling side

• The “contact” between the seat and the gluteal muscle becomes loose on this
side
• The gluteal muscle and the hip rotate forward on the support side
• The gluteal muscle slightly contracts on the support side
• The gluteal muscle presses the seat sideways on the support side
• The gluteal muscle presses the boat against the water wall on the support side
via the seat
• The water wall reacts to the boat pressed against it
• The knee is rising on the support side
• The distance between the gluteal muscle and the footboard is smaller
• The heel on the support side is rising slightly
• The foot on the support side slightly pulls and lifts up the footboard
• Both feet help to twist the boat lengthways

Recovery, seemingly, is simply taking the paddle out of the water. Over the years, and
with the help of my athletes, however, I realized that recovery actually determines catch
at the next stroke. In addition, the boat must not slow down significantly during air-work.
To achieve this, the athlete has to hold on to the powerful support of the water even at
the end of the power phase. This support is the point where the trunk can start rotating.
Since the next stroke starts partly at the paddle still in the water, the athlete is less likely
to twist the boat in the wrong direction during air-work. If the athlete does this well, the
next stroke will start at the leg on the opposite side. As a result, the whole motion
become like a flow. At first, the trunk and the shoulders rotate forward then it is followed
by the arms that swing like a whip.

When somebody practices the opposite side legwork before the end of the power phase,
his gluteal muscle and hip will make an unusual move. This is what my athlete called an
“hp-flick”. In 1966 Laszlo Kovacs, kayak coach and world champion made us practice
this by using a bungee cord. One end of the rope was tied to the dock and we each had
to paddle for a certain time pulling the rope in the meantime. Since the rope would pull
the athlete back while doing air-work, he has to pay much attention to the final part of the
power phase. This is how I learnt that “the support must be more powerful right before
recovery”.

Over the past 30 – 35 years I held similar trainings for great kayakers like G.Csapo,
Z. Bako, or Mihai Apostol. I found that recovery can be improved significantly and it also
proved to be very good for improving catch and power phase. Z. Bako also found it very
useful when preparing K. Holmann before the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

“Hip-flick” became the third type of exercise to improve legwork. I made my athlete
practice it on water, on the kayak machine and in the tank, too. It is to be done as
follows:

c)

• The leg is flexed and straightened on the pulling side

• The leg on the support side starts contracting at the very end of the work phase
• The “hip - flicks” or rather “jumps” when the athlete changes legwork

Some years ago the big question was how super athletes are actually “link” the two
sides or, in other words, what they do with their paddle, arms, but mainly with their legs
right before, during and right after recovery, during air-work, before and during catch,
etc. I got a satisfactory answer when I made a video of my athletes while paddling on the
kayak machine.

For me the following three sequences of movement are the most important for kayaking
at an advanced level: 1) powerful legwork, providing strong support for the “frame”; 2)
edging the boat slightly to the pulling side by pushing the heel down on the pulling side
and lifting the footboard up on the support side. (For this, the footboard and/or foot-plate
are needed too.) And finally, 3) the “hip-flick”.

“Power Circle #1”

18.

Practically this Power Circle is nothing else but a side-view of kayaking.

It is apparent that this Power Circle can be described almost only in 2D. It is hard to
figure out what is happening on the support side by analyzing it. What is important for us
now is that this Power Circle is “responsible” for good or bad catch.
One can explain or teach good catch in many different ways. Both the beginning and the
end of catch are locking the blade in the water. This is the only point in the system that
does not move significantly. It is a problem if it does. The athlete is not able to rotate or
swing his trunk properly, which would be necessary to propel the boat forward.

Water cannot be compressed in a “closed system”. While kayaking, water “behaves” like
“water in a closed system” for only a split second. However, this very short time is
enough for a “water-cone “ to be formed. After catch this “water cone” dissolves. But this
short time is enough for the athlete to swing his trunk forward and sideways. He swings
his trunk sideways to make use of the reaction of the water. In fact, catch and power
phase altogether take about 0.3 seconds.

