Optimize Your Training
I recently started taking lessons with another excellent oud/music teacher, and the exercises he has been having me do in our lessons have reminded me yet again how important teaching and learning with an optimal curriculum is. The difference in the quality and speed at which you can learn with optimal practice is incredible. I recently played for a friend of mine who has played the oud since he was a kid, and he remarked that in the last three months I’ve made seven years of progress. That’s probably an exaggeration, but the point is solid. The same goes for martial arts/self defense, or anything else you may be learning.
Unfortunately, in my experience most teaching is far from ideal, and most students really don’t know how to practice to get the best results. Even when you do know how to practice optimally, the natural temptation is to do what seems easier or what you feel you may enjoy more, and it’s easy to get off course. Two years ago I wrote a post titled 5 Tricks to Learn Better and Faster. Two of the most important tips in that post were to master one small thing at a time and to practice just beyond your ability rather than attempting to go too far beyond it. Even though I wrote that post myself, in my music practice I’ve still tended to practice playing entire compositions rather than breaking them into small/difficult parts in order to improve, and I’ve often practiced material that was far beyond my ability. I got very little benefit from such practice, and a good bit of frustration. And this is despite my first teacher telling me to do otherwise!
I see the same thing in martial arts practice all the time. For example, at the last school I went to I watched as an instructor had students practice a combination of techniques that nearly everyone was failing to execute. Why? Because most of the people in the class weren’t able to do each of the individual techniques in the combination well enough. They couldn’t possibly remember the combination, because they were too busy failing to do the first technique in the combination correctly. But rather than stopping and working on each technique one at a time, the instructor just watched as the students made sloppy attempts, and then he moved on to the next combination they were unable to do! This kind of practice is not only useless, but counterproductive. But it’s common everywhere…
My wife and I have both taken foreign language lessons. Recently my wife was complaining that her teacher has her read whole pages out loud, where she doesn’t know a substantial number of words. This is how her textbook is arranged. And I had exactly the same experience in my first foreign language classes. Our teachers simply followed the text books without thinking about how much sense the curriculum made. It would have made far more sense to learn the vocabulary first, then to listen to the teacher read the material, and then to read through it ourselves. Trying to read through something where you don’t know what the words mean or how to pronounce them is pointless, frustrating, and counterproductive. Yet, many language books are structured that way.
Attempting to learn or practice like this is like teaching someone a few boxing moves and then telling them to fight. It just doesn’t work. Students with such sub-optimal training will end up overwhelmed and developing bad habits. And bad habits take much longer to correct than if the material had been learned well in the first place.
The solution is simple. You need to use what Matt Thornton called the I Method, which I have briefly written about in the training section of my website and in detail in my first book. There are three phases to the I Method: introduction, isolation, and integration. It doesn’t matter what you’re learning. The concepts are the same.
Begin with a single technique. This is the introduction phase, and it only takes a minute or two in most cases. Then drill the technique in an easy/cooperative environment with progressive resistance and intensity. This is the isolation phase, where the technique is learned well and pathways in the brain are really laid down. The isolation phase can and often should always be a part of training, where you can perfect technical mechanics and increase speed and power without being interrupted. And the final phase is the integration phase. At this point you integrate the technique into actual performance. And at this point it is crucial that you do not train too far above your ability!
You can start the integration phase with a single technique and a single defense with low intensity, and slowly and gradually add techniques and intensity. The key is to train right around the edge of your skills. Sometimes a little below them, where you can perform solidly, sometimes at the border where it’s challenging, and sometimes JUST past your level where you fail. Once you fail, you can stop, determine why you failed, create an isolation exercise to address the failure point, and then re-integrate.
This strategy of training right past the edge of your ability, figuring out why you fail, and creating an exercise to deal exactly with that failure, will lead to very fast and efficient increases in your skills. On the other hand, if you either get stuck in the introduction phase, which is what happens in many martial arts that primarily use solo training, or get thrown into the integration phase with too many techniques and too much intensity too soon, as is also common, you’ll end up learning very little of anything that actually works.
You can and should apply this to everything that you do or teach! 
The post How to Learn 10x Faster appeared first on Functional Self Defense.
