Sunday, May 17, 2009

Good Day in the Gravel

Had the privilege today of watching a fine teacher.  He delivered a complete Use of Force class in about four minutes as a lead-up to an introduction to pain compliance DTs.  He was perfectly clear about what he was teaching and what he wasn't teaching. He delivered what the students needed in a way that they could understand., respectful of both their needs and their inexperience.

Then he stepped aside, to let his junior instructors teach.
It was good to watch. Two of them were extraordinary, not just good teachers, but good leaders. They had their group active in a matter of minutes.  Consequently the students in that group got many more reps than the others. Hmmm- good teachers compound learning: better teaching and less wasted time.  I worked with the group with the weakest instructors, they seem surprised that I would be uke for a 'mere recruit'.

I know how hard it is to step aside and let someone else teach. We talked about it, observed, threw in some suggestions. Discussed things and improvements from our different points of view.  A full day in the burning sun (hadn't planned on it, I'll be crispy tomorrow).

A good day in the gravel.  Green grain blows in the wind (who ever thought this country could be this green?)

4 comments:

shugyosha said...

I know I'm into MA and not DT, but things like this push my buttons:

"they seem surprised that I would be uke for a 'mere recruit'."

I notice you didn't say "grateful".

Rory said...

That's not an MA/DT thing, it's a thing very specific to the cultural I am working in. Wish I could explain more. Catch me in private,

EC said...

Pain compliance? I would have thought you would be more akin to looking at structural compliance (i.e. you can't fight the physics of your own body)

I have always been taught that pain was bonus points and not rely on pain compliance. If you have the lock (joint, arm so on and so forth) correct that if they fight the technique then they fight their body.

For instance, Ikkyo works because the wrist is higher than the elbow, the elbow is higher than the shoulder and the opponents secondary center point is over their front triangle point effectively double weighting them. If the opponent fights and try to rise to get out of ikkyo then they are fighting the structure of their body and will result in them hurting themselves.
Most of the time though I've found that if you have all the above correct it will result in the opponent unable to move much with the only option of going down to the ground. I know there is a dynamics of movement on the tori's part that's hard to put into words but I hope you get the gist which is: proper structural alignment for control.

Thoughts?

BTW not criticizing just asking what you think get some one else's perspective.

On another note, every once in a while our instructor throws on a white belt and lets one of us teach instead of him. It's kind of neat because your forced to look at it from another place and I've had many experiences where I was teaching and realized a faucet of the technique that I never picked up on from my perspective.

Rory said...

EC-
There are specific levels and standardized names to the use of force continua used by officers (specific and standardized does not mean universal, different agencies use different continua ... hmmmm continuums?)

The non-contact levels are usually presence and verbal; some agencies include a "directional touch" ; the lowest level of actually making someone do something is sometimes called physical control, in this syllabus it is called 'pain compliance' things likely to get people to obey but unlikely to injure.

So all your points are valid, EC, there are just some language differences. When I need to distinguish I use the term 'physiological lockout' to indicate that it works even on threats under the influence of PCP, but that is a very, very short list of techniques.