Going back to the incredible acceleration of the barracuda, it is almost impossible that
she reaches this amazing speed but “propelling” forward with her pectorals fins. It can
feel perfectly how to press against the water around her by moving with a snake like
motion. The head leads the body ahead in a certain “pre-meditated” direction while the
tail fin is motionless and provides support for the move. A super kayaker like M’
Kolganov also “grabs at” the water, locks his paddle in the water and his blade is a
motionless fixed point for a very short time. He twists his boat with his trunk and legs and
forms a tremendously powerful torque. The water does nothing but reacts to this and
pushes the boat back and slightly forward with the same force. The front-view videos of
Kolganov’s boat show an almost perfectly even flow of motion.

I usually make my athletes practice several “images” to improve this new and extremely
efficient catch. One of the images is the “cathedral door” image that involves opening a
very old door of a church or cathedral which gets stuck all the time and a bit rusty at the
hinges. When opening it we provide a perfect support to our trunk with our heels and our
arms, like ropes between our shoulders and the door handle.

The “tug-of-war” image is also very similar. The trunk is supported by the heels, the arms
are in their natural position, a little bent. This is how we hold on to end pulling a rope.

The “water-skiing” image is very popular with my athletes. The feet are a bit ahead of the
trunk and are trying to find the best support on the water surface. Skis can never be
dragged.

The “wind-surfing” image is almost the same. Once again, the feet are a bit ahead of the
trunk on the surfboard and are trying to press the board down to the water to find the
best possible support.

As I mentioned earlier, there is only one point of contact where the knitting needle can
make the rubber ducky glide forward. Similarly, there is only one particular vertical and
horizontal angle. If the athlete finds this tiny little point in the boat, he will do a perfect
catch. The knitting needle represents the axis of the boat and body weight and force
have to “attack” the boat along this axis.

It is relatively easy to teach to beginners that the support of the paddle will help them
stay in the boat when waves come. By the end of the first few month they usually know
how big force they have to apply to press the paddle down on the water. Finding out how
fast they have to move the paddle back and forth to balance for a couple of seconds will
also come automatically. It does not present a problem for a beginner to find the best
possible and most efficient angle of the blade at catch. It soon becomes apparent that
the blade on the water surface “ behaves” like our hand when stuck out of the car
window at different angles. It is very much like the wings of an airplane. When teaching
catch, it is not necessary to talk about angles or force applies. One just has to remind
the athletes before warm-up every day that only motionless or “fixed” point in the
“system” at catch is the blade. The best is to tell them to “fix the blade and move the
boat”. Within a short time the athlete will find the best angle and force needed. In fact,
they will feel it. And I think the most important thing is that the athlete should feel if the
“water cone” is in the blade or not.

“Power Circle #4”

19.

Motion and technique from front – and back view

When watching super kayakers one can see that their trunk is flexible but at the same
time holds the structure of technique very firmly and transforms the force into the boat.
The first two lines of forces, the one from the blade to the shoulder and the one from the
shoulder to the hip on the opposite side, are similar to a carbon fiber rod. They form the
shape of an inverted “V”, just like a motion of a penguin or when we are walking on stilts.

The motion of the penguin and walking on stilts are in a way different from kayaking
because when paddling it is the two stems of the inverted “V” that support each other
from catch, during power phase and till air-work is started. More exactly, the blade in the
water is pressing the boat against the water-wall (one stem of the inverted “V” shape)
and at the same time, the water-wall at the side of the boat presses the water back (the
other stem of the inverted “V” shape).

This pressing “back and forth” is typical of the posture and paddling of super kayakers.
The distortion of the inverted “V” shape is the most common force transformation
problem and it leads to dragging the boat. In this case the trunk more or less absorbs the
energy.

In the same way, if the two stems of the inverted “V” move away fast, the athlete also
ends up dragging the boat. It means that there is no link between the “two water” that is
the water in the blade and the water on the opposite side of the boat.

It is a common problem that the athlete does not put the same amount of pressure on
the two stems of the “V” during work phase. At catch the paddle is bent, the athlete lifts
himself out of the seat or in other words he decreases the pressure on the boat against
the water wall on the opposite side of the pull. This is the movement of the boat, which a
kayaker cannot really afford when gliding at a very high speed.

