Unreasonable Training

Corporate training is a safe, reasonable and logical business where clear learning aims and consideration for delegates is paramount. This is my own and the majority view in the industry I work in.

There are however other ways of learning then undeniably get results in other arenas. Contrast the average corporate Power Point or leadership training seminar with these clips of hard and "unreasonable" training. The first exemplifies the austerely spiritual approach of Japanese martial arts training (I experienced a similar style while living as an student in the UK Aikido HQ). The second video is not for the faint hearted and shows Chinese gymnastics training (Western gymnastics training is almost as severe) and is in my opinion a form of child abuse.

While is is easy to demonise such approaches (particularly the latter, which to be clear, I find despicable) - what can be learned from them? What if executives and business training providers had this level of unreasonable dedication? Have you ever "stayed up nights" thinking of ways to "make your delegates stronger"? What if you had this type of commitment or your learners this level of ego-free surrender? If business people trained with the dedication of Olympic martial arts hopeful how would they perform?

I am not saying these approaches would be appropriate in the business training world - they are unreasonable - I am however saying they make an interesting contrast and underline some weaknesses as well as strengths of business training culture. Business too after all, is mainly "a matter of hard work and concentration."





My training business website is here. Our specialty is working with the body in a gentle non-athletic way around stress, leadership and team building.