In the end, your goal will be to have developed a natural reaction in combat. But for what
To get to this level of response, we must first repetitively train in the skills we learn early.
on – to switch from short-term to long-term memory. For the sake of this exercise, please do the following:
Imagine that your shoe is stretched into two pieces and then these pieces are thrown at a martial artist who drops into the splits to avoid the shoes.
In the duration of a class, an instructor can teach up to 10 new techniques,
some even more. If we are going to practice these newly learned skills (outside of class) and
back so we can grow – we must remember the techniques taught in the first place.
The process we use to learn a technique works as follows:
1. Learn the technique
2. Mentally review the technique
3. Practice the technique
The first step is usually in class under the guidance of the instructor, while the other two are
it is usually done within the period AFTER training until the time you return to class. In
To adequately review up to 10 techniques, we need to remember what it was that
learned. The average student remembers only 2 to 5 of 10 techniques the next
day or often only about 20% (80% of new information is usually lost within 24-48 hours).
After a few more days, you may only remember 1-3. Using a simple memory technique, you will be able to remember exactly which techniques were taught.
However, the goal here is No just to memorize techniques, but also to put them in our heads so we can mentally review them wherever we are. This will help the information reach sink into and it really put us on the fast track to developing a new skill.
Since our goal is to master martial arts, we want to take some time to apply all of our best strategies for getting information from short-term memory into long-term memory. In this example we want to apply Mnemonics. A mnemonic (pronounced (NEW – Monic) is a memory aid.
Let’s say we need to remember 10 techniques. Just as you would take traditional notes and make a list of ten items, you will need to do the same in your head. Only instead of writing things down on paper, you’ll write (or store) them in what I call the MLaptop. In a notebook, you have lines reserved for placing information. Mental Notebook offers the same thing, just in your head. It offers a place to put each of the 10 techniques or bits of information you learn. We call these places or areas reserved for information MENTAL PEGS or HANGERS. They are the lines of your mental notebook.
There are many metaphors to explain how the mind works: I’ll skip the how and why and
get straight to the techniques. If you need to know why this works or more about how, then
check out my other articles on memory.
So, what will be our Mental Notebook, what will be the peg, hanger or hooks that we can LINK
each technique to? Well, any item out of 10 that is in your long-term memory will work as a good peg or hanger. Remember, the Mental Notepad is a place to store information: each place should have a specific hanger, peg, or hook. This peg, hook, or hanger can be anything you can IMAGINE and have stored in your long-term memory. we will use the rhyming list in order to learn to memorize.
Ok, so we need a list of 10 mental images (pegs) from our long-term memory (something we already know) for our mental notebook. Unless you have an image for number one, you won’t really have a good association. would you stay with belch memory and boring repetitions that “this is technique number one.” So we will use the Rhyming List to create our numbers and give the images to associate with. Ok, take a minute to memorize the following list:
Rhyming list:
- one is gun
- two is shoe
- three is tree
- four is door
- five is hive
- six are sticks
- seven is heaven
- Eight is Skate
- nine is wine
- ten is chicken
Since we are focusing on learning 10 techniques, we also want to know which technique was associated with which number. For example, what was the first, second and third technique or lesson taught. To do this, we also need to make sure that our peg is associated with a number. This all might sound a bit confusing at first, but hang in there and keep going; Before you know it, you’ll realize what’s happening.
We use the rhyming list because it is quite easy to remember which number goes with which picture. If you think of 1, you only need to think of what rhymes with one and you will think of weapon. So we associate weapon to our technique and before you know it, 1 = technique.
Go through the above list several times until you memorize the image associated with each number. Once you do, go through the listing and get a very CLEAR picture of each item. For example, what type of weapon is it: pistol, shotgun, laser gun, water gun, etc. Then try to make this gun unique by asking what color your gun is, how it feels, tastes, or smells (the more unique, the more memorable), and ask yourself what the gun is made of. A weapon made of cheese is more memorable than a real image of a real weapon.
The normal is easily forgotten, this is the same in life as in memory, remember it.
You may want to memorize (in order) the structure of a good martial arts class. So, for example: look at the following list:
- Heating
- Stretch
- postures
- rolls
- falls
- strikes
- kicks
- body movement
- Self defense
- consume
Is that how it works. Your instructor asks you (or your mental trainer) “What is the technique
for number 2?” Your immediate mental response would be to think “2 is shoe.” Once you have
Shoe in your mind, you need to remember the associations you made with Shoe and Technique – in this case it would be Stretch. to remember that 2=Stretch uses a key image (much like a keyword that triggers an acquaintance) which would be the image of something being stretched. So you simply associate an image of something stretching with a shoe.
Can you imagine your shoe being stretched into two pieces and then these pieces are thrown at a martial artist who falls into the divisions to avoid shoes. Now follow the steps:
1. You think about 2 and what rhymes with two
2. You should think about Shoe and then you say to yourself “What happened to the Shoe?”
3. Oh yeah, it was stretched into 2 pieces and then thrown at a person who used the splits…
To make this work, you need to use your imagination. Memorizing your techniques in this way will help you improve your general mental abilities and dramatically slow down the learning process.
Let’s try another. Think of 3 that should give you a tree. Now imagine your unique tree doing poses. Imagine the tree as a person doing horse pose, power pose, cat pose, etc.
Now ask yourself what was the technique for number 3. Your mind should follow this pattern:
3 = Tree = Posture or Postures
If you forget what is associated with a number or an image that is associated with a number, it means you don’t have enough mind glue to make the memory card. So, just go back to your visualization and add more glue by being more specific about your images. Really hear the crunch of the tree as it falls into horse stance, see the bark fall off as it moves from one stance to the next. Images of images that are exaggerated include meaning and action.
With practice, you will begin to pick up a new skill that can be very helpful in memorizing new information. And YES, this mental notebook can be used over and over again. Your brain is powerful enough to simply erase old information and put new information on its pegs.
This memory information is just the tip of the iceberg. there are many more advanced
skills and if you find this information interesting then you might be interested in learning more about what it can do.
When I teach memory courses, some of the participants state that it seems to spend energy and time to make or use a memory system. This is the natural course of learning. At first, it may seem more challenging. It only becomes easy once you learn the skills and start applying them.
Good luck in the Training.