A few years ago, in the Netherlands, a new kind of speed-skate was developed. What
they wanted to attain was that the blade can stay in contact with the ice for a bit longer
time in order to ensure more even gliding. The same fits with kayaking as the boat can
glide at a high speed only when it is pressed evenly against the water wall. The water
walls will “take up” the shape of the wet surface of the boat so the shape is changed
from V” to a rounded “U”, depending on the type of the boat. I found that athletes can get
the most reliable and efficient support from the “rounded” water surface to maintain their
technique and transform force into speed of the boat.

“Power Circle #2”

20.

The athlete seen from above

Power Circle #2 starts at the shoulder on the pulling side, goes to the shoulder on the
support side then through the supporting arm, hand and the shaft and back to the
shoulder through the pulling arm and hand.

“What helped me most to understand it was the image that my arms, shoulders and the shaft are
all covered or coated with plastic membrane. If I bend my arms or change the angles between my
shoulders and upper arms too much the membrane gets creased …and this is not good.”

Power circle #2 can be taught and learnt fast by using the membrane image even at the
age of 10. If we go back a few decades in the history of kayaking we find that L. Nagy, E.
Hansen and Z. Bako also included this power circle in their technique. Today all great
kayakers seem to use it.

“When I was paddling today with Ako-Nor and the water skier, I noticed that it felt as if was a
metal pole running from my bottom hand, up my arm, across my body and over to my hand.
When I was paddling with good technique the metal pole was bending into an arc shape just like
the shaft bend on the paddle. When I wasn’t getting this feeling and paddling with not so good
technique I felt like the paddle was moving through the water as opposed to my boat moving past
my paddle. When I tried to put any body weight on the paddle the blade just started moving
through the water”.

Power circle #2 and #3 can be described as two horizontal planes. What links them
together is the trunk of the athlete. Power circle #3 (legwork) has only a slight “swing”
sideways in it while PC #2 has vigorous “swings” to both sides, depending on the
kayaker. As I mentioned earlier, what makes it possible is the “flexibility” of the trunk of
the athlete. The gluteal muscles on the seat move about 1-2 cm, the hip a bit more while
the shoulders move back and forth within a 20-30 cm range. These two power circles
(PC #2 and #3) are connected by power circle #4.

Power circle #2 contributes to propelling the boat only after power circles #1 and #4. At
this time power circle #2 sorts of fills the “gap” and “straightens” the force line between
power circles #4 and #5. It is also evident that all power circles are at work right from
catch, throughout the power phase till the end of recovery. Every detail or movement
contributes to the propelling of the boat, though, to different extent. When explaining it to
my athletes I usually compare it to an orchestra. There’s always another instrument that
plays a solo.
When kayaking, power circle #3, legwork is always “present”. Power circle #1 is
responsible for the good catch and this is the one that plays the dominant role in this
power phase. After good catch, it is power circle #4 that takes the lead. This is followed
by power circles #2 and #5. If either of the power circles functions poorly, the athlete will
end up dragging the boat. The boat not “intelligent enough” to find the proper direction of
pressure. It follows the athlete like the rubber ducky with a thread tied to it.

Power Circle #5

21.

Pulling – side view

This power circle is very popular with athletes because after a few minutes everything
“clicks” and it is like joining together all the pieces of a puzzle. When my athletes were
practicing it, it seemed that all parts of the body sooner or later found the most efficient
and at the same time most comfortable position, height, ratio and direction of
compression and tension. However, it takes month for this to become a reflex. It also
takes months of practicing the power circles to get them built into one’s technique.

This power circle has two important functions. One is that it can increase the efficiency
of Golden Rule #5 that is “powerful support in the water before recovery”. Another is that
together with power circle #4 they “link” the arms and shoulders that is power circle #2
with the legs or legwork (PC #3). That part of power circle #4 which goes from the
shoulder on the pulling side to the hip on the opposite side is like a thin and flexible
carbon-fiber rod. Power circle #5 goes from the hip on the pulling side to the shoulder on
the support side, crossing the flexible but in one direction very rigid rod of power circle
#4.

