Teaching and rank testing
I've begun, slowly, to view aikido with an instructor's eye. The primary difference in perspective is the change from "What is wrong with his technique, and how can I help him correct it?" to "What is right in his technique, and how can I help him build on it?"
Our dojo had (kyu-)rank testing today, and I realized that the rank differences have become rather shockingly clear. Those testing for 5th-kyu were clearly making 5th-kyu mistakes; those testing for 4th-kyu were clearly making 4th-kyu mistakes. Therefore, I could look at them within the framework of their rank and say "for a 5th-kyu, he's doing this, this, and this very well", where once I would have watched the same test and responded "He should change that, that, and that."
All in all, I'm very proud of our current group of white belts. They each did a very good job (far better than I did at those ranks)
On a somewhat related note, I now make nikyu mistakes :)
Our dojo had (kyu-)rank testing today, and I realized that the rank differences have become rather shockingly clear. Those testing for 5th-kyu were clearly making 5th-kyu mistakes; those testing for 4th-kyu were clearly making 4th-kyu mistakes. Therefore, I could look at them within the framework of their rank and say "for a 5th-kyu, he's doing this, this, and this very well", where once I would have watched the same test and responded "He should change that, that, and that."
All in all, I'm very proud of our current group of white belts. They each did a very good job (far better than I did at those ranks)
On a somewhat related note, I now make nikyu mistakes :)