The same technique

Yesterday we were working on breaking out of a headlock. Being a jujitsu and aikido practitioner I’ve tried my fair share in my time. Everything from practical moves to more fun but unpractical.

What really hit me was while I was teaching, that my thoughts were going through the “that this move is from jujitsu – that style, and this is from aikido” and so on. What really hit me was the moment I doubted myself not really knowing if the movement was from 1 style or the other. It was then I came to see them as the same. It wasn’t really the technique that was different but the principle behind that was different. A greater understanding on the Blooms taxonomy levels.

So when teaching I don’t know were the technique is “from”, but use the terminology and ideas the student knows. If he’s from jujitsu I explain using that terminology and techniques, and from karate I use  those. Students might think what they have is unique to their style, but that’s because they are only on a low level of understanding on the Blooms taxonomy. Or as some have put it, level of substance understanding.