Occasionally the topic of who sensei practices with during class comes up. It seems that most sensei have a favourite to demonstrate with, and often the other students get a little put out that he doesn’t pick them.
I have been on both sides of that equation, I was one of the folks my Aikido sensei used as “rag dolls”. You know, the guys who get flung around the room and get back up again faster than they fall down. It’s a great position to be in, you can learn a lot by feeling what sensei is doing, so yes, people should want that place.
But I have to warn you, it hurts. If you’re not willing to take the damage you shouldn’t put yourself forward. If you like to show that you’ve been hurt, don’t do it. If you can’t pay attention and get psychic, don’t do it. If you don’t like to get shoved into position or snapped at when you guess wrong, don’t do it.
Because you’re not practicing with sensei, you’re a teaching tool and your job is to shut up and be used as an example. Listen carefully to how sensei treats his pet, it’s borderline abusive. In fact I’ve been told by other senior students to ease up on the person I’m demonstrating with, sometimes I’m not a very nice person. Sometimes I start teaching my helper out in front of the class and that is never a nice situation so I appreciate the reminder to back off. Sometimes I’m teaching something to my helper and I don’t appreciate the input.
As a teacher I tend to teach as I was taught, and yes, I do have my favourites, my “sensei’s pet” as you might say. I’ve had several over the years, they come and go, and if they don’t go, they get a bit older and bruised up and tend to drift back in the class when a youngster is pushing forward.
The folks I pick to demonstrate with are not practicing with me, they are teaching tools, they are aides to the process. Yes they will learn a lot by being on the receiving end of the techniques. Sometimes, when I’m trying to make a point about this or that, they will be bruised up, that’s because I sometimes don’t have the words in my head and I can’t warn them that the movement is about to change. (I worry a bit about that loss of language.) Sometimes I don’t bother to be careful because I trust them to adapt, accept and be quiet if they were just hurt. Sometimes I’m angry at some other student in the class and I yell at my assistant instead. If the person who “just isn’t getting it” doesn’t get it… well there’s another bit of abuse absorbed by the “pet”.
So how do you get this position, assuming you want it after that explanation? First and most important, you show up at each and every class. This is vital to your health and well being, you need to know what sensei taught yesterday and last week so that you can anticipate what he’s about to do. The topics come and go in a sensei’s head and if you guess wrong you might just be eating some mat or sanding some wood with your teeth.
Secondly, and almost as important, you need to understand that you’re not there to help teach. I’m a pretty tolerant guy and if you want to expand on my instructions I’ll give you the floor. But one student giving an opinion tends to result in all students giving an opinion and we may as well go for beer because that’s where the discussion happens. On the floor we have a limited time to talk things over. My feelings about class chatter is often that “it’s their time” and if they want to spend it talking, we can talk. I’ve been known to talk.
But sometimes I have a destination in mind and to get there we need to shut up and swing sticks. As a result of this, I tend to be a lot more tolerant of comments from the floor than from my demonstrating partner. Questions are always welcome.
Third, you need to know the techniques, and know them as sensei is doing them this week. This goes back to number one of course, you have to be in class all the time. Right about now you’re saying “but I have a life…” Sure you do and your sensei understands that you do. Not everyone can make each and every class, but remind yourself that sensei does. He’s there for every class and the person he’s going to pick to demonstrate with is the one who is there as often as he is. A familiar face if you will. Sensei will tend to wave vaguely in the general direction of his current ragdoll and they are running forward, this is “how you get picked”.
Want to be the pet? Get up off the floor faster than you landed there and come back for more, always. Come back alert and ready to attack and be thrown. Come back promptly with your sword in position, eyes locked on sensei, find the right distance automatically and pay attention to the signals.
Want to get away from sensei’s attentions? Land badly, stumble off balance away from the sword technique, and then be reluctant to attack again. Be confused, look confused. The language is simple and clear.
I will dismiss whoever I’m demonstrating with the instant they lose focus (provided I don’t shout at them to pay attention) because the object of demonstrating is to instruct the rest of the class. Every pet will lose focus, it’s not a sin, it’s a fact, so sensei will end the demonstration before it disintegrates, if he’s smart. If he’s not done with his point he may wave over another person. As a pet you can’t take this personally.
Sensei’s pet is not just in class to learn and practice, he’s also paying attention to everything sensei is saying to everyone. He knows what sensei wants the instant sensei waves toward him because he was eavesdropping on what sensei was just saying to another student. There is no going into your own head if you’re the ragdoll, and the actions you perform with sensei have to be mostly instinctual, so you’d better be up on the techniques.
Does this sound like the pet should leave sensei and start teaching his partner off in the corner? That’s one of the ways you tell sensei you don’t want to be the pet. Pets need to pay attention, they need great big puppydog eyes always on sensei.
So what do we have if we examine the helper? Attendant, young, resiliant, eager, present, absorbant, uncomplaining, psychic, attendant, experienced enough to know the techniques being demonstrated, and present.
Mainly present. In every sense of the word.
There’s one more thing you should know about sensei and his pet. The pet eventually knows sensei’s weaknesses. Every sensei gets old, all of them get injured. A random student will not know that if you wrench on sensei’s arm in a certain way he will be in pain for a month. The pet knows and will not resist in certain directions. The pet will sense a new weakness as it appears and will respond in such a way that the rest of the class doesn’t see it.
A good pet will make sensei look really strong. This makes other students want to feel sensei’s strength, and they will, eventually, in certain directions and in careful circumstances. A strong, young, eager student can break sensei if he thinks sensei is amazing and indestructable. That may be why sensei doesn’t pick you to demonstrate with.
Remember, sensei is not practicing with his pet, he is teaching. The pet isn’t practicing with sensei either, but being there to be demonstrated upon. Practice is what you do with your fellow students.
When sensei is practicing with you he’s in the crowd, not up front with the rest of the class lined up watching. He wouldn’t do that to you. That’s actually one of the ways sensei gets rid of a student he doesn’t want, but that’s another story.
Still wanna be the pet? You should.
Seito Bugei Juku 