These two carbon-fiber rods make it possible for the athlete to maintain a flexible but in
the opposite direction rigid “super frame” that is able to support great forces and
transform them into speed of the boat later on. The athlete can choose between using
and fighting the water. Every boat that lacks proper control fights the water. Like the
windsurfer, the water-skier or the skier, the kayaker also has to press the boat a bit
sideways. On the one hand, the reaction of the water equalizes the torque created by
the paddle so as the boat glide straight forward. On the other hand, the slightly tipped
and edged boat settles into the support-side “corner” of the “U” shape created by the wet
surface of the boat. Like the bicycle in the “velodromo”. Only because of this edging of
the boat can the kayak glide on the real “tread”.

I saw something very interesting when I was watching my junior and senior athletes
practice power circle #5. Senior athletes have been kayaking very long while juniors only
for a relatively short time. Some of them would paddle with their wrist “broken” or would
flutter their elbow. Even after a few days some small improvement was visible but after
one or two weeks’ training their wrist got straightened significantly and the throwing
motion of the elbow decreased too.
We went back to the kayak machine to find the “root” of the problem. We revised all the
five power circles and when it came to power circle #5 I made them concentrate on
legwork even more. I laid special emphasis on the “hip-flick”. This power circle starts
with the straightening of the pulling side leg and goes from the hip on the pulling side to
the shoulder, arm and hand on the on the support side. When someone was not doing
well while practicing, it always meant poor or bad legwork. Bad timing or the lack of
straightening and contracting the leg results in wrist “break” or the “fluttering” of the
elbow.

After all, no matter which power circle gets “damaged” or weak, it will always result in
dragging the boat. It happens even if the athlete seemingly paddles harder with his
arms. Most often there is a lack of “precise” legwork and the kayak will lose control.

“Dragging the boat”

22.

Some great coaches, super athletes, and physiologists found that most champions are
less exhausted after competition than other, less successful athletes. In my view, it is
due to the fact that the most successful ones are in perfect “control” of the boat, they use
the water, more exactly, its reaction like a fish. They drag their boat less and do not let
the kayak “fight” the water.

As opposed to this, less successful and less talented athletes seem to drag their boat
periodically during strokes. One can see this kind of “boat-dragging” when great
paddlers are not in a good shape.

A few years ago two super athletes were fighting their usual annual battle on men’s K-1
500 meters at the European Championships. One of the athletes took the lead right in
the beginning and was paddling very well ahead of all the other athletes. The speed was
unbeatable. Even to the experts who were involved in the preparations it seemed almost
impossible that someone else could change what was evident from the beginning.

And then, to everyone’s surprise, the other super kayaker started to catch up gradually
from 250 meter behind. At 450 meter, he was already second and only a few
centimeters behind the leading boat. The athlete who still had the lead saw it and started
to paddle faster by increasing his arm force and the so far perfect link between his boat
and blade in the water got “broken”. He lifted his shoulders a bit more, and though to a
very small extent, he started dragging the boat. He was pressing his boat against the
water wall on the opposite side with less force. As a result, the other athlete chasing him
from behind became the champion with only a small difference and stunning time at the
second 250 meter.

The athlete who became champion increased the force in the blade by swinging his
trunk more vigorously to the support side, particularly, in the second half of the distance.
He was pressing his boat against the water wall on the opposite side of the pull with
apparent sense of security and talent. In this way he managed to increase pull force as
well as torque.
When I am explaining the above phenomenon to my athletes, I draw a parallel between
kayaking and windsurfing. It is like a windsurfer who tries to glide faster by increasing
muscle-work in the arms and hands and he is “eases up a bit” on concentrating on the
surfboard. As a result, the surfboard fails to put proper pressure on the water. There is
also a good chance that the surfboard will “lose” the right direction and angle.

“A set of my ten Golden Rules”

23.

