New Club for Cross-Training...

[hammer]

Hope we find out how this went, seems like a lot of us (myself included) got a little fixated on kick heights...

Do have to say that the comment about the instructor tripping a lot can be concerning, although I'd also admit that demonstrating a technique as one is teaching it can be a challenge as well.

Bottom line is that if the overall skills of the instructor and senior students isn't up to what you are used to, then the school may not push you enough and you should look elsewhere.

[CredoTe]

I don't think too many people at my school can do a round house to the head. I know I can't anymore, due to injury. Also consider that we do not practice that kick (or side kick, or hook kick) as part of class. I also can no longer do jump kicks (since I had ankle/leg surgery in January, following a car crash). Remember - the round house does not appear in any Shorin Ryu kata (or any of the standard Shotokan kata).

With that said, I wouldn't want to take a kick from quite a few of the people at my school. Nor an elbow smash for that matter (that I've seen as a common counter in sparring against round kick happy individuals in tournament....)

Agreed In Matsubayashi-Ryu (Shorin-Ryu), 99.0% of the kicks in our kata are front kicks (including front kick variants). We have a few other kicks according to Osensei, but not many.

ShaolinShorin,

To address this at the topic at hand, kicking to the head is something we would never do, regardless of physical capability of a student. More importantly, to conclude that an entire school and/or student body is no good based on 1 technique during 1 visit is a little farcical. As Wastelander alluded to, if the technique was performed effectively within the range of motion each student was physically able to achieve, then that's all that matters.

The good thing in all this, though, is that you're paying close attention to a prospective new school. It's your MA journey, and you have to be content with where you go on your journey in order to keep on with it.