A Simple Concept That Will Help You Learn Skills Quicker

In any skill set, there are common elements that form links between its individual components. So it’s possible to master one thing, and then apply that knowledge to other areas.

In this article, I will give you examples of how to apply that simple concept to the learning of skills. It will help you learn quicker and more efficiently.

If you look at any skill in the world, you will be able to find some commonalities within the skill set and also between skill sets. It may be a movement, it may be a concept, or it can be anything.

The thing is that there are links, and those links can be used as a bridge to enhance learning. It can work by speeding up the process or just by making it more dynamic and interesting.

For example, for the last few months I’ve been trying to teach myself Portuguese. I ran through Rosetta Stone, and it seemed like I hit a wall. My motivation stalled a little after that point.

Then I chanced upon a video that highlighted specific Portuguese terms for BJJ positions, and it re-lit the fire. I’ve thought about it, and I firmly believe that it was because I was then able to directly associate the acquisition of a new skill with knowledge that I already had.

Ultimately, it boils down to focusing on things that you truly enjoy and then using that knowledge to learn quicker in other areas through association.

In BJJ, there is a culture of continuous innovation, and as a result there are countless numbers of techniques and variations of techniques. To learn it all is an extremely daunting task, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible to reach a high level of mastery.

Here we have skill set with many individual parts, but there are common elements. I tend to split those elements into two categories. In the first are the concepts, which are the theories about why techniques work. For example, the concept of applying a blood choke is that you must block the blood flow through the carotid arteries.

Now the concept can be applied in a whole host of ways, but the end result has to be same in order to effectively apply the choke.

In the second category are the movements, which are the methods of making techniques work. For example, to apply a cross choke, the greatest pressure comes not from flaring out my elbows and pulling with just my arms but by keeping elbows tight to my side and doing a lat pull.

It’s a specific movement that can also be applied to diverse situations. So by focusing on specific concepts and movements, groups of techniques can be mastered.