In a previous article, I shared 7 things to do to prime yourself to learn and perform like a champ. Here’s a quick recap:
- Adopt a champion ATTITUDE.
- Set a realistic GOAL (for the class and for your overall training).
- Timeliness (i.e. get to class EARLY.)
- REVIEW your notes before class starts.
- RELAX after reviewing.
- REHEARSE mentally after relaxing.
- After calming and tuning your mind, PREPARE the rest of your body with a good warm-up.
In this article, I will offer some advice on what to do next so that you can learn better DURING class. These hacks will help you memorize like a genius. The main goal with these hacks is to ensure that you get as much knowledge and information as possible into your short-term memory storage so that you can perform them in class and then make them more memorable after class. Note-taking is a big part of the effort to transfer that knowledge and information from the short-term memory into your long-term memory. The ultimate LEARNING goal of all martial artists is to have your martial arts knowledge and information in your long-term memory, so that you can rely on it, effortlessly, when you need it.
Consider this scenario: You’re in a class or a seminar, the instructor demonstrates 10 techniques for you to do and it all seems clear as you run it through your head. Then it’s your turn to perform with a partner and you suddenly draw a blank. Sound familiar? Of course, it happens to everyone. For most people, the solution is to just call the instructor over so she can repeat the techniques for you. But there is a better method to learning during class.
Instead, let’s use what we know about neuroscience and psychology to learn quicker, more efficiently, and more permanently. Whenever we learn anything, that information goes to your short-term memory. “Short-term memory (STM) is a temporary storage system that processes incoming sensory memory; sometimes it is called working memory. Short-term memory takes information from sensory memory and sometimes connects that memory to something already in long-term memory. Short-term memory storage lasts about 20 seconds.” (Source)
5-9 At A Time
To hack how you learn on the spot, the first thing to know about yourself is that you will only be able to keep 5-9 NEW things in your short-term memory. This means that when you receive new information your brain will either junk it immediately, keep it in short-term memory for as long as you keep it present in your mind, or move it to long-term memory. To move it to long-term memory will require additional review and practice. Therefore, in the immediate moment of learning, you can keep those 5-9 things present in your mind for a short while until they are either forgotten or replaced by some other piece of information.
What does this mean for you? Knowing that you can only memorize 5-9 new things frees you up from being upset that you can’t remember, say, all 12 moves the instructor just showed you. Instead, focus on remembering about 5-9 moves or techniques at a time. Similarly, at the end of the class, you won’t remember everything and that’s ok. The key is to remember as much of the blocks of 5-9 pieces of information you learn so that you can write it down somewhere afterwards, mentally rehearse them, practice them at a later date, and follow-up with your instructors and peers for further help.
Keep A Count
During a class, make an active effort to count each move as the instructor does them. I know most people already do this part but they usually do it once in a while or, passively, following the instructor’s count. I count the moves EVERY single time the instructor demonstrates them, even if I am familiar with the technique. (As an aside, instructors, you will be doing your students a huge favor if you demonstrate the techniques at least 3 times).
I do this to help me learn something new or reinforce what I already know. So, for example, whether I am learning different ways to escape a choke or how to disarm an opponent with a stick, I will count each general move. And I will double-check my count every time the instructor repeats the demonstration. Then when I practice with my partner, I will know the count of moves that a technique requires and, if I don’t do that number of moves, I know I am missing something.
Anchor the Moves with Vivid Imagery
Counting the moves is not enough to move the information from short-term memory to long-term. Recall that you can only hold 5-9 items in your short-term memory for a limited time before it’s either junked or replaced with new items. One of the best ways to move information from short-term to long-term is to anchor it with vivid imagery.
Anchoring means linking your information to vivid imagery so that it becomes memorable. Vivid imagery can be silly, absurd, sexual, horrific, colorful, or hilarious. It can be a personal memory, a song, a symbol, or anything positive or negative. Whatever it is, it must be vivid enough to help you remember that technique.
Here’s an example from my book, Mixed Martial Arts Fighting Techniques, on how I would use vivid imagery to help me remember the following escape from the clinch.
- First, I’d count the steps involved in the technique.
- Note, I will treat the muay thai clinch position the opponent has me in as the neutral starting point and for the purposes of learning I won’t count it as 1.
- There are a total of 4 moves in this technique; 2 moves with the left arm and then the same 2 moves with the right arm.
- To do move 1, I’ll imagine my arm rising straight up into the sky and looking like the number 1. It will then come straight down like a lightning strike.
- To do move 2, I imagine my arm striking down until it hooks and grips my opponent’s neck. At that point, my arm position forms the shape of the number 2 (which also looks somewhat like a “hook”).
- To do the technique with the other arm, I just have to use the same vivid imagery of my arms “forming” 1 and 2, and associating lightning and hooks with them.
- Later, whenever I want to remember this move for practice or to write it down in my notes, I just have to think about the numbers 1 and 2 and see lightning and hooks.
I used a very simple move for illustrative purposes. Some moves are so simple that you will remember them easily, especially if you are familiar with the techniques. Other moves will be more complicated and require more counts, focus, and creativity to come up with helpful imagery. Therefore, to get good at anchoring moves during class will take practice. Once you create a foundation of vivid images you can anchor to your counts, you can use this for many different techniques you train in.
K.I.S.S.
Everyone knows the acronym, “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” In the context of learning martial arts, KISS is very useful. It’s a simple fact that an advanced student will be able to remember more of a class than a beginner. On top of that, you can only store so much in your short-term memory. So, keep a positive mindset and a realistic bearing on your skill level. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t remember or do all the cool techniques your teacher taught you. Even if you did remember everything, you still need to practice it over and over again to do it right. So, keep it simple and aim to learn 5-9 techniques per class, counting the moves and anchoring them to vivid imagery. Then at a later time, write down those techniques, mentally rehearse them and practice them alone or with a partner to help you remember it long-term.
Another thing about K.I.S.S. is to focus on the general motions of the techniques you learn. Don’t dwell on the every single detail upfront if it risks confusing you. It’s better to get a general sense of the technique, first, and then fine-tune down the details as you practice it more and more.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Just like practicing your martial arts techniques makes you proficient in them, practicing these learning hacks will make you proficient in memorizing your techniques better. The key is to practice everything with ACTIVE INTENT. So, give it a shot in your next couple of classes and let me know in the comments how it works for you. In the next article, I will what show you what to do AFTER the class to make sure you master your moves. Until then, Make Moves or Meditate.
And I'm still learning all the time... 😉
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- Strengthen Your Brain to Master Your Art - July 7, 2022
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