Thread: Quiet please!
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Old 06-16-2006, 08:42 AM   #3
Ron Tisdale
Dojo: Doshinkan dojo in Roxborough, Pa
Location: Phila. Pa
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,615
United_States
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Re: Quiet please!

I think a 'thank you, but may I try to work through it on my own a bit' would be perfectly appropriate. There are times when I'm in the same place you described, and even with people I want instruction from, I ask politely for them to let me work through the issues on my own. I try to balance that with asking for specific suggestions sometimes, so that I don't always give the impression that I need to do it for myself.

One thing that I have noticed is that if I pay particular attention to my senior partner's movements when I take ukemi from them, they feel that connection, and then give me a lot of latitude as I try to emulate them. Most often, when I make that effort, they feel no need to verbally instruct me when I am shite. If they feel there is a point where I need to improve, they focus on that movement, and because of the connection, I feel it. And then focus on that in my waza. That seems to really build trust and cooperation between myself and my partner, and lead to a better keiko overall.

Best,
Ron

Ron Tisdale
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"The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind."
St. Bonaventure (ca. 1221-1274)
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