sifu attitude

[MaMaD]

Hello my friends.
something happened to me yesterday and iam seeking for ur advise, especially those who experience same thing as a student or a couch.
I trained wushu sanshou or sanda for like 2 month, and i changed the school and went to new class yesterday.
there was a guy who had 1 year experience sanda and had participated in some competitions, and it was first day for him too.
here is the problem: our sifu wanted to see what we (me and 1 year experienced guy) trained so he can figure out were we should start. and we both end up practicing how to step. now iam wonder should we say something or just go with it? IMO beside that i must respect the sifu, its better to just let him teach. i mean, saying that i know that move, i don't need to practice that thing anymore, i know that already and stuff like that, nothing good gonna come out of it. but i know i can be wrong, so iam asking for ur viewpoint.
Still bad at English

 

[Kickboxer101]

You may know it but doesn't mean you're doing it right you might be doing it completely wrong all schools have different ways and fact is if your training at a school you listen to your instructor simple as that. Even if you know it does that mean you'll never do that move again in training of course not. If you tell him no I'm not doing that I already know it you'll look extremely arrogant

 

[Xue Sheng]

Generally, a good sifu knows better than you do as to what you need to train

 

[Tez3]

i mean, saying that i know that move, i don't need to practice that thing anymore, i know that already and stuff like that, nothing good gonna come out of it.

It doesn't work like that, one must always practice the basics even when you are several years into your training, it's practice, practice and more practice of everything. You don't learn things in martial arts, then say 'oh I know that' and forget all about it. Besides as kickboxer pointed out you may not be doing it properly.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Hello my friends.
something happened to me yesterday and iam seeking for ur advise, especially those who experience same thing as a student or a couch.
I trained wushu sanshou or sanda for like 2 month, and i changed the school and went to new class yesterday.
there was a guy who had 1 year experience sanda and had participated in some competitions, and it was first day for him too.
here is the problem: our sifu wanted to see what we (me and 1 year experienced guy) trained so he can figure out were we should start. and we both end up practicing how to step. now iam wonder should we say something or just go with it? IMO beside that i must respect the sifu, its better to just let him teach. i mean, saying that i know that move, i don't need to practice that thing anymore, i know that already and stuff like that, nothing good gonna come out of it. but i know i can be wrong, so iam asking for ur viewpoint.
Still bad at English

If the sifu looked at what you already do, and then chose to have you work on that step, then he saw something in your step that he thought needed work. It may be that there's a small but fundamental difference between what you were taught and how he teaches. It may be that he simply thinks it's not very good. It may be that he thinks you do it okay, but could quickly learn to do it very well, which might fix some problem he sees elsewhere.

Or, it could be that he simply always teaches the same way.

In any case, give it some time. If you find you're learning nothing, you probably need to find someplace else to learn. If you find you're making progress - improving - then don't worry about how and what he teaches. Your learning is the objective.

 

[MaMaD]

You may know it but doesn't mean you're doing it right you might be doing it completely wrong all schools have different ways and fact is if your training at a school you listen to your instructor simple as that. Even if you know it does that mean you'll never do that move again in training of course not. If you tell him no I'm not doing that I already know it you'll look extremely arrogant

that's exactly what i'am telling myself, i'am relieved, thanks.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

It doesn't work like that, one must always practice the basics even when you are several years into your training, it's practice, practice and more practice of everything. You don't learn things in martial arts, then say 'oh I know that' and forget all about it. Besides as kickboxer pointed out you may not be doing it properly.

Good point. I was working on stances and basic movements before students showed up last week. I've been working on those for 28 years. Give me another 28 years, and maybe I won't need to practice them. Maybe.

 

[marques]

Two months is nothing. One year is still close to nothing.

I have been training for more than 15 years and still start at beginners class (where there is one, even when I am largely familiar with all the syllabus). The first thing I do is respect what they say and wait their initiative to put me in 'my place'.

When I am training currently, I have a different instructor each class, so it may take a long time until be put in the right place. And, actually, I am becoming tired of stance and very basic footwork every class (and no sparring). In that case, I explained my situation and asked what could be done, if anything. Probably, I will be assessed in the following days/weeks...

 

[MaMaD]

If the sifu looked at what you already do, and then chose to have you work on that step, then he saw something in your step that he thought needed work. It may be that there's a small but fundamental difference between what you were taught and how he teaches. It may be that he simply thinks it's not very good. It may be that he thinks you do it okay, but could quickly learn to do it very well, which might fix some problem he sees elsewhere.

Or, it could be that he simply always teaches the same way.

In any case, give it some time. If you find you're learning nothing, you probably need to find someplace else to learn. If you find you're making progress - improving - then don't worry about how and what he teaches. Your learning is the objective.

i think u are right. i mean 2 month practice is nothing compared to the sifu experience and knowledge, but the thing that worried me was that he told me and 1 year experienced guy to do same practice.
but we both had slightly different style from guys in there. i rather think this: It may be that he thinks you do it okay, but could quickly learn to do it very well.

 

[drop bear]

you cant do enough footwork drills.

Sorry. It sucks Its boring and we have all done it before. But sometimes you have to grind.

 

[wingchun100]

Hello my friends.
something happened to me yesterday and iam seeking for ur advise, especially those who experience same thing as a student or a couch.
I trained wushu sanshou or sanda for like 2 month, and i changed the school and went to new class yesterday.
there was a guy who had 1 year experience sanda and had participated in some competitions, and it was first day for him too.
here is the problem: our sifu wanted to see what we (me and 1 year experienced guy) trained so he can figure out were we should start. and we both end up practicing how to step. now iam wonder should we say something or just go with it? IMO beside that i must respect the sifu, its better to just let him teach. i mean, saying that i know that move, i don't need to practice that thing anymore, i know that already and stuff like that, nothing good gonna come out of it. but i know i can be wrong, so iam asking for ur viewpoint.
Still bad at English

Even if you go to a different school for the same style, they will teach differently. I am experiencing the same thing with my wing chun training.

