Technique vs Skill

Technique vs 

Skill Based Learning

Over the years I have studied many traditional and non-traditional systems and styles of martial arts.   Some were based on old school thinking that had not changed in decades and others were more contemporary and kept up with current understandings and methodologies.

Some of the old school methods were based in replicating the instructor and repeating set sequences of movement based on artificially established parameters.   These included how the attacker would attack and that he had to do it exactly the same way every time.  As a result the defense also had to be a set pattern of movement, the same way every time.

A good example of this type of program is at a local school where you can see several lists of techniques posted up on the wall.  There are over 100 of these from white belt to black belt and then more above that as well.  Each student wishing to progress in this system has to remember the techniques in sequence with the name, attack and specified defense.  There are about 10 per rank.  The names are difficult to remember on there own let alone the attack and defense that must be performed exactly the same way each time.  Students get very good at replicating these as they practice them hour after hour in order to progress.

Other styles teach a curriculum based on techniques as well that have little to do with actual fighting, self defense or even sparring.

In the local school I am discussing it was my observation that even senior ranks who had been memorizing these lists of techniques for months and years, did not use them when fighting or sparring.  They reverted to basic skills such as hand strikes, kicking and in some cases take downs to finish on the ground.  They did not use the techniques that had been laid out because in a dynamic ever changing environment in a fight or sparring match you can't use rote memory techniques because you will not find yourself in a static perfect position to follow through with it.

On the other side of this discussion is skill based training methodology.  In this there are no set pre-established responses to a static, unrealistic situation.  Skills are taught as separate yet combinable movements that can be used in a variety of situations, from different positions and in dynamic, changing environments.

Skills may be presented as striking, kicking, take downs, throws, ground neutralization movements weapons attacks and responses and so on.

Skills are taught in dynamic situations so that the student can explore variations and different responses to similar threats and attacks.

For instance, instead of a set response to a straight punch to the face and repeating the same response over and over again like described above,  in a skill based program the student would be given several options, including movement drills, hand redirects or blokes, counter strikes and more.  The student would then explore these variations and devise his own natural responses based on his mental and physical make up, existing skill level and other factors that make him unique.

So an example of a drill would be that one partner throw 10 straight punches to the face and the defender respond with 10 different counters.  This type of training provides the participant with a creative component and an opportunity to develop his own natural awareness and abilities.  It also develops a fluidity and flexibility that is vital in a violent encounter.  Making the training as close as possible to what may be encountered in the real world gives the student the skill sets to respond to real threats in a dynamic, fluid and effective manner.

Innovation and creativity are vital to the learning process.   If a student learns to mimic the instructor and simply repeat a set of pre-established movements there is no individual expression or development in that. The student simply becomes a clone of his instructor.

Martial Arts are not meant to be written in stone and replicated generation after generation in some homage to a person who used skill based learning methodology to create his own way of doing things.  I find it ironic that most martial artists who people choose to follow did not mimic someone else but created their own way through experimentation and exploration.  Why then do people want to mimic that person instead of taking the core, or essence of what they did and then expand on it, adding their own flavor and variations?

I believe technique based learning has some advantages for new students.  Learning new ways of moving and understanding how to perform basic skills.  I also believe that technique based learning should only be used at the very beginning of someone's journey and that skill based training should be implemented as soon as possible to stimulate internal learning processes and individual expression.

After all, it is called Martial "Art"