B for Basics

The ABC's of Self Defense

Not many people like the word Basic.  I guess the synonym could also be "Boring!"  Many people equate basics with a boring activity.  While it is more fun going fast, sometimes very fast, in order to really go fast and to do anything well consistently....you must first go slow.  

Let's look at martial arts training for example.

Any physical skill or activity takes a combination of a few things: focus, timing, repetition.  There are more, but lets start here.  It is really important to go slow in the beginning in order to link the mind and body...to create the muscle memory.  This can happen rather quickly, as long as you are focused while going slowly.  This will help build up psychological momentum as well as physical coordination.  This leads to us to timing.  While learning new activities...our timing is usually terrible.  We can get good timing through practice, but it  must be focused practice.  Many will go through the motions.  Those who are really competitive with themselves, will pick up the skills faster...as long as they do not let their ego get in their way...which does happen sometimes. Once we get our focus and timing down...the next part...where we can really build our skill set is through repetition.  IMO, the best skill building comes not during the first few reps, but through the last few.  When we get to reps 7-10. we get mentally tired, thereby losing our focus.  Our physical skills and timing deteriorate slightly.  These reps, IMO are the most important with which to build the neural pathways...or the "recipe" for success.

Here are the 4 stages to learning anything:

1. Unconscious incompetence -You don't know that you don't know it.

2. Conscious Competence - You tried it and you stink at it.

Most people quit after this realization

3. Conscious Competence - You now have an idea of what to do and must practice

4. Unconscious Competence - You have practiced enough to get the technique(s) into your subconscious. 

These 4 steps can take weeks or months to get a certain skill, or can take a matter of minutes.  It all depends on the first part...FOCUS.

Next time we will talk about Control.

Ciao!

Mark

Mark Kline

Architect of the PinPoint™ Method