I was talking to a teammate last night about some troubles she’s been having while training, and while there are some larger movements that we talked about, it was really focusing on the smaller details that made the most difference. It makes sense, when you think about it: when we first learn a technique we focus on the general movements and principles, and sometimes become frustrated because we attempt to execute them and fail. But it was supposed to work, right? It creates a sort of cognitive dissonance: I was told to do this thing, in this situation, and it’s not working. It’s not until we go over those techniques again (and again, and again…) and hone in on the details that we really find success with those techniques. If you’re having trouble with a particular detail, slow down, take your time and make sure you have all the finer points and details down, and if you aren’t sure you have it, take the time to talk to your coach or instructor so they can help you with those little details.
Just my thoughts for today- have a great day everyone!
A Skirt on the Mat 
I’ve been dabbling with teaching recently (purple belt, when the instructor is away).
The approach I’ve taken is one that starts basic, and gets more complex as you work your way through the move. Idea being to understand the basic concepts of the movement, then hone each individual section until one hour or so later, you have a completely different, tight move. If I were to show the move in its complete form, so much detail would be missed, so I’ve deliberately layered it.
That was an approach I took for my own learning initially, but I’ve found that demoing it, it’s a great tool for teaching.
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