There have been the rare times I've been off the mats and haven't been able to join in on group classes. During these times I'll often come in anyway and sit on the mats or on the sidelines and watch class.
It is amazing what one can pick up from the third person perspective when watching a group lesson or even a private one. I've learned some invaluable lessons while not being in the fray; things that I can take back to the mats with me later on that help my Kenpo tremendously.
One of the things I find of particular note is basics. I can 9 times out of 10 watch a person on the mat and know from their basics who they are being taught by at our studio. Sometimes it's not always for the better but again,,,,a lesson learned there in itself, no? I often see things from shallow stances to too wide of a stance. I'll see someone who isn't fully committed to their movement (meaning they aren't sure they believe they either know what they are doing or that what they are doing works). I see punches that look more like paddling at the air meaning no full range of motion from thrusting the punch with the one hand to pulling to the back elbow with the other arm. I will notice someone that is a strong kicker to someone that uses a kick as a bait for the upper body if they feel that's their strong point.
These tips that you pick up while sitting back proves two things to me 1) you're ALWAYS learning something if you were trained properly....even when you aren't on the mats 2) everything you've noticed about someeone else from that 3rd person perspective is undoubtedly the same flaws in your own Kenpo which is why the stand out so glaringly to you. Is that always the case? No of course not but I've noticed personally that anything I've had reason to tilt my head sideways about while watching someone, I bet I can find in my own training somewhere down the road.
The good news about that is it gives me something to correct and work on when I am able to get back on the mats. I'm more self conscious of the way I move and how I move based solely on what I noticed in someone else's motions. It makes me wonder, "Hey do I do that?!" and if so I need to change that right now and if I don't, need to make sure and help that person correct it and watch out for it in others. Again it's typically a sign of the teaching and you can either talk to the teacher about the student or gently give tips along the way directly to that student if you're on the mats with them at any point or during the next class.
Last night I had the unfortunate opportunity of sitting out of Advanced Class (unfortunate because Larry taught....lol) but let me tell you it was still quite the learning process even sitting down and watching everyone else doing the "hard part". In all my time at the studio I'm still amazed at how simple a move he can take and turn it into something that totally changes the entire workings of the form or technique. Last night it was something as simple as a step through with the right leg on something he was working on that added not only a buckle to the ground that I wouldn't have noticed before in the technique (at least not for myself) but an arm break that would have been much more powerful for someone my size to accomplish had I needed to.
Then there was the "walk through" of Short 3 and how subtle moves were broken down to show the opposites and reverse motion built into the form and uh oh here it comes the categories completed as well. Just some really interesting applications that even though I do these movements all the time while working the form don't see them in quite the same light until you're sitting there watching it all unfold before your eyes as if someone shined some mystery light on it to help you see it.
During this same exercise it was explained how the opening of a form can often times be looked at like a book where you have the preface or the forward, the table of contents and the outline that sets up the character development and as you work through the forms these same opening moves develop the plot of the form and show you how the patterns repeat themselves throughout as the story unfolds.....incredible stuff.
Short and Long 3 are two of my favorite forms in the system and now I have yet something else to work on with it as I go through and uncover further plot developments (the form itself) laid out by the characters (the strikes and blocks). So many of our sets find their way in our forms as well but you don't realize how often they appear until you have something like last night opened up to you to explore later on your own.
As much as I don't like missing classes or time on the mats, there have been some valuable lessons learned from the sidelines as well that can only further enhance my learning as I take these tidbits of information picked up while watching and incorporate them into my own training.
So hang in there folks. If you're sidelined for an injury and can't be on the mats or you find yourself in the area of the studio but don't have your bag with your gear in the car because you didn't THINK you'd wind up within range of the studio, drop in anyway. Sit down, grab a seat on the sidelines or directly on the mats (if they allow it) and be prepared to be amazed at just how much more you see from where you are.
It'll do your training a world of good.
Posted
Jun 21 2007, 01:23 PM
by
kenpoangel