I Am Frustated With Lack of Info Master Provides for devlope

SaiFightsMS · KF VIP

After an additional read I have noticed that you said it is the tiniest little things he picks on you with. It is the little things that can make the difference between a great performance and an average performance. And all of the little things add up.

Are you correcting the little things he is picking at? That too can make a difference in how you are treated.

Taokara · Yellow Belt

If i ask him he'll just go oh everyones doing well and hell just beat around the bush without telling me.

And i do correct the little things he's telling me. I'm getting kinda frustrated to with the fact that the've both had, 20 30 years at martial arts and ive had 2. And my forms look just as good as theirs do. Maybe there holding back on me becuase they dont want me to be better than them!?

Taikudo-ka · Green Belt

Well if you are as good as you say you are perhaps your teacher really doesn't think you need much extra advice? If he's always pointing out small details perhaps you should be happy that your form is so good already that he can only make small corrections, trying to perfect it.

If I do some form, and the only advice I get is to move my pulled back fist half an inch lower or something, I'd feel I'd done it pretty well.
Particulary when the next guy does the same thing and the sensei asks "OK, Who can tell me what this guy has done wrong?" because his hips are all out, and his wrist is bent, and one leg is at completely the wrong angle...
Perhaps he doesn't think he needs to "egg you on" because you are already making good progress?

I'd say if you really want some constructive feedback, approach him before or after class or during a break when he's not busy, and ask him what your main weaknesses are.

If you can ask the question this way, so he has to give some specific feedback on things you could improve, you might get a better answer.

If you just ask "how am I doing?" it's much easier to reply with a tokenism like "yeah, good, you're doing fine".

tessone · Green Belt

Very true. I think it's often taken that the art is its own best motivation, so instructors may not feel they need to be harping on students to work and fix things.

I would suggest that if you think your forms look just as good as your masters', you might be missing something. Remember that you may be making mistakes you can't see, even if they're small ones. The devil is in the details, so just because you feel like you have a form down, there's probably still work to be done.

I watched a video of Ki Chyo Hyung (the KSW white belt form) performed by a master (I think 6th dan) tonight and was absolutely blown away. Even though I have a lot of the picky little details down, there's still a long way to go. And I bet that when another master watches that performance, he or she might have a suggestion or two on how to improve it, even though the master performing it may have learned it 25 years ago.

_________________
Chris Tessone
Brown Belt, Kuk Sool Won

Karateka · Red Belt

My master always told "You have improved very well, but still no good"

It is not how well you are doing, it is how you are dealing with it. Are you getting frustrated and give up, or do you strive for the achievment, that is what matters.

_________________
"Never hit a man while he's down; kick him, its easier"

Sensei Ron Bagley (My Sensei)

Taokara · Yellow Belt

Thanks for the advice everyone. I learn MA for one and only one person myself i learn it to make me a better person and i strive to do my best.

Ai Hate · Yellow Belt

i don't get any serious comments on my overall tarining either. it's usually when i did some technique wrong, then he corrects it (mostly in kicks)
anyway, i have had one personal conversation with him on my injury behind the knee, and what he told me was that my muscles are still very weak, so sometimes i just can't do some techniques properly.
for me, i don't ask my sensei directly, "how am i doing?", but i usually ask for his advice on certain points.
my strongest motivation right now is the words my sensei wrote for me when i was at the camp (in an activity where everyone would write a feedback on a person): "train very hard and you'll be very good".
i know that it's a general rule of thumb that if you train hard, you'll be good, but i try to think positively

and there'd be a small event on this 25th, and he pointed at me and said "i think you should go, for the experience. and maybe if another guy wants to go, then ok". again, common words, but i try to think positive

so i say if you realy want to get comments, ask him.

Bitseach · Green Belt

Isn't this what Gichin Funakoshi went through in his training? Endless drills, little praise but much correction, etc? As a teacher myself (though not of MAs!) I don't think it's a good teaching method, but there is at least a good deal of precedent!

I think your Senseis are just trying to make you better - as someone else said, if they are only picking up on small things then they must think you're pretty good already, but they criticise because they want to make you BETTER. The sword has to pass through many fires before it is tough enough. I've had Senseis who always seem to pick on the better people in the class - it has always been to drive them onto striving for perfection. The people who are not so good and who make no effort do not always seem worth the criticism.

I'd take it as a complement!

[ This Message was edited by: Bitseach on 2002-05-03 09:56 ]

karatekid1975 · KF VIP

Vey good posts, Ai hate, and Bitseach. I agree with both of you

One thing my old instructor used to do, and my new master does too, is nit-pick about certian techniques. The ones that, one day, may save your life, he says. Specially the defenses (from graps, ect). And I totally know why he does this. You have to know it and do it right in class, so if you ever need to use it in real life, it'll be effective. And he doesn't praise you in class. If you do it right, he'll leave you alone and stop nit-picking LOL. But he does tell you later how you are doing over-all.

_________________
Laurie F

Bitseach · Green Belt

...and the day you DO get a grunt, nod or a "not bad" you will smile as you have never smiled before!

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