yorkshirelad
Master Black Belt
I've always been perplexed at to why technique lines are practised the way they are. One guy faces the line and does the technique while everyone one else waits as the line gets shorter. The waiting in line results in a tremendous amount of training time being lost.
This style of line differs from the format I was used to in the studio I trained at in Dublin. We would all chose a partner. Then we would form two lines, one was designated the attacker and one was designated the defender. The technique would be called out and one line would perform it. This would remain the case, until that line had covered all the techniques in a particular belt. Then the line would bow o one another and the attackers would become the defenders, and the process would be repeated.
Now, the one line method does have its benefits. Each student can observe their fellow students method of execution and use this as a learning tool. The instructor can also observe each student and make the necessary adjustments. The drawback are, that each student spends much of the time waiting to perform the technique and spends most of the time observing rather than actually training the technique.
The two line method is useful, as more of the syllabus is covered in a shorter amount of time, the student is constantly drilling the techniques and spontaneity is improved, especially when the techniques are called out of sequence, or when techniques against one certain attack are called out. The drawbacks are, the instructor cannot observe each student practise their technique and therefore mistakes can be easily missed to the detriment of the students progress and the student is unable to observe his fellow students and learn from their motion.
My suggestion of an improved line is this; have two lines of students perform one technique until the number of students in the line is finished and then move on to the next technique. If there are two lines of eight students, then the technique is performed eight times, so that the instructor can observe the motion of each of the students, when the first iterration is complete then the line of atackers become the defenders and the process is repeated. It would be even more beneficial if, after each repetition of the technique, the students rotated by stepping to the left, so that each student got to work the technique against different people.
I really believe that the technique lines I've seen in the US can be greatly improved to benefit the student. Waiting in line may be a necessity in the grocery store, but it shouldn't happen while training.
This style of line differs from the format I was used to in the studio I trained at in Dublin. We would all chose a partner. Then we would form two lines, one was designated the attacker and one was designated the defender. The technique would be called out and one line would perform it. This would remain the case, until that line had covered all the techniques in a particular belt. Then the line would bow o one another and the attackers would become the defenders, and the process would be repeated.
Now, the one line method does have its benefits. Each student can observe their fellow students method of execution and use this as a learning tool. The instructor can also observe each student and make the necessary adjustments. The drawback are, that each student spends much of the time waiting to perform the technique and spends most of the time observing rather than actually training the technique.
The two line method is useful, as more of the syllabus is covered in a shorter amount of time, the student is constantly drilling the techniques and spontaneity is improved, especially when the techniques are called out of sequence, or when techniques against one certain attack are called out. The drawbacks are, the instructor cannot observe each student practise their technique and therefore mistakes can be easily missed to the detriment of the students progress and the student is unable to observe his fellow students and learn from their motion.
My suggestion of an improved line is this; have two lines of students perform one technique until the number of students in the line is finished and then move on to the next technique. If there are two lines of eight students, then the technique is performed eight times, so that the instructor can observe the motion of each of the students, when the first iterration is complete then the line of atackers become the defenders and the process is repeated. It would be even more beneficial if, after each repetition of the technique, the students rotated by stepping to the left, so that each student got to work the technique against different people.
I really believe that the technique lines I've seen in the US can be greatly improved to benefit the student. Waiting in line may be a necessity in the grocery store, but it shouldn't happen while training.
