Teaching Martial Arts by Combat Learning

Interested in eco/CLA but stuck in a traditional school?Or maybe you’re frustrated with your progress, want to try something new, but are stuck inside a learning environment you don’t control.Either way, you still have some options. Of course, it’s optimal to run your own club or gym, but you can take ownership of your own learning journey and get started with CLA even if you don’t.Here’s the 5 best options I know.Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter.It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training.Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill- How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own- Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month!Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music.FCAI1wOo5LzyZQrx7W5z This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

My friend Daniel Marino made a critical observation about the karate community:“It’s about looking good, not learning how to fight.”Now, if you’re a part of the so-called “practical karate” or “practical bunkai” movement, you might think that you are exempt from this statement…but you’re not.Dan wasn’t just talking about the most traditional of the traditionalists. He was talking about the practical karate people, too.I haven’t addressed it specifically yet, but I have touched on the practical karate and taekwondo crowd from time to time…This is an audio essay version of an article I wrote last year:Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter.It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training.Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill- How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own- and Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month.Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.combatlearning.comToday I analyze a jiu jitsu seminar conducted by David Ooi in Singapore. In the process, a lot of good little nuances surface that I don’t often get to talk about in other places.Other Paid Articles You Don’t Want to Miss…

Positional sparring is consistent with the constraints-led approach (CLA) to coaching—and by extension, scalable live training (SLT)—but positional sparring tends to have a less flexible scope of practice.So whereas all positional sparring can be CLA, the CLA is not simply positional sparring: it can be much more or much less, depending on the necessary scale.Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter.It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training.Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill- How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own- and Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month.Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.combatlearning.comToday I’m reviewing a video by YouTuber Josh Beam BJJ, with Craig Hutchison from Carpe Diem Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu helping him assess and develop a passing game. This episode explores the vital considerations we need to make about how we manipulate constraints, if smaller is actually better, and what information we’re losing when we scale down too much or …

Today, I review and criticize (in good humor) some videos I found on YouTube. I’m analyzing the utility of several drills and games related to developing lead leg kicking tactics in taekwondo, a.k.a. cut kick and cancelling. Relevant to kickboxing and beyond.But I’d like my awesome followers to get involved, too!* Found an interesting training video you’d like me to assess?* Have a video of you or your students’ training you’d like me to critique?Email them to me or message me through Substack or Instagram. Give me some context or let me know what the purpose is so I can give the best assessment.Next video is grappling stuff, promise.Going forward, most of these will behind a paywall, so upgrade now! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

Major ecological researcher, Dr. Duarte Araujo, joins us on combat learning to discuss all things ecological cognition and sport psychology.Other topics include…* Knowledge of vs knowledge about* Technique vs task space* Repetition without repetition* Affordances* Decision-making and sport expertise* Representative learning designDr. Araujo is professor of Psychology and Motor Behavior at the University of Lisbon, Head of the CIPER institute for sport performance, and one of the oldest associates of Keith Davids, who first synthesized ecological dynamics as a theory.Want to upgrade your coaching or training?Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter.It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training.Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill- How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own- and Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month.Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

Everyone agrees that the fundamentals are the essence of martial arts skill, but nobody can agree on what they are exactly.In this article, I outline and briefly comment on five different conceptions of martial arts fundamentals.* Fundamentals as Basic Techniques* Fundamentals as Principles of Play* Fundamentals as Basics + Principles* Fundamentals within Functional Movement Skills* as Regulatory Conditions* as Necessary Strategic AttributesOverall, I want to document the landscape on fundamentals so we can have clearer, more productive discussions about it.Want to upgrade your coaching or training?Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter.It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training.Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill- How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own- and Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month.Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

Information processing and ecological dynamics are both theories of perception and learning. They explain your relationship to the environment and how that affects your internal states and vice versa. As such, they inform training methodologies, but they are not methodologies in themselves.Or, put another way, they have clear implications for how you should train, but as theories of perception and learning, they do not constitute organized systems of how to do training.To bridge the gap between theory and practice, developing literature-based methodologies is necessary.Want to upgrade your coaching or training?Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter. It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training.Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill- How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own- and Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month.Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

Scott Sievewright, an MMA coach and pioneer of the ecological approach, dives into fundamental striking techniques and the challenges of scaling constraints-led coaching in martial arts. He shares insights from his recent paper on ecological dynamics, emphasizing the balance between safety and realistic striking practices. The discussion includes innovative tactics for coaching, the importance of agility in training, and how fatigue can enhance resilience. Sievewright's evolving perspective on martial arts fundamentals offers a fresh lens for both novice and experienced fighters.