Standard Kata Practice Does NOT Work – New Evidence Why
By Keith Pascal
Lately, I have been reading about talent and skill acquisition, and the findings are fascinating. I realize that a best-selling author, Malcolm Gladwell, has written on the subject of skill mastery….
Note: Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Outliers is a decent place to start, but it falls under the category of “pop advice.” By the way, I like Gladwell’s other books; they give me something to think about, even though ultimately, they don’t offer much in the way of “practical application.” Still good reading material.
I am specifically looking for the big jumps in learning that some make while a novice, or new to the skill being practiced. We need to dig a little deeper….
Better Understanding of Kata Practice With an Anecdote
Imagine walking through an Oregon forest where there are no paths, not even the occasional deer trail. Just underbrush.
You trudge through the bushes, vines, stickers, and so on. If you have no goal, then you can walk anywhere, even though it’s a lot of work. But let’s say that you want to make it out to the highway, and you know that it’s to the east of you.
So, you head east. Finally, after a lot of work, you reach the freeway.
The next time in the forest, you have a similar goal. And the progress is just as difficult.
No path – winding your way through all of the blackberries, huckleberries, and marionberries.
In fact, each time is just as hard as the first.
Better Practice
Now, let’s change the scenario: Instead of making the trek from anywhere you happen to be, let’s say that you have a machete with you. The first time, you hack away at the brambles and stomp down on the low stickers and find your way to the road. Maybe it’s just a rough cut the first time. Or maybe you only cut down 20 feet of path, before you go back to forcing yourself through the growth.
The next time, you search for the same path that you started shaping the first time. You clear away a little more bush, hack at some branches in your way, and continue the clearing process.
Each time, the way gets better. You are improving the path.
So, how does this relate to martial arts?
Your brain has pathways, unused forest space. When you start to learn any skill, you are trying to form a neuron path.
Note: Are you thinking about katas and forms, yet?
The way to build skill is to bulk up the sheath around the neurons (actually it’s insulation around the fibers). This substance that is a reinforcer is called myelin.
Racing Through The Kata For Sheer Repetition
Without boring you to death, if I haven’t already, if you just run through your form, over and over again, you’ll make some progress. (You’ll be walking the same path, but without a machete to clear the way.)
Eventually, the path will get more noticeable, if you practice often enough. You will improve over time, just by the sheer repetition of the same techniques in the same order.
But imagine if you had a sharp sword, to help you knock down a few low-hanging branches, and maybe some big waffle-stomping boots, to trample the poison oak.
After awhile, you’d be able to race to the road with ease. Complete mastery of that part of the forest, so to speak.
The way to build the myelin needed for complete mastery of a skill is through a deeper level of practice.
Keith Pascal is the author of Wrist Locks (Revised) Wrist Locks Book.
Keith writes for several ezines, including:
Punch Enthusiasts. (Free unorthodox punch ebook when you join.)
Pascal is also the author of the ebook, “Secrets of Teaching Martial Arts More Effectively.”
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