| New Products | |
   |
   |
  |
  |
  |
  |
| BEST Seller Products | |
 Stun Master 20 Million Volt BAD ASS Metal Stun Baton/Flashlight - As with all stun devices the Stun Master Stun Baton offers an extremely effective means of subduing an individual in a humane and non-lethal way. The effec... Stun Master 20 Million Volt BAD ASS Metal Stun Baton/Flashlight |
 Pepper Spray Disguised as Lipstick - Girls don't ever feel afraid or not in control again. If you feel uncomfortable or afraid when a man approaches you calmly reach into your purse or pocket pull out what looks like yo... Pepper Spray Disguised as Lipstick |
 Stun Cane with Flashlight 1 Million Volts - Stun Cane with Flashlight 1 Million Volts! This ZAP Stun Walking Cane is a great self-defense device for the elderly or for anyone who needs support while walking. DEMO VIDEO Stun Cane with Flashlight 1 Million Volts |
 ZAP Blast Knuckles Extreme 950K Volt Stun Gun - The ZAP™ Blast Knuckles Extreme – 950 000 Volt is a shocking high voltage stun gun that provides you with an easy way to protect yourself while on the go. DEMO VIDEO ZAP Blast Knuckles Extreme 950K Volt Stun Gun |
 Streetwise Sting Ring 18 Million Volts Stun Gun - Introducing our newest design in personal protection the Sting Ring. This revolutionary model separates itself from all other stun guns on the market today and is destined... Streetwise Sting Ring 18 Million Volts Stun Gun |
 Streetwise 18 Million Volt Stun Gun Sting Ring w/Key Ring - ON SALE: 25% OFF! With this power stun gun attached to your keys you will not have to be concerned about it getting lost in the bottom of your purse or wasting va... Streetwise 18 Million Volt Stun Gun Sting Ring w/Key Ring |
 MultiGuard 80 Million Volt Stun Gun Alarm and Flashlight w/Built In Charger - Stand your ground with the 80 Million Volt MultiGuard Stun Gun Alarm and Flashlight with Built in Charger. Easily concealable and virtually unde... MultiGuard 80 Million Volt Stun Gun Alarm and Flashlight w/Built In Charger |
 Streetwise USB Secure 22 Million Volt Keychain Stun Gun - ON SALE: 25% OFF! Protection is now as close as your keys...First we revolutionized the stun gun industry by introducing the original Streetwise S.M.A.C.K. (Stun M... Streetwise USB Secure 22 Million Volt Keychain Stun Gun |
 18 Million Volt Talon Stun Gun And Flashlight - Stand your ground with the Talon 18 Million volt Stun Gun. Fits comfortably and seamlessly in the hand the Talon delivers super powered stun protection.The Talon's trigger i... 18 Million Volt Talon Stun Gun And Flashlight |
 Streetwise TRIPLE Sting Ring 28 Million Volt Stun Gun - ON SALE: 25% OFF! We are proud to introduce the latest in our evolving line of unique and powerful stun guns. Two years ago we introduced our patented Sting Ring Stun... Streetwise TRIPLE Sting Ring 28 Million Volt Stun Gun |
 Streetwise Black Jack 21 Million Volt Stun Gun Black - For well over 25 years Streetwise Security Products has been the world's leading brand of innovative self-defense and security products.The innovation continues with t... Streetwise Black Jack 21 Million Volt Stun Gun Black |
 Streetwise Barbarian 9 Million Volt Stun Baton Flashlight - In ancient times barbarians were known for being uncivilized brutal and fierce warriors.“The Barbarian" is the perfect name for our newest stun baton. If Conan ... Streetwise Barbarian 9 Million Volt Stun Baton Flashlight |
 iKeyp PRO Smart Storage Safe w/Expandable Wing Installation - The iKeyp Pro is a smartphone-enabled personal safe that provides peace of mind by bringing security technology and easy access together. It takes only second... iKeyp PRO Smart Storage Safe w/Expandable Wing Installation |
 Police Force 21 Inch Expandable Steel Baton - Around the world police officers and security guards are switching from bulky night sticks to this more compact telescopic steel baton.This Police Force 21 Inch Expandable st... Police Force 21 Inch Expandable Steel Baton |
 Streetwise Dark Knight Expandable Steel Baton - With the newly designed Dark Knight Expandable Metal Baton you can go out into any dark night with confidence.Like a knight from the dark ages protecting innocent people from... Streetwise Dark Knight Expandable Steel Baton |
 Jolt Attacker Compact Keychain 77 Million Volt Stun Gun - ON SALE: $2 OFF! A keychain stun gun comes in handy to stop the attackers. It's easy to carry; with a simple push-button release switch it can be quickly and easil... Jolt Attacker Compact Keychain 77 Million Volt Stun Gun |
 Pulse Blowout Bundle w/2 FREE Cartridges + Any Holster - ON SALE: $50 OFF!*LIMITED SUPPLY* Normally the Pulse includes 2 cartridges with any purchase but when you order the TASER Pulse Blowout Bundle you'll get an addit... Pulse Blowout Bundle w/2 FREE Cartridges + Any Holster |
 JPX4 4 Shot LE Defender Pepper Gun Black w/Level 2 Holster - The JPX is the perfect carry weapon for these Gun Free Zones. It is not a firearm and considered a pepper spray dispenser or OC delivery system. Why would you ta... JPX4 4 Shot LE Defender Pepper Gun Black w/Level 2 Holster |
 WildFire 1.4% MC 1/2 oz Halo Pepper Spray - When you are shopping around for self defense products you may notice that there are a few items with the name wildfire pepper spray. This product comes from a family of peppers... WildFire 1.4% MC 1/2 oz Halo Pepper Spray |
 Safety Technology Barking Dog Alarm - The Barking Dog Alarm is ideal for your home office store business or any place that would benefit from having a security dog. Except you don't have to feed water walk it or take... Safety Technology Barking Dog Alarm |
 SABRE Aim and Fire Pepper Gel With Trigger and Grip Deployment - Stay safe with SABRE. Boasting the same police-strength protection as law enforcement SABRE RED is the most popular formulation carried by police worldwide ... SABRE Aim and Fire Pepper Gel With Trigger and Grip Deployment |
 iSting Personal Protection Pen - Introducing the iSting Personal Protection Pen. Every year approximately 3 million people become victims of a violent assault. The iSting helps you fight back. The small self defense device... iSting Personal Protection Pen |
 JPX4 C2 With Laser - The JPX4 Compact 2 is a brand new product offered to the public and Law Enforcement by Piexon AG. This is the only product that can fire 4 separate shots of pepper spray at 590 FPS from the nozzle up t... JPX4 C2 With Laser |
|
|
Be assured that your shopping experience is completely safe. The order site is secured using a Thawte SSL Web Server Certificate which encrypts all data to and from the site. However, if you prefer to pay with check or money order, just choose the off-line option when you check out. |
|