James

Perhaps you should have a better look at what you are actually saying then.

There is a lot of unnecessary nonsense in most eastern martial arts instruction. MMA has demonstrated that repeatedly.

So.. what you are really saying here is "I needed things this way, so clearly everyone else must also need things this way"?

A *good* instructor doesn't need uniforms to make people conform so they listen to them, they engage and make people want to listen to them.

A *good* instructor doesn't need to gatekeep how/when a student learns a thing, they instruct in a way that is useful for all students and adapt as needed.

Conversely, I have done organised sports all my life and now run a HEMA school.

None of what you mention are *required* for a (good) HEMA/martial arts class.

In fact, most of what you mentioned are cheap tools used to establish/maintain authority; IME used when the instructor isn't that good.