Starting Slow?

Hi everyone! Would anyone mind sharing their thoughts with the group about this?

What are your opinions on "slow" training? That is, starting out with a technique slowly and then going faster (or smaller) down the road? There's the old adage, "If you can't do it slow, don't bother doing it fast".

I'm not looking for "that's bad/good", but maybe you could tell us what benefits you see or have experienced in training slow or not training slow at all.

Thanks,
*Phil

IMHO, learning slow is the best way to train initially. It prevents your movement being just momentum. Forces the indivdual neurons to fire. Keeps you focused.

Until again,

Lynn

Phil,

I'm pretty sure you know where I sit (or stand) on this issue. Now get back to bed!

i think training slow is definately a good way to train. it gives you an oppurtunity to keep good form all the way through the technique and be able to really feel wether you have caught uke's balance or not. and in my opinion, power stems from form and catching uke's balance.

Slow is great as long as it doesn't mean dead.

Lyle Bogin wrote: Slow is great as long as it doesn't mean dead.

Its a pretty harsh dojo where you can be killed trying to learn a new technique!

Slow and right is much better than fast and wrong when you're trying to learn something, imho.

(And when someone is trying to kill you, better to stick to something you already know! )

Sean

x

Aaahh grasshopper, fast is only slow speeded up!

Have fun

I guess it depends on hos slow 'slow' is. I ususally try to keep a flow in my techniques, which means that I have to ajust my speed to my own and my uke's abilities. If I practice a technique that I'm not familiar with, or if I'm focusing on some specific detail of the technique, then I must lower the speed to a level where I can keep a god flow yet still manage to be 'ahead' of the technique in my mind. I seem to have a 'minimum speed requirement' in order to maintain the flow, but I suspect that as I get better I will be able to do the techniques even slower - and still maintaining the feeling of flow. (this demands an equally good uke though). At the same time, I will probably be able to do the techniques faster while not loosing control.

Very important: It should never be so slow that it is divided into 'sections' with a pause between each section. Then you become too focused on the nitty-gritty details, instead of actually 'feeling' the technique.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Fast application of technique often hides sloppy technique, in my opinion. Training at a slow pace (but with no pauses) will really show you how good your technique is!

As a beginner I have little choice. Slow is the only way I can learn the techniques, I do find however that as the knowledge grows and the speed increases the techniques become easier, both for myself and Uke. The pauses become less and the movement starts to flow.