AN OLD SECRET TO LEARNING by Phillip Starr Have you ever learned a new form (or part of a form) only to find that with the coming of the sunrise, youve forgotten a big chunk of it? Or perhaps you tend to forget a particular movement (or even a series of movements) in a given form every time you perform it? I know Ive done these things countless times but I discovered ways to cement them into my memory and Ill happily pass them on to you... Theres an old Latin proverb that says, “repetitio est mater studiorum.” It translates as, “Repetition is the mother of studies (learning).” Truer words were never spoken. And you can learn to use this idea to smooth out the wrinkles in your form. If youre having problems forgetting a certain movement(s) in a form, try this... Do the form. If you forget the movement(s) in question, stop immediately and start all over again from the beginning. Sure, maybe youll forget it again. But trust me, after youve re-started the form several times, youll bloody well remember the movement(s) in question. For one thing, youll soon get sick and tired of having to start over repeatedly. Moreover, every time you forget the movements and have to begin again, youre REMEMBERING what you should have done! Before long, the movement(s) in question will be cemented into your memory. But the best method of learning and remembering something, whether it be a martial arts form or anything else, is this... remember that once class is finished, you have 60 minutes in which to review the (new) material. Sixty. Minutes. As soon as you get home (or someplace where you can run through the movements or otherwise review what youve just learned), toss your coat aside and do it. Just two or three times is all it takes (although more is better in this case – but anythingll help). The next day, youll remember about 90% or more of what you learned. However, once the 60 minute time frame has elapsed, your brain begins to forget what its just learned. Actually, it doesnt forget at all but the material is removed from your readily accessible files. Within a few hours, youll forget more and more of the new material. Within 24 hours, youll forget up to 80% or more of what you learned... So, dont wait until the next class to review the new movements. Take ten minutes and run through them at home a few times. Youll be surprised at how much you remember the next day!
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:07:40 +0000
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