I think the 'technique' described was probably more along the lines of a stab at an initial stick position until the aircraft nose begins to move. Then continue the rotation at 3°/sec and eventually follow the SRS.
Perhaps a bit of gen passed around and used inappropriately due to worries about inducing a tail strike. The only rotation procedure formally published was IAW Airbus. It maybe betrays the lack of experience of the trainers involved and 'let's reinvent the wheel syndrome'.
Cerberus
