The Moving Target
I was chatting with a friend who was quite frustrated by the influx of newbies at his dojo . In order to accommodate people who do not even have the most basic Aikido movement vocabulary, their instructor end up spending a lot of time doing basics and simple techniques in class. "I know those things already. I have done them before. How do we get better if we keep doing the same things all the time?" He thinks he knows those basics moves already. To improve, he thinks he needs to do something else -- more complicated moves and techniques. He thinks the way the instructor runs the classes is unfair to the advanced students. I can sympathize, but I disagree. I understand the sentiment because I have experienced it before. I know it can be frustrating. Things may seem repetitive. I know people may feel bored. I have seen that look in the eyes of Aikido students many times. If what my friend says is true...
