I can definitely understand your point about the teaching methodology there - and the issue of giving non-beginners so much time to play :D
I will add, though, that when I was training, we did multiple attacks as well as single attacks (punch punch kick punch for example), all of which had to be countered (where countering means 'don't get hit'), and when I was training with an experienced partner, I was expected to not leave the attack out there (once I'd been taught to punch straight instead of following at slower (non-realistic) speeds). So we'd run through a couple of times to get the feel of it, then speed up a little, then a little more - certainly with me, this was necessary to prevent instinct taking over which would have resulted in me getting hurt (I found that if my training partner went faster than ultra slow the first few times I did a technique, I'd flinch, forget the technique, and try to hit him in the head; depending on the guy, this could mean their reflexes taking over. Sometimes it took a bit of repetition to get it through the head of a new training partner that I really did mean slooooooooow for me, and whatever speed they wanted for them).
I have seen people who never speed it up past a certain point. I have also seen more experienced students than I got to be learn techniques to use on (for example) the punch they've just dodged which is withdrawing. Or techniques to use on someone who is about to stomp on you where you are lying on the ground. I have seen people who refuse to punch unless they are stepping with the 'correct' foot at the same time, and I have seen techniques taught for when you aren't on the 'correct' foot.
And yes, the efforts to copy without going into the basis for what's there - the Boss recommends doing some kind of dancing and/or soccer for footwork and balance (yours and your partner's) and so forth. There are three people locally I can dance with, out of all the people training. Well, two now that Ed has gone to Japan again. One of those started dancing because he's my partner and he would never get to see me otherwise (dancing having triggered my obsession point), and the other started Bujinkan after having met us at dancing (he was looking for a martial art to cross-train in). There may be other dancers amongst the training people, but they sure don't move like it. Here, we try to ensure some level of basic fitness in our instructors, and encourage it in our students - most of them have to be doing some kind of running training to pass that portion of the testing - and try to encourage strength training and leg flexibility.
If you would like to bring up any other issues you had with your time training with Bujinkan people, please do; I'd like to get my local people to improve over time, if I can.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 11:28 pm (UTC)I will add, though, that when I was training, we did multiple attacks as well as single attacks (punch punch kick punch for example), all of which had to be countered (where countering means 'don't get hit'), and when I was training with an experienced partner, I was expected to not leave the attack out there (once I'd been taught to punch straight instead of following at slower (non-realistic) speeds). So we'd run through a couple of times to get the feel of it, then speed up a little, then a little more - certainly with me, this was necessary to prevent instinct taking over which would have resulted in me getting hurt (I found that if my training partner went faster than ultra slow the first few times I did a technique, I'd flinch, forget the technique, and try to hit him in the head; depending on the guy, this could mean their reflexes taking over. Sometimes it took a bit of repetition to get it through the head of a new training partner that I really did mean slooooooooow for me, and whatever speed they wanted for them).
I have seen people who never speed it up past a certain point. I have also seen more experienced students than I got to be learn techniques to use on (for example) the punch they've just dodged which is withdrawing. Or techniques to use on someone who is about to stomp on you where you are lying on the ground. I have seen people who refuse to punch unless they are stepping with the 'correct' foot at the same time, and I have seen techniques taught for when you aren't on the 'correct' foot.
And yes, the efforts to copy without going into the basis for what's there - the Boss recommends doing some kind of dancing and/or soccer for footwork and balance (yours and your partner's) and so forth. There are three people locally I can dance with, out of all the people training. Well, two now that Ed has gone to Japan again. One of those started dancing because he's my partner and he would never get to see me otherwise (dancing having triggered my obsession point), and the other started Bujinkan after having met us at dancing (he was looking for a martial art to cross-train in). There may be other dancers amongst the training people, but they sure don't move like it. Here, we try to ensure some level of basic fitness in our instructors, and encourage it in our students - most of them have to be doing some kind of running training to pass that portion of the testing - and try to encourage strength training and leg flexibility.
If you would like to bring up any other issues you had with your time training with Bujinkan people, please do; I'd like to get my local people to improve over time, if I can.