Before you can learn how to fight, you need to learn how to learn. This is a long and detailed video lesson, close to half an hour, and it is a discussion on the best ways to learn my system, or indeed any system. You can take these principles and apply them to learning anything at all.

It is for students of any martial art, coaches and instructors, and anyone who feels they put in the hours but do not improve as fast as they should.

Why Most People Learn Slowly

Most people do not have a problem with effort. They have a problem with method. They watch a technique once, try it a few times, and move on to the next thing. A month later they have seen a lot and can do very little.

Learning a physical skill is not the same as knowing about it. Watching a video lets you know about a technique. Repetition, feedback and correction are what let you do it.

Principles Over Techniques

I say this again and again: it is much easier to learn principles than to remember techniques. There are thousands of techniques. There are only a handful of principles behind them. Learn the principle and you can work out the technique for yourself, and adapt it when things do not go to plan.

How To Learn Better

Some general rules that help almost everyone:

  • One thing at a time. Focus on a single point until it is solid, then add the next.
  • Slow first. Speed hides mistakes. Slow work shows them.
  • Get feedback. A coach, a partner or a camera will show you what you cannot feel.
  • Little and often. Short, regular sessions beat one long session a week.
  • Test it. Add pressure gradually, so you know the skill holds up when it matters.

For Coaches And Instructors

How you teach should match how people learn. Break skills down, give one correction at a time, and let students repeat things enough to own them. A student who learns three things properly is better off than one who has seen thirty.

Take It Further

If you want to train with me directly and have your learning guided, look at my Private Mentoring. For instructors who want to teach my system, the PPDT International Instructor Course is the next step.