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Old 10-27-2007, 05:45 PM   #3
L. Camejo
 
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Dojo: Ontario Martial Arts
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,423
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Re: Teaching context in training

Quote:
Jonathan Hay wrote: View Post
I don't see how useful practice can occur without doing so. Only a fool would spend time, energy, and money practicing something for which no good rationale had been offered.
Yet we have so many who still believe that a wrist grab is an "unrealistic attack" because their partner does not grab with the intent to have one understand the context that governs how the waza is supposed to be practiced. One grabs and easily can let go before any waza utilizing the grab can be executed and they think the waza is ineffective when in fact the correct attack for the context in which the waza is being practiced is not being executed.

From another angle: We have people who may think it appropriate to attempt to shut down or resist an instructor who is teaching a technique and assuming that this shows some technical skill above that of the instructor. However all this really means is that the person does not understand the context of demonstrating a technique as a teaching partner during class. If one wants to stop the instructor and show technical superiority then do it during full out resistance randori where both are aware of the context of the interaction, else it is meaningless.

The thing is that there are different elements of mindset, etiquette etc. that need to be used in different contexts during practice. The understanding of which mindset etc. fits which context will determine the success of ones training.

For example, it will be silly to be overly cooperative and fall at the slightest movement when one is doing randori designed to specifically develop adaptation, relaxed resistance and kaeshiwaza where the key is resistance via proper coordinated movement. Likewise to attempt to block, resist or stop a technique in a kata, teaching or practice environment to prove that you are more skilled than your partner is also applying the wrong mindset to the wrong context imho. In the first case one fails to learn good kaeshiwaza (being overly compliant when one should be resisting), in the second case one fails to learn good waza through kata practice (by being resistant when one should be relaxed to properly demo the technique with the teacher or feel the technique and understand its mechanics).

These are my thoughts.

Last edited by L. Camejo : 10-27-2007 at 05:48 PM.

--Mushin Mugamae - No Mind No Posture. He who is possessed by nothing possesses everything.--
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