There's a time and place for everything. Verbal discussion of the technique you're working on during practice may actually be more harmful than helpful to your progress. Excessive discussion while on the mat can create verbal "noise" that interferes with our ability to "listen" with our bodies and "hear" what's going on with our own bodies and with our partner's actions.
Notice I distinguish "verbal" discussion from other kinds of communication.
I remember practicing at Hombu Dojo one day. The mat was full of people paired up and training hard. At one point their incessant chatter became so distracting that I had to stop and tell them all to "Be quiet!" However, when I paused to look around the dojo, I was astonished to realize that NO ONE WAS ACTUALLY SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER.
I had been so "in tune" with the training that was going on in that room--both between me and my partner, AND between every other pair of students--that I COULD HEAR THE "DISCUSSIONS" THAT PEOPLE WERE HAVING THROUGH THEIR BODIES as if they were having verbal conversations with each other on the mat!
This type of nonverbal communication is happening all the time in our lives. But we are rarely in tune with it because the world fills our lives with so much "noise," that we've become desensitized to the signals that people around us are constantly sending out.
Aikido practice is an excellent way to quiet our minds, expand our awareness, and develop the kind of sensitivity needed to pick up on the nonverbal communication signals around us. With regular training, you'll develop a quietude in motion that will allow you to hear the signals your partner is sending. In return, you'll be able to give them signals about their technique. In this way, your practice will evolve from a competition to a conversation with your partner that you'll be able to hear loud and clear on the mat!
To be clear, there IS a time and place to discuss Aikido techniques with your sensei and and classmates. But that time is after practice. And off the mat. (Over beers is particularly effective, I've found!) But even then, I would encourage more listening than speaking, if you really want to cut through the noise of life and learn.
- TC
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