dearnis.com said:
Interesting discussion for the most part. I've got to be honest though, I never cared for the two (or more) instructor format. I suppose it works for "window shopping," but I almost always felt that an instructor who was doing a shorter segment was seldom at their best. In other words, I would rather see one instructor develop material over a day or two than see two or more showcase a short segment.
This may simply be me getting fussy in my old age; I am much more demanding about getting a full return on any time I invest going to see one or more instructors.
As an aside, RP did always seem to be able to tailor his presentation to the length of time availible.
There are definate advantages and disadvantages to the two man presentation format. I've worked in a both the single and dual presentations as well as the multiple presentations with as many as 8 instructors in a single day. Each format requires that the presenter adjust to the time frame available and tailor the instruction to the audience in attendance.
I would much prefer to have a full day (6 - 8 hours) to develop an opening sequence and lay out the foundation of the topic being taught. Then I will move people into the driils and basic applications. After that I will follow up with compund applications tying in two or more of the basic movements. As I move toward closure, I will return to the drills in order to establish a solid training format for the students to work with after the seminar is concluded.
The shorter the presentation time, the greater the necessity for the instructor to be focused and have his/her program under full command. The goal is to work effectively and efficently during the presentation. The pacing of the presentation has to be fast, smooth and logical. No wasted motions or verbiage.
My approach is based the time allocted for the presentation. In an hour long presentation, I set up a single drill and base ALL of the subsequent instruction on making that drill a practical self-defense reality. I alllow 10 minutes to establish the drill, 40 minutes to show a number of self defense applications and the final 10 minutes is used to reinterate the drill for subsequent practice after the seminar has ended.
I have gotten good responses from my 60 minute presentations and in one case a student contacted me to report that my instruction had helped her to fend off an attack by two individuals and escape unharmed. I would much prefer to have 120 to 180 minutes for instructional purposes, but that is not and will not always be the case.
As for learning something through a muliple instructor format, the key for me is to draw from the presenters the core concepts that he/she is presenting. Place those concepts in my own terminology and movement base, modify the concepts to fit what I am already comfortable with and then practice the movements, adding them to my base skills-set. The
instructional master key for me is to find the similarities and differences, then use them as they best suit me. I consider the full return on my investment in time and money to be how well I can adapt the training provided the instructor(s).
When I attend seminars and camps as either a student, instructor or both my goal is to add something to my basic knowledge about my art as I practice and/or teach it. There have been times when the instruction has verified some of my ideas, other times have caused me to question the effectiveness of something that I have been doing/teaching. At other times I have had to step back and do a total review of my assumptions and beliefs. The latter situation is very disturbing but it is also the highly informative and exciting. I believe that a self-defense perspective has to be flexible, alive and viberant in order to be adaptable to new situations. My personal philosophy is that the system has to fit the individual.
In closing, I am far less concerned about the amount of teaching time a particular instructor or I have, I am far more interested in how effectively did that instructor or I utilize the time that was made available for the presentation.
Jerome Barber, Ed.D.
