Kisik Lee

Kisik Lee has been the National Head Coach of the US Olympic Archery Training Program since January 2006. Many consider him to be the first person to bring the scientific method to archery training for the US.^[1] Lee used to be the head coach of the Korean Olympic archery team and was the personal coach to 2000 Gold Medalist Simon Fairweather and 2004 Bronze Medalist Tim Cuddihy.

Lee is known for his extensive work with archer Brady Ellison on his way to becoming a member of the 2008 US Olympic Team ^[2] and six World Cup medals, as well as the Final of the World Cup.^[3] Some believe it is a testament to Lee's methods that by 2011 and leading into the London 2012 Olympics, the US men are ranked first in the world and the U.S. women are seventh.^[4]

The National Training System and the Kisik Lee Shot Cycle (KSL Shot Cycle II)

The National Training System (NTS) is the official method of shooting form that coaches are required to learn in order to be certified by USA Archery.^[5] Created by Kisik Lee, the NTS is based on his analysis of body control, muscular requirements, and mental concentration needed to generate a good shot.

It used to be known by the Biomechanical Efficient Shooting Technique (BEST) method of shot execution. Both the BEST Method and its newer, more advanced incarnation as the NTS, contain many elements of Kisik Lee's Shot Cycle. This separates an archer's shot into twelve steps and focuses on biomechanics, the study of how best to apply mechanical principles to human physiological actions.^[6]

Among the coaches and experts that Lee recruited to help improve the NTS was biomechanical engineer and researcher Gary Yamaguchi. In his professional career, he has studied techniques and injuries in the sports of golf, tennis, skiing, and rock climbing. Yamaguchi says he decided to investigate the claims of the new method and after analyzing the postures and movements, he found that it "had merit." Now serving as the Biomechanical Science Adviser of the Junior Dream Team, as well as a certified Coach, Yamaguchi continues to work with Lee to utilize his "professional training to increase our understanding of the biomechanics of archery, with the ultimate goal of enhancing performance while reducing injuries."

The KSL Shot Cycle II is the latest version of Lee's methodology that builds off the lessons he gained after working closely with the Junior Dream Team and the dedicated Resident Athlete archers at the Olympic Training Center, who are encouraged to use the form for hundreds of arrows on a daily basis. The twelve steps of the KSL Shot Cycle II are as follows: 1. Stance 2. Nocking the arrow 3. Hooking the string 4. Gripping the bow 5. Mindset 6. Set-up 7. Drawing 8. Anchoring 9. Loading/transfer to holding 10. Aiming and expansion 11. Release and follow-through 12. Relaxation, reflection, and feedback

Controversy concerning Lee's religious coaching style

Lee came under scrutiny during 2008 after The New York Times reported some athletes felt uncomfortable with his strong advocacy of a religious lifestyle for the athletes at the Olympic Training Center. According to the article, Lee frequently held Bible study classes, encouraged his archers to sing hymns and attend church, and sponsored the baptisms of at least four archers, including Brady Ellison.^[7]

A follow-up article from the Times in November of that year confirmed that Lee had ceased to mix spirituality and archery: "In a recent telephone interview, Lee said he no longer held Bible-study classes, and executives for USA Archery said they had explained to Lee that such behavior was unacceptable."^[8]

Controversy concerning the NTS

The same follow-up article in the Times named Lee "a controversial figure" who attracts two kinds of people: "fans who say his style brings uniformity to the sport, but also critics who are reluctant to give up their own methods."^[9]

Opponents of the NTS see Lee's efforts to change archery technique as negative, saying that the NTS stunts innovation and experimentation on the part of the athlete.^[9] Yet USA Archery has no policy forcing archers to adopt the method and several top US archers have not made the switch, including Olympian Butch Johnson and Sydney Silver Medalist Vic Wunderle. Proponents of the NTS point to the repeatable nature of the system, and the logic of having a scientifically-based method that can be shared easily and implemented consistently on a nationwide basis.

Some believe the NTS method is better suited for the "stockier build" of Korean archers, although no studies have shown height or ethnic physiology to have a significant impact on the benefits of the NTS. In fact, proponents often cite anecdotal evidence in claims that training with the NTS alleviated back or shoulder pain previously associated with shooting other techniques, as well as sports psychology issues such as target panic.^[10]

Teresa Iaconi, coach of 17-year-old 2012 Olympic hopeful Ariel Gibilaro, told ESPN that she was "once of NTS' biggest skeptics." Says Iaconi, "I refused to teach it for three years because I didn't understand it. But I read up on it, and I now understand that it is based on biomechanics. It doesn't stunt innovation because no one is forced to use the system. We have several top archers who don't use it. But what I like is that now we finally have an easy and repeatable way to teach archery."^[4]

References