After the wing paddle came out we very soon realized that we needed to do some
changes. No-ane and no country had any experience we could adhere to. So I made up
a set of exercises so that my athletes would be able to better adapt themselves to the
paddle. I concentrated on my own athletes mainly and tried to focus on the kind of
exercise they needed. Even when the new paddle came out, it was evident that the shaft
was more flexible than the traditional wooden one. So golden rule #1 focuses on the
shaft. My set of Golden Rules is as follows:

1. Bent shaft
To achieve a bent shaft by a combination of tension through the pushing and
pulling arm. There must be good structural tension in the body. It is the same
principle as a pole vaulters bending as you move over and away from it. More
deliberate strokes are needed.

2. Earlier body rotation

The pulling side hip is rotated backwards a little bit earlier because the leg is
stretched slightly earlier.

3. Lock the blade at catch

Due to a successful PC #2 the blade is locked in the water. This is helped by
definite contraction of the muscle surrounding the shoulder, which creates a
stronger lock.

4. Put more body weight onto the paddle

Due to a good execution of #2 and #3, the athlete is able to put more body
weight onto the paddle without the blade locking in the water. This is very
hard to achieve. Efficient use of body weight. If this is done well, body weight
will be taken out of the boat and onto the blade, meaning a lighter boat to
move forward.

5. Powerful support in the water before recovery

At the end of the stroke the hip is rotated forwards pushing off from the blade.
This creates a more continuous movement and aids rotation into the next
stroke. This is a small but crucial contribution to the stroke.

6. Push your shoulder forward from this support

Following closely from the hip movement forwards, the shoulder will follow
but lag slightly behind. Final push off is taken from the paddle as it exits to
 move the shoulder forward rapidly.

7. Don't sit down during air work

Try to keep the body lifted out of the water during paddling. There must be a
quick recovery between strokes to prevent the body from sinking back into
the water. This causes a surging action of the boat. Gentle movements must
be made as the body moves from one stroke to the next. Especially
applicable to K - 1.

8. Your body is suspended together with the boat

When paddling well the paddler feels that their body and boat is lifted out of
the water as if the shoulders and paddle is suspended like a doll on strings.
Is closely linked with #7 and #9.

9. Walk on the surface with your paddle

Similar to #7 and #8, where the paddler must try to visualise paddling on the
very surface of the water. The body lifting up above it. The body feeling light
and not heavy.

10. Rotate your lower body towards the blade

This is important in helping the bow of the kayak move back towards the
pulling side. This is to counteract the turning effect that the blade has in
pushing the bow away from the pulling side. Helps in reducing snaking, but
also reduces the drag force at the bow.

I never considered the above exercises as the technique of kayaking. My athletes simply
needed some exercises to improve certain elements of the whole motion.

I have to admit that my set of golden rules proved to be very effective at trainings with
intervals, like 10 x 1 minute / 1 minute off interval when we alternated all the 10
exercises to keep up the level of motivation.

Soon afterwards, I introduced these 10 exercises to improve the efficiency of the bungee
cord trainings that I mentioned earlier. In general, the best tried and trusted was the 10 x
10 seconds / 10 seconds off interval set-up.

“Diagrams and Summary”

24.

The following diagrams are to summarize the exercises and images detailed previously.
Power Circles and dynamograms are shown in 4 photographs. Ten year-olds,
champions and old kayakers all found it very easy to understand the explanations and
terms when they looked at the diagrams and photos. The comment written under them
will also help the grasp their message.
There was a middle-aged engineer who had doubted my philosophy of kayaking
technique. A few days later he told me that he had tried several details on the water and
he sort of “agreed” to the very “odd” way in which I described the technique. He told me
that it worked and I was right. He added that I have a very “crafty” mind, which I took as
a compliment, though; he did not intend it to be one. He commented that I saw
everything in a very different way and my view of the technique is from an inner
perspective.

I have to admit that what he said is true. The title, “Inner Structure of Kayak Technique”
also refers to the fact that my intention is to show the “inner structure” of kayaking.
Actually, he was the one who gave me the idea of working out and describing a lot of
details in this particular way. As I was a kayaker and a coach later on, it was a wonderful
and thrilling adventure for me to re-live in my mind the whole history of kayaking from
1955 to these days.