| A simple and most effective way to learn | | | | start to build it into your muscle memory, so your |
| movement is to follow a very simple three-step | | | | body will remember, not just your brain. |
| process, that is: | | | | The Follow phase must last at least five |
| Watch | | | | repetitions, because that is the lowest number of |
| Follow | | | | reps that is required for the brain to start building |
| Do | | | | a habit. Learning a form is really just like learning a |
| I've had very good results teaching people | | | | whole new set of habits, only these are |
| Taijiquan form using this method and it wasn't till I | | | | movement habits. |
| met a neuroscientist that I learnt exactly why this | | | | Do Phase |
| method works so well. | | | | Once you have watched and followed, it is time |
| Learning is both a conscious and unconscious | | | | to do the movement. If the movement is new |
| process, your conscious mind will learn the | | | | this is the hardest part of the process, as it is |
| movement but so will your unconscious mind and | | | | hard to recall all of the movement consciously. |
| muscle memory. It is when we push both | | | | However, if you remember just the beginning of |
| dimensions of our psyche to work that we get | | | | the movement the rest of your body will kick in |
| the best results. | | | | and do the rest of it. Your body will have learnt it |
| Every time you learn something, be it a | | | | from the Watch and Follow phases and you won't |
| movement or anything else, you create a neural | | | | have to do too much to remember the |
| network in your brain. Neurons fire in specific | | | | movement! |
| sequences to recall the movement and perform it. | | | | It is important to note that if you try too hard to |
| The more you practise and repeat, the stronger | | | | remember, your conscious mind will interfere with |
| the neural network gets and the better you | | | | your muscle memory and you won't remember a |
| remember. | | | | thing. In the Do phase of learning, you must trust |
| Watch Phase | | | | yourself to have remembered the movement. |
| So, when you watch someone demonstrating the | | | | Your body will, by this time have it in its memory, |
| movement you start laying the seeds for learning. | | | | those neural pathways have been constructed |
| Watch the demonstration and visualise yourself | | | | and it all a matter of reinforcing them. |
| doing the movement, but do not actually attempt | | | | Summary |
| the movement yet. This is important because the | | | | When you practise, if you hit a block and your |
| brain can only really focus on one thing at any | | | | mind goes blank, try not to stop completely, |
| given time. If you try to watch the movement | | | | continue with the movement even if you do a |
| and follow it at the same time your attention is | | | | vague approximation of what you thought the |
| divided and you won't see the movement in | | | | movement to be. Perseverance will pay dividends |
| sufficient detail. This is why it's so important to | | | | because your muscle memory will tell you |
| watch, and not attempt the demonstration. | | | | whether you have it right or wrong. |
| Follow Phase | | | | This is because if the movement is correct, it will |
| When you have seen the demonstration enough | | | | "feel" correct because your muscles remember |
| times to familiarise yourself with it, then start to | | | | even if your conscious mind does not. |
| follow the demonstrator. At this stage you will | | | | So if you can let go of having to remember |
| start to reinforce those neural pathways you | | | | everything with your conscious mind, the Watch, |
| have already constructed in the watch phase. As | | | | Follow, Do method of learning movement will |
| you follow and repeat the movement, you will | | | | serve you well! |