Mental representation | ||
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Peak
Dr. K. Anders Ericsson wrote a very interesting book called Peak.
It details the process of 'deliberate
practice' and emphasises the necessity of developing a good 'mental
representation' of whatever subject/topic/field you are
exploring.
We strongly recommend buying the book.
What is a mental representation?
In simple terms it is your understanding
of a given subject. Your mental model of what it constitutes.
Mental framework
Imagine a bookshelf in your mind filled with books, folders, resources
and information about tai chi...
The more densely filled your bookshelf is, the more relevant and useful new
information will seem.
You will be able to cross-reference, discern, add to existing knowledge and
challenge any preconceptions or
misconceptions.
Ideally, your bookshelf wants to be filled with
anything and
everything that might conceivably have a
bearing on tai chi.
Tai chi
When a person is thinking about attending a
tai chi class they have certain
ideas/notions/opinions
in mind concerning 'tai chi'.
These may be the outcome of media,
friends, books or things
discovered on-line.
How the individual approaches a
tai chi class,
what they expect to find and whether or
not they like the experience will largely
be shaped by their mental representation of
tai chi.
When you say "I know" you are
on the path of non-intelligence; but when you say "I don't know", and really
mean it, you have already started on the path of intelligence.
When a person doesn't know, they look, listen, inquire.
(Krishnamurti)
Understanding
In any subject, the more comprehensive and
detailed a person's mental representation is, the
greater their understanding. This is a crucial point to grasp.
e.g. a new starter has very little understanding
of the art; and this lack of
knowledge and
skill creates a bias.
But what is the bias based upon? What
criteria can a new starter possibly be
applying?
Context
A mental representation enables an individual to
see how pieces of knowledge fit
together.
There is a framework.
Rather than amass random unrelated titbits of
trivia, there is structure, context,
meaning, purpose,
connections and associations.
The person can see why things are done a
certain way and what the goal is at
a particular stage of development.
Lower grades
Tai chi beginners have very little sense
of the art and are still largely operating on
misconceptions that they had when
they started class.
An obvious illustration is that most beginners
still use the term "tie chee" -
which is (of course) an incorrect pronunciation.
Students at this level of study are
mainly concerned with 'what' is
happening; they are memorising patterns,
sequences and routines
designed to provide a crude introduction.
Usually they think that they know
far more than they actually do.
Experienced
Experienced students have laid the
foundation of knowledge
and skill.
They see tai chi from a very different perspective.
Instead of being overly concerned with what they are doing, the
student is principally exploring 'how'
they are doing it.
Advanced
The later stages of training are about
'why' things are being done in a particular manner and this
informs both what and how.
With a comprehensive mental representation of tai chi, the more advanced
exponent can examine the constituent parts and
better understand their relationship
to the whole.
Building
The importance of building a highly detailed
mental representation of tai chi cannot be overstated.
It is also fairly easy.
You simply need to be enthusiastic... read,
practice and explore the
art.
Get a real sense of what 'tai chi' is.
Poor understanding
People who posses a poor mental representation draw the wrong
conclusions, make
assumptions and often train for many years
without really understanding the art.
Some even go on to teach...
Making decisions
If a student has a poor mental representation, then their capacity to
make good choices in tai chi is
limited indeed.
This is not a matter of intelligence.
The student simply lacks the necessary information
and wherewithal to make good use of what they
encounter.
They read situations wrongly, make poor decisions
and flounder.
Physically, their untrained bodies cannot
perform the required skills
correctly.
Wrong direction
A poor mental representation is the outcome of a
shallow investment in learning tai chi.
Satisfied with a cursory,
superficial mental representation, the
student remains on the periphery of the art.
They are quite content to stay within their 'comfort zone'
irrespective of the cost.
This may seem harmless enough, but training long-term at a low level of
skill deprives the student of any real
benefit from tai chi.
Drowning in shallow water
The main problem with failing to develop a
good mental representation is that the student
never quite 'gets it'.
They spend years thinking that tai chi is 'one thing' when in fact it is
'something else' entirely.
Rather than discover the true nature of the art,
the dilettante is content never to leave the paddling pool.
Indiscriminate
A novice student should not limit their study to just what their
teacher recommends.
It can be immensely useful to cast the widest
possible net.
Attend other tai chi
classes, other martial arts classes, watch
YouTube videos, read websites, watch DVDs, read books by various authors.
See for yourself what is out there,
discover first-hand what people think of as being 'tai chi' and
combat.
Waste of time?
Isn't it a waste of time to be indiscriminate in your exploration? No.
A novice doesn't possess a particularly robust
mental representation of tai chi. It is more
inaccurate than correct.
Do something about this. See what a massive range of
people are doing,
saying, practicing. Examine their reasons,
arguments and interpretations.
You can learn from everything. Even a poor example
teaches you what not to do.
Most importantly - you become capable of understanding for yourself.
Value
Once a student starts reading the Taoist
classics, The Tai Chi Classics, Sun Tzu,
Miyamoto Musashi etc and begins to deepen their sense of tai chi, the
art
becomes incredibly fascinating.
Insignificant seeming exercises and
drills make more sense.
Add martial application, human
biomechanics,
meditation and combat... and tai chi is no
longer a slow motion exercise class.
The student becomes capable of determining what is relevant, useful and
necessary.
They become more active in the learning
process; taking the initiative and gaining a better sense of tai chi.
Knowledge gap
A student with a detailed mental representation is thinking about lines
of force, pressure,
leverage,
groundpath, centre, peng,
jing and whole-body
movement.
Meanwhile, the novice is trying to figure out how to
mirror section 1 of the first form in the
syllabus...
There is a gulf of knowledge and
skill between the novice and the
experienced student.
It is more than years of attending lessons or showing an interest in
tai chi.
For the student who has invested in
cultivating a better mental representation there is a comprehensive
process of growth taking place.
Most people have never attained a
level of performance in any field that is sufficient to show them the true
power of mental representations to plan, execute and evaluate their
performance
in the way that experts do. And
thus they never really understand what it takes to reach this level - not
just the time it takes, but the high-quality practice.
(Anders Ericsson)
Page created
18 April 2017
Last updated
16 June 2023
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