What do you do to help remember your curriculum?

[dvcochran]

Martial Arts training is all about repetition. Modifying ones memory processes and learning muscle memory are keys to becoming competent at your craft. Beyond the normal routine at your dojo/dojang, what do you do that helps you learn or remember technique/forms/moves/etc...? Can you improve imprinting new information to permanent memory?

Personally, I fully buy into the "perfect practice makes perfect" way of thinking. And I understand it is usually a long path to get there. This is one part of MA that I feel secure in. The repetition and grind I find comfortable. When I get a technique back in my head and work it hard, it is a very satisfying feeling.

To give this thread some depth, this is an area I really struggle with. Without the boring story, I have a few major injuries that effect both short & long term memory. Plus, this time of year we get very busy at our farms. So much so I have not been to class this week. It literally feels like a bucket of water that is overflowing with information which it cannot hold. When I do get back to class, there will be more than a few things I knew well that I will have to refresh in my mind.

Is there something more to learning a MA than the repetition? Hopefully this thread will help young and old alike.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

I haven't really got anything, if i go back to TKD, i pick it up faster than i used though. But thats probably because i remember how to do the first pattern. Like i never fully forgot it/have forgotten it.

Technically arent you told it, shown it and then do it? That helps you remember things its like if you say a word, read a word and write it down you remember it better. Or if you dont know what it means, someone tells you how to say it, you copy them until you get it, write it down and read it.

Apart from that this is something which favors people who learn better by doing things i would think.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

BJJ doesn't have a set curriculum, but if we broke things down and counted them the way some arts do, we'd have thousands of techniques, set-ups, variations, combinations, positions, etc..

I tell my students that it's too much to memorize. The key is to learn the principles and concepts. All those "techniques" are just situational application of a relatively small number of core concepts.

 

[JR 137]

BJJ doesn't have a set curriculum, but if we broke things down and counted them the way some arts do, we'd have thousands of techniques, set-ups, variations, combinations, positions, etc..

I tell my students that it's too much to memorize. The key is to learn the principles and concepts. All those "techniques" are just situational application of a relatively small number of core concepts.

There’s really only one way to put your forearm across someone’s carotid artery. What makes things interesting is where you are, where he is, what he’s trying to do to keep you from doing it, and what you’re trying to do to keep him from keeping you from doing it.

There’s only so many ways to bend someone’s arm or leg the wrong way. Everything else is as above: positioning. Positioning your body in relation to his, and positioning your hands and feet. Learn the principles behind a few different things, and everything becomes a variation of it.

But on the other end of it, you’ve got to learn a bunch of different things in order to not get caught by something. Case in point - when I was wrestling, early on in my career I got spladled. I shot a low single, the guy reached in and next thing you know I’m on my back and pinned. No idea what he did. I come off the mat and Coach has this dumbfounded look on his face and basically says how the hell did you not see that one coming. I never saw it before and had no idea what the setup nor counter was. Next day in practice, he showed me. The easiest thing there is too - switch to a double leg once he starts reaching for your ankle. Had I ever seen the move and known how to counter it, I wouldn’t have gotten pinned in 30 seconds by a guy who had no business beating me. I say that because I pinned him several times before and after that, all in the first period.

No one ever pulled that move off on me again.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Is there something more to learning a MA than the repetition?

I prefer to be good in 1 thing than to be good in 1000 things.

You can always "bait" your opponent to fight the way that you are familiar with. If your favor is single leg, you may let other opportunity to pass by, but you will do whatever that you can to create opportunity for your single leg, and you will become very good at it.

You also need to have a plan, how to deal with strikers, and how to deal with wrestlers. If you can lead your opponent into an area that you are more familiar with than he does, that will be your success.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Martial Arts training is all about repetition. Modifying ones memory processes and learning muscle memory are keys to becoming competent at your craft. Beyond the normal routine at your dojo/dojang, what do you do that helps you learn or remember technique/forms/moves/etc...? Can you improve imprinting new information to permanent memory?

Personally, I fully buy into the "perfect practice makes perfect" way of thinking. And I understand it is usually a long path to get there. This is one part of MA that I feel secure in. The repetition and grind I find comfortable. When I get a technique back in my head and work it hard, it is a very satisfying feeling.

To give this thread some depth, this is an area I really struggle with. Without the boring story, I have a few major injuries that effect both short & long term memory. Plus, this time of year we get very busy at our farms. So much so I have not been to class this week. It literally feels like a bucket of water that is overflowing with information which it cannot hold. When I do get back to class, there will be more than a few things I knew well that I will have to refresh in my mind.

Is there something more to learning a MA than the repetition? Hopefully this thread will help young and old alike.

