Re: [Paddlewise] Unfettered Paddles/Tendonitis/timepiece aside

-----Original Message-----
From: Mattson, Timothy G
Date: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 3:08 PM
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Unfettered Paddles/Tendonitis/timepiece aside


>I have acquired the ACA manuals for both coastal and white
>water instruction.  In these manuals, they talk all about the "push-pull"
>methods. Furthermore, if you look at 99% of the kayak instruction books on
>the market, they also talk about the old "push-pull" methods ---
>
>So my question is, does the ACA recognize the torso oriented stroke as the
>right stroke to teach?  Am I going to get hammered when I take the IDW/ICE
>and refuse to do the stupid, inefficient arm stroke?  I mean I can do it
and
>mimic what the books tell you to do, but its the WRONG way to paddle a
>kayak.   Is this a case of the ACA mauals are behind ACA practice, or is
the
>ACA really stuck in the dark ages of paddling?
>--Tim
        I can't really answer competently for the kayaking instructors, but
as an ACA certified canoeing instructor I can say that we do teach Torso
Rotation.  --Go out of our way to demonstrate it, too.  Where I've been at
combined instruction,  WW kayak instructors pretty much emphasized torso
rotation as well.  I don't recollect much discussion of push-pull stroking.
        There are always changes in what is taught or required or
recommended in the various instructional books.  In some instances
techniques have been changed, only to return to the original in the next
edition.
        It's also true that the way I paddle for instruction, wherein I'm
modeling the ideal stroke, bears no resemblance to how I paddle in
actuality.  This is to be expected as one's skills develop.  I chain strokes
in unusual ways, and there are some that I have no name for.  I expect you'd
be doing the same.  Does this suggest that I have to figure out what the
instructor trainer wants?   Yep!


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