Ecological Dynamics Approach to learning Martial Arts
WHY OUR GYM DOES NOT TEACH TECHNIQUES:
At Shapeshifter our methods are a bit strange to some. Most beginners that start their martial arts journey with us, whether it be striking, grappling or MMA in general, might assume that the way we do things at our gym is standard everywhere. Others that have prior experience are usually confused when they train with us.
One thing is apparent, this gym does not drill techniques, repeat steps, katas or sequences. In striking there is no shadowboxing, bag work, pad work or footwork drills. In our grappling classes there is no technique drilling, static repetitions for takedowns or positional sequences.
SO HOW DOES IT WORK THEN?
When I explain my teaching philosophy to people, I always get the same reactions;
· What do you mean there are no “techniques” ?
· There must be a “right” way to do things!
· What about new students developing bad habits?
· Aren’t we paying for your knowledge and step-by-step instructions?
· Isn’t it your job to teach us the best way to do things, with as much information as possible?
· Drillers make killers. Everyone knows repetition leads to muscle memory?
And on and on and on. And I never get impatient, condescending or dismiss these concerns. Why? Because for more than a decade I not only believed in the standard training methods (being trained that way myself ), but I also taught all of my students this way day in day out. The results? Constant frustration and overall mediocrity at best.
THERE IS NO RIGHT “TECHNIQUE”
What is a technique exactly? A technique is usually a coach or martial artists solution to a problem. More accurately it’s just one example of many possible solutions.
The standard thinking is then to make people repeat and drill these solutions over an over again until it becomes ingrained in them. Once it has been ingrained in them and the problem emerges in a live environment, CLICK you will just have the solution locked and loaded and muscle memory will take over.
But conscious human beings involved in a dynamic system like fighting, don’t operate that way. War is messy, violence unpredictable, and live training can seem chaotic. There is a reason why competition exists, and people bet money on the best in the world going head to head. We don’t actually know how it’s going to unfold, that’s why we tune in to watch and find out…
THE HUMAN BRAIN IS SOFTWARE NOT HARDWARE
I don’t teach my students HOW to do anything anymore, unless they are veering in a direction that will lead to injury or overwhelm. I simply expose them to a situation, explain what the goal and outcomes are that they are looking for, and then I let all the learning happen in between. This allows for trial and error, experimentation, decision making and freedom to solve problems in ways that make sense to the individual and their body type.
All forms of martial arts can be broken down into SITUATIONS and OUTCOMES. These outcomes are usually universal and zero-sum. I.e getting hit, not getting hit, getting taken down, being pinned or submitted etc.
But how you get to these outcomes is open for individual interpretation, exploration and problem solving. My job as a coach is to expose you to the problems you will face (SITUATIONS) and then create an environment for you to explore and find a solution (OUTCOMES) by yourself.
My students can attest that I rarely show anyone a detailed example of how to do any technique the right way. For years I was obsessed with this. I still have archives on my computer filled with documents and drawn up curriculums comprised of sequences ,drills, lesson plans, notes and notes and notes on instructionals, technical details, counters, corrections. I thought my job as a coach was to give my students all the right information, the best movements, the most detailed knowledge and then train all of it until it becomes imbedded in them.
But training in a functional martial art, against another conscious human being, is a problem-solving activity, not a memory game. And every person you ever spar, grapple or fight with is going to give you different problems. There is no one right technique that is 100% guaranteed to account for differences in:
Size
Gender
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Age
Conditioning
Experience
Perception
Personality
Tenacity
Aggression
I JUST DON’T SEE HOW ANY ONE CAN LEARN THAT WAY?
Well it must be possible as we are running a full time academy, with people training consistently with this method 6 days a week. And seeing results.
This does not mean that we just wing it in class or that there is no framework, intention, outline or guidance. As a coach I have a very intentional plan for every class. I just don’t waste people’s time doing things that don’t matter all that much. I don’t see the value in my clients sitting in traffic after work, coming into my gym, only to then be lectured on details, go drill and repeat these techniques over and over again without resistance, and hope for the best when they go into live to rolling or sparring.