 

[MaMaD]

Even if you go to a different school for the same style, they will teach differently. I am experiencing the same thing with my wing chun training.

besides of everything else, i like this school, we have encounter with other people from other arts. first taolu wushu guys will practice, after that women section will start (sanshou i think), after that we'll practice. there is a large room that we practice on left side, kungfu guys practice in right side in the same time and wingchun guys will practice after we finish.
in previous gym we had a lot of time to practice, out of schedule. here we don't but cool thing is we see other people from other arts

 

[wingchun100]

What kind of setup does this school have? Around here there aren't a lot of places that have multiple styles in one school.

 

[Danny T]

You want to train?
Train and practice what you train...a lot.
Knowing and mastering is not the same...and If you are true to yourself it is about mastering yourself and that will never happen.
I'm 62 years of life, have spent a rather large amount of time learning to balance myself, standing, walking, running in all sorts of situations. No matter your age but I am certain you have done the same. Hours upon hours training, practicing, perfecting balance and walking/running. Maybe you don't but even with all that practice I still trip or stumble. Guess I'm just a very slow learner.
So you know the step and have it mastered or maybe your Sifu has seen something in both of you that needs more practice.

 

[MaMaD]

What kind of setup does this school have? Around here there aren't a lot of places that have multiple styles in one school.

I don't know what it called in English. maybe stadium is right word? there is many sports in there, from karate to boxing, from football to basketball.
previous gym was a privet gym and only offered sanshou, parkour and a native MA called "razm AvarAn"

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I don't know what it called in English. maybe stadium is right word? there is many sports in there, from karate to boxing, from football to basketball.
previous gym was a privet gym and only offered sanshou, parkour and a native MA called "razm AvarAn"

I think the word you're looking for is "gymnasium".

 

[Buka]

If the Sifu comes to your place for instruction, you instruct him.
If you go to the Sifu's school for instruction....

 

[lklawson]

Hello my friends.
something happened to me yesterday and iam seeking for ur advise, especially those who experience same thing as a student or a couch.
I trained wushu sanshou or sanda for like 2 month, and i changed the school and went to new class yesterday.
there was a guy who had 1 year experience sanda and had participated in some competitions, and it was first day for him too.
here is the problem: our sifu wanted to see what we (me and 1 year experienced guy) trained so he can figure out were we should start. and we both end up practicing how to step. now iam wonder should we say something or just go with it? IMO beside that i must respect the sifu, its better to just let him teach. i mean, saying that i know that move, i don't need to practice that thing anymore, i know that already and stuff like that, nothing good gonna come out of it. but i know i can be wrong, so iam asking for ur viewpoint.
Still bad at English

You answered your own question.

This is a new class and you are working with an instructor who has never worked with you before. He told you that he needs to try to gauge your skill and experience in order to customize the training and fit it to your unique needs and where you are currently at. Let him do that. I wish more instructors would do this.

Besides that, never forget that the Fundamentals are the basis of everything. Always practice the fundamentals, even if you feel like it is "basics" which you've already mastered. They're called "Fundamentals" for a reason. They are critical and fundamental to all other work, technique, and advancement.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[JR 137]

There's always room for improvement.

I was a month away from testing for my 2nd dan in karate. I left for grad school, and I ended up taking 15 years off from karate. I went back to it, which will be 2 years in February. My current organization is very close to my former organization, as my former organization's founders came from my current organization. The syllabus for both organizations are almost identical.

I restarted at white belt. There were subtle things I was doing wrong. I moved up to the next rank, same thing. And on and on. I moved through the ranks quicker than people without experience, but 20 months later, I'm not close to the rank I was previously.

So if I'm a 4th kyu instead of a 2nd dan, does that mean I'm still far behind how good I used to be? On paper, yes. Realistically speaking, I'm far better now. Some of that has to do with mental maturity (24 vs 40) but most of it has to do with paying attention to the details. Most of it has to do with not caring about rank and learning new material, but rather perfecting what I know (not that I'll ever truly perfect it).

We do taikyoku 1 kata just about every class. It was the first kata we learn. Even people who've been there for decades do the kata. We all find ways to improve; perhaps I was stepping further with one foot than another, or turning further one way, and on an on. We practice kicks that we learned within the first week. My roundhouse kick can always get better. Same with everything else. And making something look good has very little to do with it.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Hello my friends.
something happened to me yesterday and iam seeking for ur advise, especially those who experience same thing as a student or a couch.
I trained wushu sanshou or sanda for like 2 month, and i changed the school and went to new class yesterday.
there was a guy who had 1 year experience sanda and had participated in some competitions, and it was first day for him too.
here is the problem: our sifu wanted to see what we (me and 1 year experienced guy) trained so he can figure out were we should start. and we both end up practicing how to step. now iam wonder should we say something or just go with it? IMO beside that i must respect the sifu, its better to just let him teach. i mean, saying that i know that move, i don't need to practice that thing anymore, i know that already and stuff like that, nothing good gonna come out of it. but i know i can be wrong, so iam asking for ur viewpoint.
Still bad at English

This sounds like accurate teaching / coaching to me. It gives the Sifu a better idea of where your current abilities are and gives him a sense of how fast or how slow he teaches the martial arts techniques to you. Practicing to step is a basic foundation and should be trained whenever possible. I'm no beginner but I still do beginner foundation training exercises like, how to step.

"I don't need to practice that thing anymore" This is not a good mindset for martial artist or fighters. The best athletes and fighters still practice the foundation drills that they learned as a beginner.