Variability, Not Repetition, Is the Key to Mastery

Re:Variability, Not Repetition, Is the Key to Mastery by tgv on Sunday October 30, 2022 @07:20AM (#33393429)

That doesn't make sense. There always is some overlap between tasks somewhere, but learning to program is generalization, and learning martial arts is motor control. There's no reason for them to be connected. That words like "active" can be applied to both, doesn't mean much. Should you find that your method works better than an existing method, that doesn't mean the metaphor for your method has any basis in reality.

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Re:Variability, Not Repetition, Is the Key to Mastery by tsumnia on Sunday October 30, 2022 @11:49AM (#33395473)

> learning to program is generalization, and learning martial arts is motor control

I disagree; both programming and martial arts require a level of technical motor control. Its easier to define and connect in a physical skill since that is where motor control is studied. However, programming as a technical skill involves familiarity with syntax, familiarity with the tools (literally keyboard and mouse), and translating plans into valid syntax. Likewise, sparring in martial art is as much a problem solving skill as it is in programming - you need to evaluate the problem at hand and do problem decomposition to create subgoals until you produce an actionable item.

> There's no reason for them to be connected

The connection to martial arts works for me because that's something I've done for over a decade. It doesn't immediate click with everyone if they don't have that same history with it. However, many people have seen parallels when I describe this through learning music, dance, chess, or second language acquisition. They recognize the skill was a combination of lower level technical knowledge and higher level problem-solving/creativity. My base thesis is "if you're struggling, why not focus on refining the lower level skill you seem to be having trouble with"?

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