What you did not like

[tshadowchaser]

For those that have been to seminars, please without naming names or organizations, tell us what you did not like about a seminar. Was to much covered to remember, was there to little time spent on certain subjects, did the instructor jump all over the place in his/her instruction. where there just to few or to many people there to lean well, was there individual instruction, was the instructor more interested in promoting themselves than teaching?
those are just a few thoughts.
Please no naming names

 

[Touch Of Death]

Two very prominent Kenpo instructors offered only sales pitches, but many more were quite fascinating. One was a real Talker, the other I won't hint about.
Sean

 

[terryl965]

The thing I personally hate is when a guest instructor from your area comes in and try to recuit your student during the seminar, the other thing sometimes there is just not enough time spent on the basics of the techniques they are showing they simply go into the more advance mode.

 

[Xue Sheng]

was the instructor more interested in promoting themselves than teaching

BINGO!!!

I was at a CMA seminar and the person holding the seminar, although very skilled, was more interested in bragging about how good he was and how hard he trained and how great a fighter he was back in China.

He presented some great training ideas and it was over all a very good seminar but the Bragging got to be a bit over bearing.

 

[tradrockrat]

Had a seminar about stike fighting - only the instructor spent the whole day teaching throws! There were some seriously pissed off students by 3:00.

 

[IWishToLearn]

Had a seminar about stike fighting - only the instructor spent the whole day teaching throws! There were some seriously pissed off students by 3:00.

Heh - how bout the throwing application seminars where they teach spinning kicks? Been there, done that.

 

[Drac]

When some alleged Master appoints one of his students to lead us in a warm up similar to the old PE classes..I am NOT doing sit up or jumping jacks...I know how to warm up and at my age it's necessary...Don't treat me( or the rest of the attendees) like you're a Jr High Phys Ed teacher...My rant...

 

[TraditionalTKD]

Was at one seminar put on by senior members of our organization years ago that taught nothing that students could not learn in class. Basically it was a two hour version of class.

At another seminar, one of our Instructors spend about as much time reading from printed material as he did teaching. He actually made at least one participant go out to the guy's car and retrieve the pages he had passed out the day before, like it was that important. I actually ended up leaving because it was so boring. I felt sorry for the ones who paid money and stayed.
Worst thing is, the Instructor actually felt he was doing the participants a favor by teaching them things that, in his mind, they were no longer learning.

 

[tellner]

I've been to a few where the instructor talked a lot, moved around, and didn't teach a damned thing. And ones where the pressure point didn't work, so the presenter hit the uke really hard and then tapped the point. Or the one where the instructor talked about how he and his people were battle-hardened street warriors. He even called people up from the audience to try and enter on him. Then he got ticked off when someone did something that wasn't fair and knocked him on his butt.

 

[TraditionalTKD]

Some people seem to forget the purpose of a seminar. You are there to learn things you don't normally get to learn in class, and explore in depth what you already know. The Instructor is not there to brag, sell things, or teach you what you already know. Seminars should be exciting and enlightening.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

When some alleged Master appoints one of his students to lead us in a warm up similar to the old PE classes..I am NOT doing sit up or jumping jacks...I know how to warm up and at my age it's necessary...Don't treat me( or the rest of the attendees) like you're a Jr High Phys Ed teacher...My rant...

Probably this would be my biggest dislike as well. When paying for a seminar I am not looking to have a major killer PE warm up workout before the seminar starts. I am looking and paying to learn techniques and different training methodologies. Now if a killer workout happens while learning he techniques that is absolutely great.

Just not the brutal warm up workout before hand as that does not really involve any learning experience.

 

[Xue Sheng]

When some alleged Master appoints one of his students to lead us in a warm up similar to the old PE classes..I am NOT doing sit up or jumping jacks...I know how to warm up and at my age it's necessary...Don't treat me( or the rest of the attendees) like you're a Jr High Phys Ed teacher...My rant...

And a nice rant at that.

And I agree

 

[stickarts]

I have liked the majority of seminars that I have been to.

