Kim Taylor

Well, like they say, if you're not learning, you're dying. I don't have a lot of experience with the sword arts, but it seems like everything is related to everything else somehow; in learning koryuu, you're also helping yourself look at your "main" art from a different angle, perhaps...

I think that you probably already know the answer to this. In my limited experience and understanding the koryu sets are the pedagogic agency by which the ryu achieves enculturation of it's members. The kata become a paradigm of successful (combative) behavior. Practicing a spectrum of kata within a ryu provides opportunity for greater insight into both the nature of the ryu and the nature of conflict, stressing the individual in different ways physically, psychologically, and spiritually to drive adaptation. Unless of course I am completely wrong!

But maybe the students you do have are not aware that this material exists and in fact if they did know they WOULD be anxiously waiting. I am sure they will be delighted if/when you start teaching them something new.

one problem is they might not be up to it... every now and then I forget there is a beginner in the dojo if all my seniors turn up, as happened last night.... poor guy just looked at me like a rabbit in the headlights... "so.. for you, mae!"

Does the set in question introduce a principle that is not already covered elsewhere? If not, does it illustrate it in a way that makes the underlying principle either more apparent or accessible? If not, I'd be tempted to consider it redundant and have some conversations with colleagues about whether its continued inclusion is adding or detracting from the art.

Actually my students tend to be of the "please, can we just get the stuff we already have down first before you throw another 12 at us!" persuasion. I have a blackboard that stretches from one side of the dojo to the other covered in kata lists.

But there certainly are students who WANT to learn everything. I had one about a year ago who was excited that we were going to host a Yagyu Shingan sensei to a seminar. His comment to me was "you can learn this school and teach it to me!".

I asked him how often he came out to class to learn the stuff we already teach which closed the conversation.

Kim.

As others have stated its a fine balance, you want to make sure the core principles are covered and that the building blocks are there. However on the other end....... if things are not learned or not taught often enough they fall by the way side and so much of the forms etc has already happened. As a English teacher, always have extra stuff ready when / if my students are ready. Extra games in case the lesson plan that schools decide on is short by say 10 mints, if the students seem to be picking up the key points quickly - can go on to next thing or expand on what I am already teaching. Some times I throw advance things at my students. If they pick it up and can run with it, great. If not no worries, I know that 90% of this will be taught again down the road and be ingrained to various degrees later on. Even if there is no pressure on you to teach it at the moment, it might still be good as a primer to show it / or run through a very basic dry run.... of it. Just my 2 yens worth, hope it helps with the feed back and thought process on this! 狼より/ Jeff

Not sure if its too late but hey better late then never and you can simply take the point and grow.

The first person that should be eager to learn this new technique is yourself. Whether you have a new student or a bunch of seniors in your ranks, the first person that matters is yourself. So get out there and learn it, master it, and then others may decide if they wish to learn from you. After all without material one can not teach and martial arts is not something you read from a book

There are limited hours in a day, especially if one is not retired, and for partner practices you need two people with lots of extra time. What do we neglect in order to practice new material?

Yup, limited time..... but thats why you pick and choose what to work on. 80% of my free time is spent on a mix of girlfriend, Iaido, Aikido, Kendo, and Trans of budo material / research purposes. w/ the stronger emphasis being Girlfriend and Iaido! Again just try and practice what you can. If its a 2man (or woman) kata, learn it to the point where you can shadow either portion. That way its engrained and when teaching you can do either role and just make sure to add it in every so often so that you and who ever you are working w/ or teaching gets experience w/ it as well. a few more yens worth for you.
また、狼より/ Jeff