How to Encourage better training with peers?

[Doomx2001]

I'm currently training in Hapkido. I am a orange belt, and have been training for about a year now. There are two black belts and a green belt that I train with. The black belts are high school freshman who train very light to no contact at all. Their grip is weak, their stances are weak, and they are awful at doing exercises. When I do a techniques on them, they resist falling and have a look on their face like I've done something wrong. So I can't do 'take downs' on them so as not to offend them.

I want to talk to them about it, but where I am a orange, and they are my seniors, it makes it difficult to even say anything. I'm not here to critize them or name 'names', but to seek some advice.

What do you guys think?

 

[oftheherd1]

My suggestion would be to talk to the head master. Without being critical, let him know you think you need more practice on completing techniques. I would assume when they practice on you, they are completing the throws either? Let him know you want more practice on break falls yourself, as well as properly completing techniques. Good luck with it.

 

[dancingalone]

Sorry to say, but this is a more common problem than it should be across martial arts. To get better, you must train against resisting partners. With more advanced students working with the inexperienced, they should be resisting just enough to make the technique practice worthwhile for the junior student so that they can learn how to properly apply the technique. Neither foiling a junior partner completely nor just giving them the lock is desirable. Neither is practicing in a limp, unproductive fashion as you describe.

It would be worthwhile to approach the headmaster of the school. Hopefully he can address the problem to your satisfaction and he should if he believes in training martially rather than for recreation. Ultimately, you might just need to switch schools if only because the senior students at this one are so lackadaisical. High quality schools frequently have a nice number of seniors who help advance practice through their own dedication in learning.

 

[Doomx2001]

Sorry to say, but this is a more common problem than it should be across martial arts. To get better, you must train against resisting partners. With more advanced students working with the inexperienced, they should be resisting just enough to make the technique practice worthwhile for the junior student so that they can learn how to properly apply the technique. Neither foiling a junior partner completely nor just giving them the lock is desirable. Neither is practicing in a limp, unproductive fashion as you describe.

It would be worthwhile to approach the headmaster of the school. Hopefully he can address the problem to your satisfaction and he should if he believes in training martially rather than for recreation. Ultimately, you might just need to switch schools if only because the senior students at this one are so lackadaisical. High quality schools frequently have a nice number of seniors who help advance practice through their own dedication in learning.

Thanks for the reply.
The teacher of the school really knows his Hapkido. But, for whatever reason, I think he has allowed his senior students to believe that the human body is sensitive to physical stress (which I personally don't believe). And since I've been there, he has only taught rolls once and breakfalls 3 times in about a year. The reason for that is he is going on 60 years old and he waits for his body to get into better shape so he can show some of this stuff. I am well familiar with breakfalls and rolls from studying Bujinkan BudoTaijutsu, but my fellow Hapkido students seem to have skipped alot of that training.

My opinion is that due to fact that breakfalls/rolls aren't taught or enforced enough, my peers/seniors at my hapkido dojang have an unhealthy fear of the ground and of being thrown.
I really don't want to switch hapkido schools because I'm still learning alot and I'm really benefiting from my teachers experience, I just wish my fellow Hapkido practicioners at the school had more a Mudo/Budo spirit. If, however, I do find another Hapkido school nearby, I'll study at it while I continue my studies where I'm learning at now.

Any other advice is appreciated. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Nomad]

Just a note; you don't have to perform a breakfall or roll to be able to teach it from a technical standpoint. Could he teach these techniques using you as a model?

Depending on your relationship with the instructor, you might be able to point out this observation to him directly (in private), and offer to help in this manner... he can talk through the technique while you demonstrate. Keep in mind that some teachers may take offence at this type of frank discussion and see it as an attack on their teaching style (hopefully he isn't one of them).

It can definitely be tricky as a lower-ranked student in a TMA trying to get across information to higher ranked students without stepping on their toes, as the rank and ego so often go hand in hand.

 

[Doomx2001]

Just a note; you don't have to perform a breakfall or roll to be able to teach it from a technical standpoint.

For me, I don't feel like I'm really learning hapkido if I'm not being thrown, and not throwing anyone. And for that to be possible I think Breakfalls/Rolls are essential. Thats why I would like to see way more of that in class. If I have to use what I learn in class on the street in a life and death situation, I can't hold back, I need to go all out. If its taboo for me to do throws on my peers and they don't want to throw me, I feel like we are doing a great injustice to one another. Your only as good as you train.

Could he teach these techniques using you as a model?

I wouldn't mind that at all. I think the main thing is my fellow classmates know the basic mechanics of throwing, but, they just don't do them. They let fear cloud their judgement and in the end turn hapkido into ballet. I'm not 'knocking' my seniors, I like them quite a' bit as people, but they just don't make good training partners.

Depending on your relationship with the instructor, you might be able to point out this observation to him directly (in private), and offer to help in this manner... he can talk through the technique while you demonstrate. Keep in mind that some teachers may take offence at this type of frank discussion and see it as an attack on their teaching style (hopefully he isn't one of them).

It can definitely be tricky as a lower-ranked student in a TMA trying to get across information to higher ranked students without stepping on their toes, as the rank and ego so often go hand in hand.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I have had a few, polite brief talks, where my instructor agrees, but for whatever reason, not much comes of it.