Bruising from too-complex or age-inappropriate partnering actually would jibe with what seems to be an increasingly normal facet of "Russian-style" training in US programs. I've had this explained to me by a number of teachers and I've certainly seen evidence of it in several schools and in many of these competitions that are springing up. Even though, as I understand it, Russian-style training actually goes at a fairly slow, deliberate pace (and doesn't even start til age 10 in Russia), in the US, the technical complexity gets cranked up at fairly young ages. The teachers will complain that it's because the parents demand it. The parents complain that it's what the teachers want. (and the competitions certainly reward it

) Somewhere in the middle is the truth, I'm sure!