I only have two things and one you already said, Practice, be that physical practice or jsut running the whole thing through your head while you sit there. The other, I do not do often, but I know those that do; Notes. Some write rather detailed notes others write thing out in their own short hand. But even with that, they still need practice (Repetition). Also, I suppose there is also making a video of what you are doing as well. With smartphones these days you always have a video camera on you. OK, I had three things.

 

[Buka]

Training and teaching constantly remind me of things. So does this forum.

But as age makes my memory fade, I wonder what I'll remember last? I wonder if it will be the first thing I learned?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I wonder what I'll remember last?

The last thing that I'll remember will be to use

- My left hand to push my opponent's leading arm to jam his back arm.
- My right hand then punch on his face.

 

[skribs]

Martial Arts training is all about repetition. Modifying ones memory processes and learning muscle memory are keys to becoming competent at your craft. Beyond the normal routine at your dojo/dojang, what do you do that helps you learn or remember technique/forms/moves/etc...? Can you improve imprinting new information to permanent memory?

Personally, I fully buy into the "perfect practice makes perfect" way of thinking. And I understand it is usually a long path to get there. This is one part of MA that I feel secure in. The repetition and grind I find comfortable. When I get a technique back in my head and work it hard, it is a very satisfying feeling.

To give this thread some depth, this is an area I really struggle with. Without the boring story, I have a few major injuries that effect both short & long term memory. Plus, this time of year we get very busy at our farms. So much so I have not been to class this week. It literally feels like a bucket of water that is overflowing with information which it cannot hold. When I do get back to class, there will be more than a few things I knew well that I will have to refresh in my mind.

Is there something more to learning a MA than the repetition? Hopefully this thread will help young and old alike.

To remember the curriculum itself? Writing and teaching. When I learn something new, I write it down as soon as I get home. I practice it over and over again.

The old stuff in the curriculum I retain by teaching it.

 

[dvcochran]

BJJ doesn't have a set curriculum, but if we broke things down and counted them the way some arts do, we'd have thousands of techniques, set-ups, variations, combinations, positions, etc..

I tell my students that it's too much to memorize. The key is to learn the principles and concepts. All those "techniques" are just situational application of a relatively small number of core concepts.

Agree. I still do pretty good in the bigger picture of principles and concepts. I suppose you could call them small details I will forget. See them once and I have it solid, for while. So in practice I can nail them down well. They just don't always stay with me.

 

[skribs]

There’s really only one way to put your forearm across someone’s carotid artery. What makes things interesting is where you are, where he is, what he’s trying to do to keep you from doing it, and what you’re trying to do to keep him from keeping you from doing it.

I'd argue there's at least 3 ways. I'd argue that the guillotine, rear-naked, and pin (where they're against a wall or the ground and you just lean on them) are 3 different ways. Different positions and situations you can be in with those, though.

There’s only so many ways to bend someone’s arm or leg the wrong way. Everything else is as above: positioning. Positioning your body in relation to his, and positioning your hands and feet. Learn the principles behind a few different things, and everything becomes a variation of it.

I'm learning more and more of these as my Master uses me as a demonstration dummy.

 

[JR 137]

I'd argue there's at least 3 ways. I'd argue that the guillotine, rear-naked, and pin (where they're against a wall or the ground and you just lean on them) are 3 different ways. Different positions and situations you can be in with those, though.



I'm learning more and more of these as my Master uses me as a demonstration dummy.

But in those 3 ways, you’re doing the same exact thing - putting your forearm against the carotid artery. From the front, from the back, on top of them, etc. all boils down to one thing - the forearm across the carotid artery. How you go about accomplishing it is dictated by body positioning.

 

[thanson02]

Martial Arts training is all about repetition. Modifying ones memory processes and learning muscle memory are keys to becoming competent at your craft. Beyond the normal routine at your dojo/dojang, what do you do that helps you learn or remember technique/forms/moves/etc...? Can you improve imprinting new information to permanent memory?

Personally, I fully buy into the "perfect practice makes perfect" way of thinking. And I understand it is usually a long path to get there. This is one part of MA that I feel secure in. The repetition and grind I find comfortable. When I get a technique back in my head and work it hard, it is a very satisfying feeling.

To give this thread some depth, this is an area I really struggle with. Without the boring story, I have a few major injuries that effect both short & long term memory. Plus, this time of year we get very busy at our farms. So much so I have not been to class this week. It literally feels like a bucket of water that is overflowing with information which it cannot hold. When I do get back to class, there will be more than a few things I knew well that I will have to refresh in my mind.

