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A post I recently put up on the Bohemian Cafe, which I thought might interest some posters on here:
A little anecdote for you. I was at my first Geoff Thompson seminar - years before the Masterclasses - and I was training with this Aikidoka. We were drilling a simple grappling move and pretty much left to our own devices for a little while. After a few reps he sat to the side. I asked him why he had stopped. He replied "I've got the technique now". Amazing thought I! Well, I would have done if I had believed him.
Years later I was in an entirely different position. I was teaching a one hour workshop to black belts in various different martial arts. Some of these guys had got their belts when I was in nappies to be honest, so it was kind of intimidating. Nevertheless, I asked the question: "Who here has mastered the reverse punch?" This basic strike is introduced in the first lesson of most strike-based martial arts. You can imagine the supercilious looks I received. It turned out that NONE of them could hit a pad as hard as my then 13 year old stepson. Okay, I thought, now I have your attention: show me this punch within conversation range, now on your knees, seated, on your backs etc. None of them had done any of these positions. So what it amounted to was that they had mastered the reverse punch from a compliant striking or low contact fighting stance range over 20 years.
To own something it needs to be quarried from experience, cultivated through isolation and then checked for leaks at all ranges. I am beginning to loathe the expression: advanced techniques!
Just some thoughts for time well spent in solo training [Wink] I remind myself of them all the time.
A little anecdote for you. I was at my first Geoff Thompson seminar - years before the Masterclasses - and I was training with this Aikidoka. We were drilling a simple grappling move and pretty much left to our own devices for a little while. After a few reps he sat to the side. I asked him why he had stopped. He replied "I've got the technique now". Amazing thought I! Well, I would have done if I had believed him.
Years later I was in an entirely different position. I was teaching a one hour workshop to black belts in various different martial arts. Some of these guys had got their belts when I was in nappies to be honest, so it was kind of intimidating. Nevertheless, I asked the question: "Who here has mastered the reverse punch?" This basic strike is introduced in the first lesson of most strike-based martial arts. You can imagine the supercilious looks I received. It turned out that NONE of them could hit a pad as hard as my then 13 year old stepson. Okay, I thought, now I have your attention: show me this punch within conversation range, now on your knees, seated, on your backs etc. None of them had done any of these positions. So what it amounted to was that they had mastered the reverse punch from a compliant striking or low contact fighting stance range over 20 years.
To own something it needs to be quarried from experience, cultivated through isolation and then checked for leaks at all ranges. I am beginning to loathe the expression: advanced techniques!
Just some thoughts for time well spent in solo training [Wink] I remind myself of them all the time.
