What don't you like?

[Shaderon]

We've all talked about what we love about our arts and training, and we've talked about why we think our art is the best (even if it wasn't the question) or what our art or classes is/are lacking, but I've not seen a thread yet which discussed what we as individuals don't like about the way we train, or the way we were trained.

What don't you like or what didn't you like about your training? I am not talking about how long the lessons are, or that the instructor was a ****, but the actual technical content. Something that exists or existed that you didn't like or agree with.

I know that most of you are instructors now, but I am more concerned with when you were learning as you can change what you don't like if it's your school. Or can you?

 

[karatekid1975]

Good thread, Shaderon. The one thing I don't like are a couple of prearranged "grappling" moves that we do in TKD. I couldn't do them for the life of me for the longest time. Then I asked my Jujitsu instructor about them. He said that it's wrong. Not that concept was wrong, but the moves were. He showed me the same things, but in a slightly different way to make it work. It worked much better. Now I don't mind them, but I still perfer what I learn in jujitsu as far as grappling goes.

 

[Shotochem]

Hi All,

One of the things I am not comfortable with (I can't say I really dislike) is Kempos complexity of combinations and "Overkill". Some of those techniques seem to go on forever. Though, I must admit they are very creative and have opened up my mind to different applications I would have never thought of before.

New style different philosophy I guess.

-Marc-

 

[tkd_jen]

For me it would be lack of Black Belt material, meaning a seperate set of material for Black Belts to learn and be tested on (besides patterns). Currently we test on the same material as color belts, we just have to know more.

Of course the problem with this is coming up with the time and creativity to create a new curriculum, oh to have more hours in the day!

 

[IcemanSK]

I would say that, if I could have changed something in my early training in TKD, would be to add more joint-locks & throws that a large part of begining Hapkido. I do add it to my student's training, however.

 

[TraditionalTKD]

I would really like to see WTF patterns that more accurately reflect the variety and complexity of kicks we do. Not necessarily whole new forms, but overhaul the forms to include at least one jumping front and side kick, back roundhouse, axe kick etc. As it stands, only the very higher forms have anything approaching that, and I shouldn't have to wait until Ilyo to have a jumping side kick. If some of the kicks from the ITF forms were transferred over, that would actually be pretty nice.
As it stands now, the WTF forms do not really represent accurately the type and variety of kicking we do. Odd thing is, those techniques were taught in the old days, especially by Chung Do Kwan and some of the others. Makes me wonder why they weren't included.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Way back when I studied TKD i learned more kicks than hand techniques which was fine but we where only allowed to use 1 hand technique to every 10 kicks when sparring and that just seemed unnatural in a real fight
When I changed systems my instructor knew judo as well as Sikaran but never wanted us to do any ground techniques

 

[Cirdan]

The Ju Jutsu system I train in also contains elements of sports fighting. As my interest is more towards the traditional side of the art, I don`t attend the calsses that focus on competition, but the sports impact on the system can still be felt.

In Wado we do far too little stretching. After my first six months of training I think my flexibility actually got worse. Since there is little oportunity to stretch on your own at the Dojo I have to do this outside of class. Also we do very little sparring, at least at low kyu levels, but our head instructor has added more of it lately.

 

[tellner]

The instructor has a life, and his work involves jobs that take him out on jobs. There's not as much flight time as I'd like.

 

[tellner]

Hi All,

One of the things I am not comfortable with (I can't say I really dislike) is Kempos complexity of combinations and "Overkill". Some of those techniques seem to go on forever. Though, I must admit they are very creative and have opened up my mind to different applications I would have never thought of before.

New style different philosophy I guess.

-Marc-

That's a problem I have with a lot of pre-arranged technique in all sorts of styles. It assumes that after the first touch of hand you will be completely in control and able to remember (let alone do) twenty or thirty unanswered moves to the other guy's one. It's far into the realms of fantasy and has nothing to do with the real world.

 

[Touch Of Death]

That's a problem I have with a lot of pre-arranged technique in all sorts of styles. It assumes that after the first touch of hand you will be completely in control and able to remember (let alone do) twenty or thirty unanswered moves to the other guy's one. It's far into the realms of fantasy and has nothing to do with the real world.

No... You are assuming that we assume.
Sean

 

[tellner]

Not really. Any technique - it's not just kempo - that has ten or twelve unanswered hits makes at least one of the following assumptions:

1) You are totally in control from the beginning
2) The other guy is much slower than you
3) You're beating the hell out of someone who is helpless and can't fight back

If it didn't, the technique wouldn't go that way.

 

[morph4me]

Not really. Any technique - it's not just kempo - that has ten or twelve unanswered hits makes at least one of the following assumptions:

1) You are totally in control from the beginning
2) The other guy is much slower than you
3) You're beating the hell out of someone who is helpless and can't fight back

If it didn't, the technique wouldn't go that way.

An alternative explanation might be

1) You didn't connect with your first technique and are following up.

2) The other guy is much faster than you and

3)you have to keep attacking in order to connect

 

[tellner]

If that were so he wouldn't be standing there like a statue while you flail away.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Not really. Any technique - it's not just kempo - that has ten or twelve unanswered hits makes at least one of the following assumptions:

1) You are totally in control from the beginning
2) The other guy is much slower than you
3) You're beating the hell out of someone who is helpless and can't fight back

If it didn't, the technique wouldn't go that way.

Think of it as a bill. Its a simple 1-2-3 combination with Pork attached. If you are assuming its based on reality after the third move. That is on you. These are ideas of motion... suggestions if you will.
sean

 

[Em MacIntosh]

I don't particularily benefit from hikite (pulling the other arm to the hip to maximise power) or punching with a horizontal fist (oi, choko and gyaku zuki in japanese). I find my vertical punch (tate-zuki) to be drastically more powerful and far faster as it gets thrown directly from my guard position. I substitute the hikite by pulling my rear arm a little tighter to my cheek without the exagerated "back to the hip" movement. Also, most likely due to my unique anatomy, my radius, ulna and carpals all line up in such a way as to not allow my wrist to bend, minimising injury and psychologically allowing me to throw the punch much harder. I've been told that the horizontal punch is more powerful and that "your technique must not be right then." The problem is that I've already put 11 years into traditional karate and don't want to simply drop it because I KNOW I can do a technique better MY way than the way of the style. I'm also tired of anyone saying that any style is "better" than any other style (most often people have more subtle ways of stating this). No matter what you study, you get what you put in. Not to mention that there are so many aspects to the reasons (reasons being fitness, self-defense, fun, discepline etc. the aspects of which, for example, self-defense would be grappling, kicking etc. or what kind of grappling, kicking etc. or for fitness would be cardio, muscle building, speed, pain tolerence etc.). There are so many facets that I think it says a lot about a martial artist to criticise anything he either doesn't really know about or hasn't considered, a.k.a. jumping to conclusions. Circular techniques take longer, linear techniques are easier to block etc. Every situation is different. No martial artist is omniscient.

 

[stickarts]

When I first started the self defense lacked many details that would help prevent your opponent from countering you. For example, using checks or being careful how you position yourself. I didn't feel it could work so I focused more on my sparring way back then and tended to work less on the self defesne that we were taught.

I have since re-learned and re-worked the self defense and I enjoy practicing it now.

 

[JasonASmith]

The ****ING politics!
Can't we all just get along, and get it done?

 

[jim777]

My biggest complaint is that I should have started before my mid 40's

 

[morph4me]

If that were so he wouldn't be standing there like a statue while you flail away.

You seem to be confusing the techniques with the drills that teach them, but I don't do kempo, so I can't really say for sure.