Motor Learning: Block vs Random Practice

Motor learning is the study of how people acquire skill through practice. Decades of research show that there are more effective ways to design our practices...

Topics covered:
Block vs Random Practice
Motor Learning Principles
Read, Plan, Do - The Total Skill

[darlinglionheart]

Awesome! So glad to see all of the people trying to apply this to martial arts; that was my first thought. I've seen this in action but never knew it, and it fits perfectly with my "practice is boring" mindset! (because all I knew was block practice)

[Manuel-oxmt]

I was preaching this for years at combat sports training:
Yes, repetition is the mother of skill.
But variation is its father.

So, when i teach for example a basic boxing combination, like a jab-cross, i have my students do it first, as block practice, just to get familiar, but then, onto the variation.
Different hights (head or body), one high one low, doing it while moving forward, backwards or sideways, do it when punched back, and so on...

It sort off doesn't really help with confidence in the first few sessions, but it really REALLY helps with skill acquisition and long term retention.

[AngelReyesMuniz]

This is great. I have been doing some Random Training for years now. I never thought there was a name for it. I do start off with block training and when the athletes gain an understanding of the fundamental I then switch to Random Training.

[ArtechokeMedia]

We love your stuff, Trevor. Please keep posting and sharing! A handful of us in the jiu-jitsu community are exploring motor learning concepts in our teaching because of you.

[Kunstdesfechtens]

Excellent video. I’ll be applying this more when teaching HEMA. It’s hard finding the balance in our amateur context though. Much blade work, even the barebones basics, is extremely technical, so getting to the point where a student can do a technique at all can be a struggle. Adding random elements to that can take a while. What’s a good ratio of block vs. random drilling for beginners?

[NorCalSCChico]

FANTASTIC material. Noodling on how this could be applied to BJJ and MMA. 

[The_King_Slayer]

Really enjoyed the video, I've read a lot of stuff related to this and while I felt like I had a decent understanding of most of this, it really drove home the points so well about the difference between random and block practice. Helps so much truly understanding that random practice isn't necessarily going to be pretty, but that's not a bad thing. Thanks for the post!

[wordpower]

This is an awesome video and the concept can be demontrated in martial arts, specially Jiu-Jitsu. I am improving a lot using the reading, planning, doing approach. Thanks.

[TrevorRagan]

@peredur jenkins

Those type of sports involved more "closed skills" where there is little to no randomness involved. In this case I would imagine that there would be some advantages to block practice. I haven't really looked into the research there because the sports that I deal with are 100% random and involve "open skills", in which case we need to train according to the science.

Hope this helps!

[EduardoBriceno]

Wonderful video essay and explanation of motor learning, thanks Trevor!

[keanu]

LOVE YOUR PRESENTATION! MAHALO. FOR SHARING.

[LearnBeachVolleyballFast]

So there is at least one serious flaw with this research: If one is to retain skills properly, retention takes more than "the next day or whatever", because proper "rewiring" of the brain pathways takes more time and practice than just one day of practice.Can't just go to a game or other type of performance measurement the day after and think you now know the skill since you have practiced it once - at least not if it's a slightly more complicated skill.

It makes total sense that random practice gives better retention than blocked the day after, but where's the research saying that in the long term "only random" is better than a skillful combination of blocked and random orchestrated by a coach who understands sports psychology and how to transfer skills from blocked to random to full game? How can one claim that blocked practice is a big no-no when firstly this type of research doesn't exist, and secondly there is research done after the study this video is based upon that states that reality is more complex than this study suggests, and blocked practice is more effectve than random at certain times and conditions? :)

[joshpck]

Wow this is excellent! I'm an MEd candidate and also a martial arts instructor. I'm alwayd looking for better, more efficient ways to teach.

[sanmartiniano]

Excelente hay que cambiar los caminos neuronales constantemente para un mejor desempeño en el juego

[sabia.capoeira]

Thank you! That was inspiring and I have learned a lot

[SistemaRugbyBlogspotAr]

Thanks Trevor for the video.
I have two questions:
1 ° When we face a skill that involves physical risk, we must start with an analytical method and then with a random, but in what proportion?
2 ° The random method, you have seen developed in an academic environment ?, ie in primary school? For example in subjects such as social sciences, history, mathematics,

[philipsimmonds]

Random practice with low intensity for 40 sec accentuating the skill focusing more on intensity for 20 sec, pretending it is the last 20 sec of a game! video...Btw!

[charliepearton]

this video is incredibly helpful and is really easy to understand thank you so much.

[gabrielesani]

Awesome video, and well researched - thank you!!! I would assume that, as hinted at the end of the video, random practice is more effective also because it forces the athletes to stay alert all through the practice. Is there any study on this point? Focus is clearly important for every sport, but is there any variation we can add to a drill to either improve or lower the athlete's alertness?

[SchemeSC]

But isn't it more difficult to correct a flawed technique in a random environment than in a block environment?  I agree with the concepts in this video if the athlete has already developed a strong technical foundation in childhood.  However, I found it impossible to correct my flawed techniques in tennis and table tennis in a random environment, as trying to do the planning and reading caused me feel "overwhelmed".  Retention might be higher after a random practice, but retention is meaningless unless we succesfully make the necessary technical changes that are capping our game.

I think it depends on the particular athlete's level and training history.