Is there something more to learning a MA than the repetition? Hopefully this thread will help young and old alike.

I understand the farm life, that was my bread and butter growing up.

We have a fairly sizable curriculum in our art. If we tried to approach each technique as a separate thing, we would never get anywhere. So here are some things I have done to keep it strait in my head. It might not work for everyone, but it works for me.

1. Long Forms: I use long forms as part of my explosive cardio runs. I also use it drill focus and concentration. When my focus goes or my body gives out, the workout is done and I finish the set, but I basically go through the motions as a cool down and then I am done. The goal is to push that line further and hit the fatigue point much later. Also, if I am going through a form and I realize I have missed something or screwed up on something, I will take a bit and focus on that part of the form, repeating it 5 times to make sure to drill it and then I start over. Also, I go through all my forms from white belt up to keep them fresh.

2. Techniques: I go through two sets of techniques when I work out. One set from my current sash and one from a previous belt/sash. We obviously spend more time on the current stuff, but we make sure to go through the older material as well. Even if we have to pull out our notes and make sure we have it right. A lot of times we will find that we have a few techniques that are for the most part the same, but they have a different set up or a different follow-through. I consider them the same technique with different variations. In addition to this, we train out techniques bull-in-the-ring style and sometimes with sparring armor.

3. Sparring: For this one, it is drill, drill, drill. You know your sparring systems, you know what your tools are and how they work. You just have to work them and get good at them. One thing I learned working security, when you enter a situation, for as much as people insist that you can never know what is going to happen, you still have a set of parameters that you are working with and the seasoned folks can quickly size up the situation and get a good idea of what is happening and what will most likely happen in the situation. Do they get curve balls, sure. But it is about knowing how to compensate for these variations when they come up and being quick on your toes about it. Sparring is no different, but you have to go in and do it in order to get this down.

As for busy schedules, time management is an art in itself. The training is something that has to be ready to tap into when you get a few minutes by yourself. With the farm, it will depend on what you are doing. If you are fencing and you get a bit of a break, work on reviewing forms or techniques in your head, or if you have weapon sparring, take a stick and work on your drills. If you are throwing hay bales, that is a great weight training opportunity. My grandmother was a old farm girl and you never wanted to mess with her because she was a strong as an ox and tough to boot. You got to get creative with your environment and the farm is a breeding ground for creativity.

As for feeling overwhelmed, pick one thing and work it for a set time, like a week or so. Take the elephant and break it down to smaller bites. Also, if you have a particular situation causing difficulty, accept it and work with it. Your path might not be glamorous, but it doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to work. Know your limitations and don't try to do everything at once. That is a quick road to burn out.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Martial Arts training is all about repetition. Modifying ones memory processes and learning muscle memory are keys to becoming competent at your craft. Beyond the normal routine at your dojo/dojang, what do you do that helps you learn or remember technique/forms/moves/etc...? Can you improve imprinting new information to permanent memory?

Personally, I fully buy into the "perfect practice makes perfect" way of thinking. And I understand it is usually a long path to get there. This is one part of MA that I feel secure in. The repetition and grind I find comfortable. When I get a technique back in my head and work it hard, it is a very satisfying feeling.

To give this thread some depth, this is an area I really struggle with. Without the boring story, I have a few major injuries that effect both short & long term memory. Plus, this time of year we get very busy at our farms. So much so I have not been to class this week. It literally feels like a bucket of water that is overflowing with information which it cannot hold. When I do get back to class, there will be more than a few things I knew well that I will have to refresh in my mind.

Is there something more to learning a MA than the repetition? Hopefully this thread will help young and old alike.

A couple of thoughts that may or may not be what you're looking for.

Firstly, my memory for detail is mostly crappy (I have a lot more fun re-watching murder mysteries than most folks - I have to watch many times before I remember who did it). So, to remember the list of techniques for each rank, I created a mnemonic, in the form of a sentence. For the first Classical Set in NGA, "Once, James Arness made us laugh, while eating fried cabbage." This covers:

• 1st Wrist Technique
• Jacket Grab
• Arm Bar
• Mugger's Throw
• Unbendable Arm
• Leg Sweep
• Whip Throw
• Elbow Chop
• Come Along

I have a separate mnemonic sentence for each Classical Set of 10 techniques. It's not a perfect system - there are 7 "S" techniques in the last two sets, and I always struggle to keep them in the right place (exact order isn't important). When I created the Classical kata (just the 1st Classical Set), I followed the order of my mnemonic to make it easier for myself.

