David Davis ran class in my absence and provided his usual outstanding notes …
Class attendance: Shane, Ryan, Tavon, Brian, Kashif, Will, Bryant, Mosi, Michael, Joe, Asim, and yours truly David Davis.
Class Goals: The main goal was to immerse the receiver in tapping as a way to help refine the quality of their perceptual and motor skills when confronted. By attending to their perceptual and motor skills, the receiver develops the skill to demonstrate to his fullest ability the correct response when it counts and in so doing, increases his chances of surviving a confrontation. The balance between thinking tactically and watching closely an assailant’s movement is a difficult challenge to get right. If you think too much on the tactics, you miss a risen opportunity, or, your assailant figures out what you are doing and employs a ruse to make you a victim. Training in Kali involves managing the incorrect response and receivers need to be able to desensitise themselves from this process. The psychological aspects of perceptual and attentional motor skills response are critical for street survival.
Class Objectives: The objective of this learning session is to:
- Improve the receivers ability to analyze: using information gathered from observation, in order to act upon a preemptive strategy.
- Improve the receivers ability to search (scan) the feeder for relevant cues, eg looking at how the feeder moves particularly watching the elbow. This is used in the preemptive stage of an argument rather than during the physical contact.
- Develop the receivers ability to focus closely at a single object, eg what the feeder is doing, how is he moving.Improve the receivers ability to rehearse (imaging and focusing) on a specific technique such as cross-tapping while simultaneously hitting the focus pad on a striking target.
Training Methods: Show through the training rig how the receiver can heighten their perceptual skills by cuing in on the elbow. Demonstrate how focus pads can improve the receivers motor skills, specifically cross-tapping while simultaneously hitting the focus pad on a striking target.
Learning Outcomes: Student were objectively assessed on their tapping proficiency. The activities included helping the receiver connect his learning, training, fighting plan against consecutive feeders. Emphasis was placed on the receiver’s ability to progress their 3 of 9 tapping skills, through a line of advancing feeders. The receivers ability to perform was observed rather than merely the length of time spent in class. Some students progress showed fluidity while others manual proficiency was slowed as the line advanced, but everyone was given the same chance to perform.
