I agree, I think he was holding it too far away. He also looked hesitant, like he was afraid of getting burned. (I've seen that with younger cadets a lot.) And he wasn't holding the SL steady, so the sparks weren't being concentrated in a single spot.

I have never tried vaseline impregnated cotton balls, but to a certain extent I disagree with using them when you're starting out. If you're lost and you don't have any vaseline impregnated cotton balls, but you do have a bottle of aspirin in your first aid kit that has cotton batting in it, it's better to know how to use that. Having the vaseline-soaked ones in an emergency is good; using them for practice because they're easier to light is not. (I probably misinterpreted your post, though.)