Rugby: Chiefs look to martial arts for edge

By WYNNE GRAY

Not so long ago, rugby players did laps of the field as their conditioning work. Then they graduated to gym work, grid skills and all sorts of cross-training.

Once the sport turned professional, they added mental fitness classes, tertiary education and all sorts of focus groups to try to gain the edge.

Now the Chiefs are dabbling in martial arts to pump up their Super 12 campaign.

Seventh-dan black belt Ian Waite reckons he can increase rugby players' speed and strength, and is staking his 26-year martial arts career on that belief.

The Chiefs have given him the chance by agreeing to several sessions, and say they have already noticed some benefits.

Perhaps not as much as Waite talks about, but then he is operating a new business and appears to have a serious dan in self-promotion as well.

"I don't believe they expected such a difference," he suggested and then as if to emphasise the point, added that the Chiefs had banned video footage of the training.

The Hamiltonian is a lean 77kg who began training in his martial arts disciplines with three of martial arts legend and film star Bruce Lee's original students.

"He was analytical and creative. He was also very explosive and that is what I am trying to do with these guys who have size, but not great speed," said Waite.

Waite has been working on the Chiefs' tackling and scrummaging techniques. While their scrum looked secure last week against the Crusaders, that could have been for any number of reasons.

The Chiefs had another quick session with Waite yesterday, and face an bigger test against their Blues neighbours tomorrow.