Seminar Training

[morpheus]

It seems in my experience seminar training provides an opportunity for young yudansha to train with kyu ranks they are unfamiliar with and pound the snot out of them. It also provides an interesting opportunity for unfamiliar kyu ranks to battle it out to create some strange pecking order. I always go into theses situations hoping to come out unscathed. I have a permanent injury that is always just on the verge of becoming bad.

Anyone have any thoughts on seminar training.

Jeff

[Jitsumania]

I always find Aikido seminars quite interesting. I have found many times that the Yudansha like to float around thermselves and the Mudansha are kinda left to figure it out on their own....yikes! Mind you this is not the case all the time but I encounter this once in a while. In some of the other styles of martial arts that I teach and practice the Yudansha ranked individuals are usually expected to float around and work with Kyu ranks to help them along (and not necceserily pound the snot out of them).This helps the kyu ranked to avoid potential and unneccesary formation of bad habits which can affect their techniques in a negative manner. I personally find this much more appealing and helpful. If I find a technique that has potential for trouble as a Yudansha, I will ususally find an upper level Yudansha to help me along a bit. I tend to be more gentle with the Kyu ranks during seminars anyway and they seem to appreciate it alot more and they can learn better.Favorite catch phrase --"Go slow and relaxed". I'd rather have a student do it 10 times slow and correct than 50x fast and wrong.
Great topic!
Just got through a 2 day Seminar with Hiroshi Kato Shihan in Houston that was fabulous!!!
I think I have lost count of injuries inflicted on me by Mudansha usually low Kyu levels trying to impress .

[ssanutokh]

I can't really speak to how it is with Aikido in particular, but I've found that in the art I practice as a kyu rank when I approach yudansha at seminars and ask if I can work in with them they're generally pretty happy to oblige, and often flattered.

They do not, however, tend to actively seek out kyu ranks, and left to themselves tend to mingle with others of similar rank.

[don]

Anyone find that the general attitude during seminars of YUDANSHA, et al. varies by organization?

[Jitsumania]

I can't really speak to how it is with Aikido in particular, but I've found that in the art I practice as a kyu rank when I approach yudansha at seminars and ask if I can work in with them they're generally pretty happy to oblige, and often flattered.

They do not, however, tend to actively seek out kyu ranks, and left to themselves tend to mingle with others of similar rank.

I hope my post did not create misunderstanding. In Aikido seminars if a Kyu rank seeks out help from a Yudansha, you will almost always find a very giving and helpful spirit among the Yudansha. I find this accross the board even in organazations other than my own (Shudokan Aikido Association). I attended a class (not seminar) in Puerto Rico some years ago while on vacation and the practitioners were all very kind and helpful (especially the Yudansha present) to us outsider kyu ranks (son and self) back then.

[SAM WILSON]

most injuries on seminars are caused by by students trying to practice at 100 mile per hour slow down try to do what sensei is showing not your usual interpatation.Enjoy yourself.Practice safe.