Secondly, I've read some research results recently that strongly suggest large blocks of repetition aren't as useful as several smaller blocks. I've started incorporating that into class. I think a brand new technique needs lots of repetition, because it's changing every time they do it. After that point, though, I prefer to have them do smaller blocks of repetition. So, rather than spend 30 minutes on a single technique (practicing, not talking about when I'm demonstrating and running my mouth), I'd rather have them spend 10 minutes each on 3 different techniques, repeated for 3 classes. It's the same overall time on each technique, but (based on the research) should produce better recall and skill development.

Speaking specifically to your difficulties imprinting new information, the brain has proven to be more adaptable than we once thought. There's ample evidence that some injuries, even the adult brain can "rewire" to recover some functionality. Since you're clearly able to imprint new information, you haven't lost the primary functionality, and can benefit from improved practices. I'm not clear if what you're dealing with is difficulty imprinting (creating the long-term memory) or recalling (retrieving the long-term memory) - the latter may be caused by new memories actually degrading before you get back to them. So, my best advice is to distribute the information and skill practice more. Make your brain go back to it on a more spaced interval (back to my second approach). Put it back into working memory, work with it a bit, and let the changes be put back to long-term memory. Then, after a short interval (a few minutes, maybe an hour), try to recall the changes you worked on. Get your brain working those pathways to make the memory more durable.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

To help me remember my curriculum is practice and practice

 

[isshinryuronin]

But in those 3 ways, you’re doing the same exact thing - putting your forearm against the carotid artery. From the front, from the back, on top of them, etc. all boils down to one thing - the forearm across the carotid artery. How you go about accomplishing it is dictated by body positioning.

I believe JR 137 has made a key point deserving of expansion: Although there may be hundreds of techniques, we commonly use 10% of them 90% of the time. There may be only a few ways to apply a choke, strike, kick or takedown, but the almost infinite ways to set up the enter to apply the technique (the tactics used to get in position) is where the variety and artistry lie. Any mid-belt should be able to do a successful technique on a cooperative, static opponent. But in fluid combat, creativity, mental planning, choosing the line of attack, reading (and controlling) the opponent are essential to actually land the move. So these elements spring from the practitioner's inner self and cannot be practiced by simple repetition. Experience and true understanding of the art is necessary. The best highly practiced punch in the world is useless if you can't land it.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I believe JR 137 has made a key point deserving of expansion: Although there may be hundreds of techniques, we commonly use 10% of them 90% of the time. There may be only a few ways to apply a choke, strike, kick or takedown, but the almost infinite ways to set up the enter to apply the technique (the tactics used to get in position) is where the variety and artistry lie. Any mid-belt should be able to do a successful technique on a cooperative, static opponent. But in fluid combat, creativity, mental planning, choosing the line of attack, reading (and controlling) the opponent are essential to actually land the move. So these elements spring from the practitioner's inner self and cannot be practiced by simple repetition. Experience and true understanding of the art is necessary. The best highly practiced punch in the world is useless if you can't land it.

I think this is where the largest difference in conceptual approach is, comparing boxing, BJJ, and MMA (they seem to have a similar approach, and there are other systems, too) to systems that hold a more traditional model. They only teach those 10%, then spend more time actively working on the complexities of getting to them. The traditional model, as I see it (and based on how I've experienced it) contains techniques that are there to force odd situations during training. They require different entries, and take away certain options to force focus on specific principles, to let students practice different areas of the fight. Each approach seems to be capable of producing capable fighters, so long as the approach is used well. I think there are a lot of places where the traditional approach isn't being used properly (assuming the objective is developing competence at fighting).

 

[hoshin1600]

i think @skribs had a good method. i have kept a note book since day one. in my early days it earned me the nick name Encyclopedia Brown (an old kids book reference) because i could remember everything. i still use that method today but its more for remembering pieces of random information or ideas i am working on or trying to figure out.

for me personally i dont like to remember a large curriculum. it goes against the data showing more choices will delay the response. but if you practice a style then your locked into the curriculum.

 

[skribs]

i think @skribs had a good method. i have kept a note book since day one. in my early days it earned me the nick name Encyclopedia Brown (an old kids book reference) because i could remember everything. i still use that method today but its more for remembering pieces of random information or ideas i am working on or trying to figure out.

for me personally i dont like to remember a large curriculum. it goes against the data showing more choices will delay the response. but if you practice a style then your locked into the curriculum.

A lot of it is more choices depending on the situation. There's more things you can do if Choice A fails, if you have up through Choice Z, than just Choice C.

 

[hoshin1600]

A lot of it is more choices depending on the situation. There's more things you can do if Choice A fails, if you have up through Choice Z, than just Choice C.

Yes I get it. I've been there. I'm not unaware. through experience, I have chosen to not follow that path.