Ep. 260: Ecological Dynamics for Pragmatists, feat. Scott Sievewright
Nov 27, 2023
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Scott Sievewright, head coach at Primal MKE, shares his pragmatic take on ecological dynamics. Topics covered: eco vs traditional methods, embracing mistakes and bad habits, importance of culture and autonomy in skill development, reevaluating skill levels in sports, promoting independence and improvement, exploring the ecological approach to learning and perception.
The ecological approach to learning prioritizes self-organization and autonomy over memorizing techniques.
Creating a culture of psychological safety allows individuals to make mistakes and explore their own game.
Coaches should focus on facilitating learning environments that encourage exploration, problem-solving, and independence rather than preventing all potential bad habits.
Deep dives
The Value of Autonomy and Self-Organization
In this podcast episode, the importance of self-organization and autonomy in the learning process is discussed. The ecological approach to learning is explained as an alternative to traditional methods that prioritize memorizing techniques. Self-organizing environments, although more challenging for instructors, have been proven to be more effective and engaging for students. The benefits of creating a culture that fosters psychological safety, where individuals feel safe to make mistakes and explore their own game, are highlighted. The role of the coach is emphasized as a facilitator of learning rather than a director of techniques.
Embracing Mistakes and Bad Habits
The fear of developing bad habits is addressed, highlighting the importance of making mistakes and learning from them. The learning process is described as a journey full of experimentation, self-correction, and constant adaptation. The role of failure in the self-correcting model is emphasized, as it provides valuable feedback and helps to build skill. The idea of perfect technique is challenged, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with movements and skills rather than striving for an idealized technique. Coaches are encouraged to focus on facilitating learning environments that encourage exploration, problem-solving, and independence, rather than trying to prevent all potential bad habits.
Strategies for Individual Growth
For students who are eager to explore an ecological approach to their training but lack control over their class structure, it is suggested that they seek out willing training partners and communicate their intentions and goals. By creating a 'microcosm' within specific training sessions, individuals can design their own games or modify existing positional sparring situations to focus on specific areas of development. The importance of autonomy in skill acquisition is emphasized, and individuals are encouraged to identify problems, set goals, and self-correct throughout their practice sessions. While the option of changing gyms is mentioned, it is acknowledged that it may not always be feasible or desirable, making the self-driven approach within the existing gym environment a valuable alternative.
Moving Beyond Technique Count and Embracing the Learning Journey
The reliance on technique count, seminars, and instructional videos as measures of progress is questioned, emphasizing that skill development goes beyond the accumulation of techniques. The limitations of technique-focused learning and the need for self-correction and applying knowledge through active practice are highlighted. The importance of defining success in terms of performance and growth rather than technique count is emphasized. The value of having a learning feedback loop, seeking autonomy, and being adaptable in the learning process is stressed. The challenges faced by coaches in adopting self-organizing environments and embracing the ecological approach are acknowledged, including the need to trust the process, redefine their role, and navigate the uncertainties of the learning journey.
Importance of Skill Development over Teaching Techniques
In this podcast episode, the importance of skill development is emphasized over teaching specific techniques. The speaker argues that while podcasts and instructional videos can provide ideas and inspiration, they cannot fully teach someone how to execute techniques effectively in real-life situations. The focus should be on developing skills through active engagement and feedback, rather than relying solely on learning techniques from external sources. The speaker suggests that personalized rolling reviews, where individuals analyze their own sparring footage with guidance, can be more valuable in improving one's performance. The goal is to foster independent learning and skill development, rather than relying on being spoon-fed answers by coaches.
The Role of Ecosystem Training in Jiu-Jitsu
In this podcast episode, the concept of ecosystem training (eco) is explored in the context of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Eco is seen as a scientific framework that explains how the brain and body work together to learn new movement skills. The main idea is to create an ecological environment within the gym that promotes skill development and effective training. Instead of solely focusing on techniques, the emphasis is on developing skills and effectivities through game-based practices and challenges. The speaker highlights the importance of individualized learning, where techniques emerge organically through exploration and discovery. The goal is to create a culture that caters to both students who strive for competitive success and those who seek a social outlet, with different levels of challenge throughout the gym.
This week we're joined by Scott Sievewright! Scott is the head coach at Primal MKE in Milwaukee and the host of the Primal MMA Coaching Podcast. In this episode, Scott shares his pragmatic take on ecological dynamics for beginners and coaches alike.
It's a great gentle introduction to eco, covering topics such as: how eco differs from traditional methods, the importance of making mistakes, and why we shouldn't be afraid of developing bad habits.
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