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Old 01-30-2014, 08:19 PM   #40
jadee
Location: New York, NY
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 3
United_States
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Re: How to deal with irritating partner?

Is it just me, am I too old fashioned, or is this not a breach of etiquette? When I started training (mid 90s - now recently back after 15 years of foolishly "focusing on career"...pbblt) it was made very clear that there is no place for debate on the mat, that each person's responsibility was to perform the waza as demonstrated as honestly as they were able... if someone disagrees with what the instructor is showing so strongly that they refuse to even try it, what are they doing in that instructor's class?

I've noticed the problem at seminars, too. Isn't the whole point of attending a seminar to get a glimpse at how someone else, highly regarded (why else would they be attracting people to a seminar?), performs? It seems as though there are a number of folks who look at a seminar as just a good excuse to get a concentrated block of mat time... given the number of high-level folks who are approaching the end of their teaching careers (at least to the extent of traveling to give seminars), what a lost opportunity...

In the spirit of "there is always something to learn", I usually try to respond to similar situations with my completely imperfect sense of etiquette, depending on duration of blab:

1. Short corrective comment: smile, bow, then continue training (hoping the silence rubs off)
2. Constantly breaking connection during technique to lecture: each time, work on driving the connection a little better such that uke cannot break connection to blab (assuming uke actually engendered a martial situation to start with, it is always something nage did or didn't do that allows the break - always something to work on).
3. Full-on soliloquy: re-establish ma-ai and practice projecting your intention as far out as you can, practice readiness (does not exclude also listening)...
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