Would you as a Sensei find it disrespectful..

If one of your students got private lessons from someone outside the dojo? I have seen a couple of Ads from other dojos who offer private lessons but I'd like to hear from you all before I act. I once asked my Sensei if he offers private lessons but he said it would be useless because he would not recommend cramming any more knowledge into my mind. I think he misunderstood me a bit. What I really want is just to go over the techniques he’s taught me a couple of hundred or so times over so I can get a better feel for them since I'm not really a coordinated person.

Thanks for any insight.

Whether your sensei will find it disrespectful can only be determined by asking or discussing it with him.

The biggest concern I would have is whether your private sensei and your public sensei are teaching you the same things the same way? For instance, in my training we keep our feet in tight with little or no hanmi. Just down the raod a bit is a dojo where they strive for very deep hanmi. You could see how this might not work out so well.

Chris

I see, thank you for the enlightenment

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AkhilleusWeeps:
If one of your students got private lessons from someone outside the dojo?...I once asked my Sensei if he offers private lessons but he said it would be useless because he would not recommend cramming any more knowledge into my mind. I think he misunderstood me a bit. What I really want is just to go over the techniques he’s taught me a couple of hundred or so times over so I can get a better feel for them since I'm not really a coordinated person.[/QUOTE]

Realistically, he probably doesn't want to get thrown around a lot more. A private lesson for you means ukemi for him. Unless you have your own uke to bring along.

As for cramming your head with more knowledge, my aim is usually to help the student release all unnecessary "knowledge" and get to the simple things that make aikido live. Those things are already in you. They are there in every baby that learns to stand up and walk. Aikido is not something that someone puts into you. The real art comes out of you.

and to csinca:

you say, "in my training we keep our feet in tight with little or no hanmi. Just down the raod a bit is a dojo where they strive for very deep hanmi."

I think of stances as fitting under an umbrella. Would you stand under an umbrella so that you foot sticks out the side? There, the rain is coming down.

Now trade the umbrella for a sword and trade the rain for another sword. Your sword shields your head, but if your foot or arm is sticking out below your sword, his sword will cut it off. So I think a narrow stance, staying under the umbrella, is best.

Also, a narrow stance is skeletally better, due to the nerves that are stimulated in the hip joints. They are meant to receive vertical stimulation. A wide stance changes that vertical stimulation to an angular stimulation. This doesn't matter for moments at a time, such as the kime at the end of a throw, the zanshin moment. But the tori should return to the narrow stance immediately.

Real martial arts don't distort the skeleton/nerve system.

But as far as differences in teaching, I think it's good to experience them to develop deeper perspective. Over the years, of course. A new beginner doesn't need it.

IMHO

aikikiai,

sounds like you shall my preference for a narrow stance.

Chris

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AkhilleusWeeps:
If one of your students got private lessons from someone outside the dojo? I have seen a couple of Ads from other dojos who offer private lessons but I'd like to hear from you all before I act. I once asked my Sensei if he offers private lessons but he said it would be useless because he would not recommend cramming any more knowledge into my mind. I think he misunderstood me a bit. What I really want is just to go over the techniques he’s taught me a couple of hundred or so times over so I can get a better feel for them since I'm not really a coordinated person.

Thanks for any insight.[/QUOTE]

I assume you mean other styles of aikido not related to yours?

I concur with aikikiai. It's not that you need more knowledge. It sounds like you need more mat time/practice. Private lessons with your sensei or someone else is no substitute for mat time.

As Chris has indicated, the fundamental stylistic differences between your sensei's style and someone else could be so vastly different that it would not only be more confusing, but could also be entirely contrary to what your sensei is trying to teach you.

I would suggest approaching your sensei and say exactly what you said here:
"What I really want is just to go over the techniques he’s taught me a couple of hundred or so times over so I can get a better feel for them"

That is vastly different to asking about "private lessons". No wonder your sensei misunderstood. You have to ask the right question to elicit the right response.

I am almost certain your sensei will say exactly the same thing - just keep practicing!