Seminars and such

Just wondering about Seminars in other places than the U.S. or even the east coast of the U.S. First of all how many people attend seminars, either in your art or outside your art. Are they well recieved and how do people feel about going to them?

My observation of the ones I attend are really unique. The Aikido school I belonged to had 2 Shihan come in twice a year, Valentines Day and Labor Day.The seminars were 3 day seminars and covered a variety of topics. What I noticed is that students may try to do what the Shihan was doing , but most of the time went back to their zone of comfort, their way of doing things. If they did try it, it lasted the weekend and most times, were forgotten by the following Monday class. Why take time out of your life to go to seminars if you don't reap from them?
I am a big believer in attending seminars and probably do 7-10 a year, as a student. I am asked to give them about that many times a year also. Most of the Seminars I attend, people are open for information, but are very close minded as to what they accept. Many have pre-concieved notions of what is good and what is not. I have only attended 1 group that is always on the same page as their Sensei, and are open to the way others do things. This is the Hawaiian art of Lua, where the Grandmaster gives you a gift, and tells you to use it as you like. I wonder again, why people attend these if they are not gleaning information. Does this exist elsewhere, or is the seminar circuit as its called more of an American thing. I bet it is because there is money to be made once you have a good reputation. tell me about thoughts on Seminars

I would love to afford them, at the moment, I can't afford to train, oh well such is student life.

But the seminars in the UK are great as there are loads of open ones, there are some coming up at the SENI03 event at the NEC in Birmingham. There is also the 'Super Seminar 2003' in Huddersfield.

If you look for them you could go to one every weekend.

As for my art I train in Kick boxing and the organisation I train in, I train under the Chief Instructor (Kash Gill) although there are sometimes opportunities to train with his coach - Master A a Thai boxing coach.

Other than that I attended a few when I did Shotokan Karate (KUGB), but the culture of KUGB Shotokan is so engrained that you could train with the top instructors and there would be little difference to just decent instructors. (Except probably Ronnie Christopher who is better than most).

As for the students all of them (including me for a long time) walk around as though no other art exists and if it did it is crap and shotokan is better.

I actually coined a phrase from this:

'Shotokan Granduer'

You should see it in some students, its amazing.

It's not about listening or learning, just about reapeating techniques over and over until eventually you look like a robot and then you pass your dan grade. If Gichin Funakoshi walked through the door;

A) they probably wouldn't know who it is, but don't worry they would have been told to behave as he is an important guy.
and..
B) They would be too busy making sure they were standing in a regimented line with their eyes forward and their chests pushed out to bother listening to what he is saying.

sorry about that, I started the post so nicely as well [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

I've always found seminars to be something of a mixed bag. I don't attend very many, mainly beacuse there aren't that many to attend!! Of those I've been to, some have been excellent and have really broadened my horizons beyond aiki arts. Others have been appalling, nothing more than a chance for sensei to show how good they are.

The worst ones I've been to are those that include mixed arts. They are nothing more than "my style is better than your style" pissing contests. I like seminar where there is only one sensei, and you know the style he/she will be showing. These are the ones you can learn from.

Sadly I have always found aikidoka reluctant to step outside their art, whereas stylists from other disciplines are quite happy to look around at other arts. Don't really know why that is.