I've been climbing at a different climbing gym lately, and have now been lectured three times in two weeks that I'm belaying wrong. I respect that folks are only trying to help. But two things bug me:
1) When you are belaying a lead climber on a difficult climb you want to concentrate on them not on this person coming and wanting to show you the "right" technique then and there. I understand that this concerned person feels they need to fix it right now, but they should understand
2) that there are SEVERAL ways to safely belay someone. There are pros and cons of each method. You can use a gri-gri, Münter Hitch knot, ATC-style device, or Figure-8.
In my case all lectures came from the fact that I'm using an ATC Guide (teeth in one side), belaying from my harness, with break hand PALM-UP on the rope. Apparently, in the part of the world I now live no one would ever belay palm-up. "Credential attack" begins, whereby my training must be inferior to the training 'round here. That overcome, "natural instinct attack" begins, where I'm told my natural instinct in a fall will be to pull the rope down with the break hand (not back and slightly down which is the natural movement if your break hand palm is up), and it will be a less effective belay.
Last time this happened it started a "lecture pile-on" with curious onlookers and several follow-up lectures that made it impossible for me and my buddy to climb.
All this makes me wish for a USA-style test on entry to the climbing gym to certify you can belay, then maybe I could climb in peace. I don't want to be cold to these well-meaning people but I'm getting sick of it.
Probably this is just my rant just before I copy/memorize this variant of belaying to get some peace.