Teaching Martial Arts by Combat Learning

Dr. Rob Gray returns today to talk to us about an exciting concept called the differential learning effect.The so-called "ecological approach" is often used synonymously with the Constraints-led Approach, but it also encompasses other frameworks such as differential learning. Differential learning is about true randomness in practice conditions. The constraints-led approach is about purposefully designed environments. Both work -- so is there a way to combine both approaches and gain the positive effects of each?In fact, there is. In this episode, Dr. Gray walks us through a synthesized approach that he calls "constrained differential learning."So if you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Find Dr. Rob Gray:Website: https://perceptionaction.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robgray29/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShakeyWaits---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Today I'm joined by Nick Delgadillo, Starting Strength Coach, Head of Corporate Development at Starting Strength, and a lifelong martial artist. In this episode, Nick unpacks common misconceptions about strength training and how conditioning works for most athletes in combat sports.He introduces to the the so-called "Two Factor Model" of strength and conditioning for sports. Rather than spread your precious workout time across accessory exercises, he argues that most martial artists are better served by moving up their numbers on the big 4 compound lifts:- Back squat- Bench press- Overhead press- DeadliftThis keeps conditioning work and sport-specific work properly separated. Nick also gives tips on how to balance novice programming with the recovery demands of combat sports practice. If you're looking for a simple way to improve your performance on the mat, this episode is for you.Also, this is a special topic. The Combat Learning Podcast is and will remain focused on perceptual-motor learning, but I thought this would be a welcome and insightful pattern break from the usual episode subject matter.So if you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Find Nick Delgadillo:Website: https://liftfightwin.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickd_ssc/---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Today I'm joined by Bryant Coston and Seneca Savoie, Historical European Martial Artists who specialize in coaching the sword at their club, Arena Weapon Arts.In this episode, Bryant and Seneca recount their journey from a traditional technique and drill-based sword coaching, to games-based practice, and finally arriving at a full-bore constraints-led approach. They go into detail about how they approach practice design, curriculum development, as well as coaching and correction. We also talk at length about representativeness and how previous experience in other skills can form "attractor states" that influence the way you move when acquiring and developing a newer skill. Of note also is their account of how training with more aliveness actually lowered their injury rates instead of making it worse.So if you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Find Bryant & Seneca:Website: https://www.academyofwma.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArenaWeaponArts/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arenaweaponarts/---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Today I'm joined by Dr. Ian Renshaw, Associate Professor in Exercise & Nutrition Science at Queensland University of Technology at Brisbane. Professor Renshaw is a major researcher in the Constraints-led Approach to motor learning. In fact, you'll see his name on several of the books and studies recommended throughout the Combat Learning Podcast. In this episode, Professor Renshaw teaches the "Environment Design Principles," a set of 4 considerations that help guide us into creating effective constraints-led training sessions. Those principles are:- Session intention. - Constrain to afford.- Representative learning design. - Repetition without repetition. If you've ever struggled to take the broad principles of CLA and create a framework for consistently designing good practices, this is the missing piece for you. So if you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Find Professor Renshaw:Website: https://www.theconstraintscollective.com/Email: i.renshaw@qut.edu.au---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Join Greg Souders as he revolutionizes Jiu Jitsu teaching with an ecological approach, shifting away from traditional techniques. Learn how he introduces submissions, designs practices, and coaches athletes in a completely new way. Explore the benefits of sand training and the unconventional path to mastering Jiu Jitsu.

Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Today I'm joined by Adam Haniver, a boxing coach out of the UK and one of the founding members of The Box Gathering, which is a community of practice for boxing coaches.In this episode, Adam talks to us about how he has moved his boxing program away from the traditional approach to a constraints-led approach. Of particular interest, we discuss why padwork is not very good training (because it pairs the wrong affordances with certain movements), and then we discuss what you can do instead of focus mitts to make training more effective.If you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Find Adam:Website: https://www.theboxgathering.co.uk/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Hz9bo30cUIW5NHBaViozg/videos---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Today I'm joined again by one of my best friends, Master Thomas Huskey, a 4th dan in taekwondo and a fairly accomplished Olympic TKD coach in his own right.In this episode, Thomas and I begin by explaining in detail why martial artists outside of taekwondo are wrong in their criticisms of it. Then we transition our ire inward towards the taekwondo community itself, and why it is also wrong about its own criticisms of the Olympic style.Please be forewarned, this was immediately following a lot of drama after the summer Olympics last year (2021). Our tone is generally very condescending and bombastic, but we don't mean to upset people who have made these criticisms before. In reality, our tone was in direct response to a few individuals who decided they were going to be obnoxious and unfair in how they responded to some significant victories for Team USA in the Olympics at that time. So full disclosure, we were agitated.If you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Find Master Huskey:YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5c8lmpzg1boA6BjMt0C95g/videosWebsite: https://cybertaekwondo.com/---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Today I'm joined again by Greg Koval, a 6th dan in taekwondo and owner of Devil Dog Martial Arts.In this episode, Greg and I catch up from when he first appeared on Combat Learning. Since then, Greg has taken the Constraints-led Approach and overhauled his entire curriculum to great success. We also talk about training terminology and other problems going on in the taekwondo training world.If you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Find Greg:YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh5-5RJmb96cYOH8lgykHswWebsite: https://www.devildogmartialarts.com/---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Today I'm joined by Todd Fossey, founder of Integrated Defensive Strategies and a leading figure in the combatives community.In this episode, Todd unpacks how to systematically inoculate yourself against the stress caused by the fight or flight state during high pressure situations. We also discuss the problems with typical reality-based self-defense approaches to this process as well as issues in affective and representative learning designs for training.If you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Find Todd Fossey:Website: https://thisisids.com/---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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

Join the email list now: combatlearning.com/newsletter---Today I'm joined by Alan Dunton, a PhD in skill acquisition, human performance specialist, and lecturer at TUDublin. He also has a background in ITF taekwondo.In this episode, we discuss a couple important studies done on self-organization and how to simulate a more realistic level of anxiety to competition. Then we discuss how the point system for sport taekwondo can be manipulated to aid constraints-led training of specific tactics without over-constraining learners. Finally, we clear up how to understand the difference between predictive and prospective control of movement, which is one of the key divides between Information Processing and Ecological Dynamics theories of motor control and learning.If you're excited to jump in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher and enjoy the show.---Find Alan Dunton:Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanDunton---Produced by Micah PeacockIntro Theme by Micah PeacockOutro Music is Synergy by Juche 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