How common is this?
Why would an instructor do this?
How can you tell if an instructor is holding back?
I was talking to some one who felt a certain instructor was holding back, I said what is a reason an instructor would hold back and he said so you keep paying.
How common is this today and have you ever experienced this?
To stay top dog 
Holding back? Holding back info, holding back during sparring, holding back promotions?
seedheaduprg -
Holding back? Holding back info, holding back during sparring, holding back promotions?
Holding back info, like for instance maybe not giving you extra details in technique.
Bitchassness.
Bread cutter -Surely this would just slow down people's progress and make them more likely to get disheartened and possibly drop outseedheaduprg -
Holding back? Holding back info, holding back during sparring, holding back promotions?
Holding back info, like for instance maybe not giving you extra details in technique.
Bread cutter -seedheaduprg -
Holding back? Holding back info, holding back during sparring, holding back promotions?
Holding back info, like for instance maybe not giving you extra details in technique.
Thats weird. Must be the top dog thing like CUO mentioned. Luckily none of my instructors do this. If anything, they give me too many details at once lol.
But maybe they're leaving out small details to make you think for yourself. Maybe too many details would be too much at once for the average student and the next time they visit the technique they will add more detail. We do this with the kids all the time, especially newer kids.
Just to play devil's advocate. There are times as an instructor I find it beneficial to not show everything I know about a subject. There are so many times I would go into super detail on on a subject and 90% of it just goes over people's head. So now adays I try to adjust my level of detail to who I am teaching.
What I teach about a kimura to a 1st day beginner and what I teach to a purple belt might be entirely different levels of detail and setups. Throwing all that stuff at a beginner just confuses them and they miss the core basics I wanted them to learn. A purple belt is possibly ready absorb them however.
I don't think it helps a white belt to teach over their head just so I can prove my intelligence. 
There can be a million details to what appears to be the simplest of moves.
Sometimes you can't give all the info at once...You've got to layer it in.
PV=nRT
Meatgrinder -This. As a lower rank, I always thought super detailed instruction was the way to go. Now I definitely feel less is more, especially in a beginners class
There can be a million details to what appears to be the simplest of moves.
Sometimes you can't give all the info at once...You've got to layer it in.
Another issue is progression. Sometimes you have to learn one move/system/position as a foundational movement to prepare you for another layer of movements that rely (or is better performed) on that foundation being solid first.
checkuroil - To stay top dog
Straight to the point as usual, lol. This is my feeling as well. Another method often used in conjunction by such people is focusing on low percentage or 'fancy' techniques at the expense of simple, battle tested, high percentage ones.
I don't know if the motivation is also to show off to impress students so they stay or what. Personally, I just want to get better and if it means fine tuning the same high percentage sequence week after week, then I'll do it. I hate wasting time on techniques that I know I'll never use, or am just very sceptical about, period.
What I am talking about probably doesn't apply to people training in world class schools with well known bb's. I'd imagine it's probably more commonplace in smaller schools.
There's an argument to be made that teaching to much detail at once is like telling a dude 900 things before he swings a golf club. He's going to lift his head and fuck it up anyway so why confuse a beginner like that?
i've definitely been guilty of over teaching a move, it's not an easy balance and you have to customize to your audience. Sometimes easier to teach a more experienced group more advanced moves and concepts than it is to teach beginners foundational basics.
I think holding back was more prevalent back in the day than now. With the explosion of sport BJJ, we don't see it as much today. To do so is pure suicide. In order for your students to be able to compete and win in the current tournament environment, instructors must pour every bit of knowledge into their students.
I imagine that in the few places it does exist, the ego of the instructor not wanting his students to catch or surpass him is probably the most likely reason.
FreestyleJJ - Just to play devil's advocate. There are times as an instructor I find it beneficial to not show everything I know about a subject. There are so many times I would go into super detail on on a subject and 90% of it just goes over people's head. So now adays I try to adjust my level of detail to who I am teaching.
What I teach about a kimura to a 1st day beginner and what I teach to a purple belt might be entirely different levels of detail and setups. Throwing all that stuff at a beginner just confuses them and they miss the core basics I wanted them to learn. A purple belt is possibly ready absorb them however.
I don't think it helps a white belt to teach over their head just so I can prove my intelligence.
excellent post - VU!
the best way to teach someone NOTHING is to try to teach them everything. They don't know which of the 15 details are the critical one to focus on and end up taking nothing away
Bitchassness is right when I started this black belt kicked my ass all the time I would ask him how to get out of the choke he was putting me and he would leave out details now that I'm a black belt if some one asks me I tell them if they can't comprehend what I'm saying or if it's too advanced that's there problem so I tell them to keep showing up and things come with time
FreestyleJJ - Just to play devil's advocate. There are times as an instructor I find it beneficial to not show everything I know about a subject. There are so many times I would go into super detail on on a subject and 90% of it just goes over people's head. So now adays I try to adjust my level of detail to who I am teaching.
What I teach about a kimura to a 1st day beginner and what I teach to a purple belt might be entirely different levels of detail and setups. Throwing all that stuff at a beginner just confuses them and they miss the core basics I wanted them to learn. A purple belt is possibly ready absorb them however.
I don't think it helps a white belt to teach over their head just so I can prove my intelligence.
This ^
My instructor teaches every detailed nuance, tip, scenario, alternative strategy, references other's instruction on the technique for perspective, gives the higher level students the keys to the place and begs them to roll and drill as much as they can and remains in no danger of being overshadowed. He will accommodate privates and does a few here and there, but shy's away from the whole sell in general. I wouldn't think anyone can hold back anything in the last 10 years with the proliferation of high quality instruction posted on the internet everywhere you turn.