One seminar was too fast paced meaning that there was not enough time to get the technique before moving onto new material.
I could see lots of people were lost.
Also you sometimes get others who offer to "help" you and keep giving advice although they are not the instructor and they aren't qualified to teach you.

One time the person advertised to teach the seminar couldn't make it and the spot was filled by someone else although no one was notified ahead of time that it would be a different person conducting it. There was ample time where the students could have been notified by the promoter who knew the situation. Many traveled from other states to be disappointed.

I have been to 150+ seminars and on the whole they have been great. A great supplement to your training.

 

[Drac]

Probably this would be my biggest dislike as well. When paying for a seminar I am not looking to have a major killer PE warm up workout before the seminar starts. I am looking and paying to learn techniques and different training methodologies. Now if a killer workout happens while learning he techniques that is absolutely great.

Just not the brutal warm up workout before hand as that does not really involve any learning experience.

And a nice rant at that.

And I agree

Thanks guys...

 

[Tez3]

I have liked the majority of seminars that I have been to.

One seminar was too fast paced meaning that there was not enough time to get the technique before moving onto new material.
I could see lots of people were lost.
Also you sometimes get others who offer to "help" you and keep giving advice although they are not the instructor and they aren't qualified to teach you.

.

This is my pet hate in class and in seminars! I'm not getting at men but it most often is a man who thinks he has to tell me (and most other women) how to do things! Training on Tuesday we had a new guy in, the chief instructor showed a couple of arm bars from mount, this guy was on his back, my turn to go into mount and he's coaching me through it ( we were 15 mins into the class and his martial arts knowledge). I usually grit my teeth and say nothing but this time I hissed at him, "yes I know! that's why I'm the black belt" and put the kimura on and made him tap out. He was by the way six foot and 100kg to my 5' 4'' and well,well under 100kg!
The best seminars are where the instuctors are patient but not condescending.

 

[Drac]

Also you sometimes get others who offer to "help" you and keep giving advice although they are not the instructor and they aren't qualified to teach you

Oh how true that is..The stories I could tell...

 

[tellner]

The running around and jumping jacks warm up is one of my pet seminar peeves. Not only is it a waste of time and money - I came to learn, not to get a third rate PE class - it's actively detrimental to learning. If you're doing heavy aerobic or gods-help-us anaerobic exercise you'll have lactic acid buildup, adrenaline and any of a number of other things happen to your body. Fine motor control gets shot all to heck. If you're trying to learn new skills and work on control that's exactly what you don't need.

Of course, it works for the wrong sort of instructor. Dominance is established. A lot of the students' higher functions will shut down. He doesn't have to work as hard at teaching.

 

[Drac]

This is my pet hate in class and in seminars! I'm not getting at men but it most often is a man who thinks he has to tell me (and most other women) how to do things! The best seminars are where the instuctors are patient but not condescending.

I have been approached by many females over the years and been asked to partner up with them because the so called instructor stuck her with another female half her size, weight and age, and in my and their opinion they weren't learning anything in those conditions..That is also a major complaint I have heard from female LEO's is that the instructor was condescending...

 

[LawDog]

Generally speaking seminar warm ups are used as a filler. This will give a student the feeling that he had a great workout and has learned a few things.


If a warm up is going to be used during a seminar here are a few good example's,
A) practicing break falls before a Judo / Jujitsu type of seminar,
B) mild stretching before a kicking seminar,

These should be done at the beginning of a seminar.

I do not like attending seminars that have you go through a Military style warm up that could run for 20% - 30% of the class time.
:ultracool

 

[WMKS Shogun]

I was at a seminar once and it had been billed as a great self defense seminar for all skill levels. The instructor giving the seminar spent a ton of time trying to recruit everyone to join the organization he was a part of and spent time going over that organizations competition rules and regs. When we actually did get to work out, it went okay and was pretty cool, but towards the end we had questions and he kinda brushed them aside or answered with things he had already taught. At least he did not sit and brag about himself the whole time and MOST of what he taught seemed pretty solid, save a few of his responses to questions.