The Science of Rapid Skill Acquisition

Carlson Yan

Sep 6 (edited) in FORMS🏹

The Difference Between Violin Practice & Wing Chun Form Practice.

Just thought to share what my (our) Sifu

@Sifu John Cogan

had shared with me and a few other students who have attended classes at the physical One Tao Academy.

@Sifu John Cogan

shared this information from a book authored by Peter HOLLINS called “The Science of Rapid Skill Acquisition” about violin practice and how the methods used in violin practice can assist us greatly towards acquiring any skills that we wanted to learn.

The book outlines the importance to build neural pathways of any movement or technique by practicing them as slowly as humanly possible.

The ability made about violin practice is that elite violinists would practice each note at a very slow pace. To be able to achieve this, the violinist must adapt a very relaxed and focussed approach. If the violin teacher walked past the student’s room and was able to guess or know the tune or song played by the student, the student was playing too fast.

Now, relating the violin practice to Wing Chun Practice (or any practice for that matter), using Siu Nim Tao for this instance, the practitioner should practice each movement as slowly as possible, whilst adapting the same relaxed and focussed approach. Doing so will build the neural pathways to be able to execute the techniques at a fast pace whilst maintaining the relaxed and focussed state.

A suggestion that I wish to make that greatly helped me with achieving the state is to start practicing the Siu Nim Tao form as slowly as possible while in state or during state meditation.

Whilst doing so, do not rush any of the techniques and do not have any regard about not finishing the entire form by the end of the meditation. See how slowly you can perform the form whilst maintaining your state. You will turbo charge your level of state in no time.

When I came to think of it, I believe that elite practitioners of all disciplines, not limited to soccer, football, dancing, snooker, hockey, chess, any martial art, etc. all possess some extent of the state.

Hope this insight will be of assistance to the practices of every member who reads this post!

Thank you for reading this post and looking forward to growing with all you legends!

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