a Very interesting article on the acquisition of "Skill"
- Thread starter Brother John
- Start date
Food for thought, Brother John. Thank you for sharing.
The four-fold approach is a great model.
Everyone starts at unconscious incompetence at anything they do; they don't know and they don't know what they don't know. (Yes, that often includes things "everyone" knows how to do, like running in the article!)
As we begin to learn, we reach conscious incompetence. We know that we don't know what we're doing -- but we're beginning to learn. As we work, we'll start to get things right or do them as demonstrated occasionally -- but it takes work and deliberate effort to do so. Think of a beginner who can has to step into stance, then adjust to get the stance right, or can do a block properly alone and slowly but not in a combination or fast.
The next step is conscious competence. The student is able to reliably perform the skills correctly, they know what they're doing, but they still kind of have to be aware they're doing it. Something like a first degree black belt... hopefully!
The last phase is unconscious competence, the point where you don't have to think about doing it right, and would actually have to work to do it wrong. This is the point where you make doing something look easy and natural. It's the product of lots of deliberate, careful training, usually over a long time.
Everyone starts at unconscious incompetence at anything they do; they don't know and they don't know what they don't know. (Yes, that often includes things "everyone" knows how to do, like running in the article!)
As we begin to learn, we reach conscious incompetence. We know that we don't know what we're doing -- but we're beginning to learn. As we work, we'll start to get things right or do them as demonstrated occasionally -- but it takes work and deliberate effort to do so. Think of a beginner who can has to step into stance, then adjust to get the stance right, or can do a block properly alone and slowly but not in a combination or fast.
The next step is conscious competence. The student is able to reliably perform the skills correctly, they know what they're doing, but they still kind of have to be aware they're doing it. Something like a first degree black belt... hopefully!
The last phase is unconscious competence, the point where you don't have to think about doing it right, and would actually have to work to do it wrong. This is the point where you make doing something look easy and natural. It's the product of lots of deliberate, careful training, usually over a long time.
