27/10/2026
Last night, Laura Drayton and I were teaching class together. Occasionally, students will notice that we will execute a technique differently and, because we are quite happy for our students to ask questions, someone will ask why they're different.
I am 68, Laura is 40. We both train in other arts and have very different physiologies, as well as different levels of understanding about our training.
The essence of the form or kata is still there, the principles and fundamentals are there, we merely interpret them according to our physiology and understanding. Neither is 'wrong' or 'right'...it's just what works for us.
In the early stages of training, it is essential that the delivery to juniors is prescriptive, in order to give them a firm base. Once the student approaches 2nd, 3rd Dan and above, they should be making their preceding training work for them, with deeper understanding, while investigating more deeply their continued learning along the way.
Keep training, keep questioning, keep learning.
