"Technique”
Considerations for Training
A common class period for our student's is
spent learning new individual application motions. These can
consist of singular actions, as well as multiple
motions.
During the application
portion of our class we combine these individual motions to be
applied in (either) successive or collective
application. These are commonly being practiced in (1-3 Step) two
person kumite exercises.
The most common
misunderstanding, is that the application of these motions are
“set in stone”. They are completely capable of
being (instantly) modified to deal with a continually changing
situation.
As with anything, there
first needs to be established a foundation set of
guidelines/priority's for determining these motions acceptance
(of/for use).
The following guidelines
are what Oyata established as being general
guides for this purpose. To begin with, the following are the
(required) general preferences.
#1 The Motion's Priority,
Is to Protect the User.
#2 The Motion Should Be
as Natural as is Practical.
#3 The Motion Should Be
Able to be Performed Equally by
the
Majority of Individual's.
#4 The Motion Should Not
be Orientated to Either (Specific)
Side of
the User.
#5 The Motion Should Not
be Dependent Upon the Size or
Strength
of either the technique User, or the Receiver.
This is not to say, that
there won't be some motions/techniques that fall outside
of these guidelines. Only that they may very well not be
suitable for use by every individual (student).
#1 The Motion's
Priority, Is to Protect the User.
It should go without
saying that this is a primary concern for someone training in the
(any) Life Protection art. It shouldn't imply that there is
(then) a disregard for any other person's life (including that
of an aggressor). The implication should be that every motion
is taught for a practical (useful) purpose/application in
accomplishing that defensive objective.
#2 The Motion Should Be
as Natural as is Practical.
Any
instructed motion should not mandate that it's replication require
any undue (physical) strain or labor. This should imply that not
every technique will “look” (exactly) the same between every two
individual's when it is performed. Physical differences will mandate
the manner a technique will be performed (by each individual), but it
should not alter the desired result for the technique being
performed.
#3 The Motion Should Be
Able to be Performed Equally by the
Majority of
Individual's.
This
should illustrate the idea that neither size nor strength are a
determining factor in a technique's successful use. There may well be
differences in how that technique is performed by any (single)
individual, but the primary concepts, results and their execution
remain the same.
#4 The Motion Should
Not be Orientated to Either (Specific)
Side of the
User.
The
implication is that the user should not train, focus or orientate
their practice to utilize only one-side
of their body's defensive motions, nor should they limit their (own)
responses to only utilize one-side of their body over the other. This shouldn't imply that a particular manner that a technique is applied, is done in the exact same way when utilized upon the aggressor's opposite side/arm.
What confuses many students, is that Oyata trained us to focus on "1" side's defensive motion, to react to an assault from either of the aggressor's arms. This resulted in faster responses to an assault.
What confuses many students, is that Oyata trained us to focus on "1" side's defensive motion, to react to an assault from either of the aggressor's arms. This resulted in faster responses to an assault.
#5 The Motion Should
Not be Dependent Upon the Size or
Strength
of either the technique User, or the Receiver.
Regardless
of (any) physical discrepancy's between an aggressor and the
defender, any application utilized should possess the ability to be
utilized successfully. This doesn't imply that the manner which an
application is utilized remains exactly the same in every situation,
only that the user should be knowledgeable of a technique's strengths
and weaknesses as well as understand how to utilize them in varying
circumstances.
The
use of these guidelines can (often) limit the scope of
applications that are being taught (in a typical “martial arts”
class). It is not the purpose of these guidelines to “increase”
one's instructed content. The intended purpose of these guidelines,
is to modify the content and intent of a
Life-Protection class to serve that purpose (without
discriminating against student's who do not meet the expected
student “type”. I.E. young, male and physically fit).
These
guidelines actually place a greater burden upon the instructor.
They require that the motions/concepts that they are teaching meet the
listed requirements, and that their students understand how they
need to implement them in varying situations/circumstances.
In
many aspects, it removes the “burden” of learning these types of
motions from the students, and places it upon the instructor's
ability to teach those students (where it should
have been anyhow, in specific individual instruction, instead
of generalized group instruction).
These
guidelines in no way remove the requirement that a student must
practice the motions and techniques that they are being shown.
It only mandates that an instructor must show that what they are
teaching is “possible” to be learned and utilized by anyone who
practices them (as taught) and understands their use/application.
When
an instructor examines “all” of the technique's that they are
teaching to their students, they (most often) find that there have
been technique's that (either) they (themselves) do not fully
understand how/where/why to use them, but additionally that some that are simply
worthless or impractical for the common student (except in particularly uncommon/unrealistic circumstances, and/or by particular individual's).
By continuing with their instruction (knowing the deficiencies of the application/technique) they are performing a disservice to their students, and to what they are teaching.
By continuing with their instruction (knowing the deficiencies of the application/technique) they are performing a disservice to their students, and to what they are teaching.
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