In my view, all training is a building block approach. Isolating, learning and mastering the fundamentals is critical. We then put isolated skills together to form a skill set. Those skills exist in a vacuum, however, until we put them in context and learn practical application.
Think about how we teach kids to play baseball. First we teach them to throw and catch. A kid can be good at throwing and catching but not know how to play baseball. We add snagging grounders and fly balls, take some infield, learn hitting, and begin putting it all together. After years of training this way, kids begin understanding the game and can play baseball. The same is true with football, or martial arts, and any other athletic or fighting skill.
But remember, every year even the pros go to spring training. And what do they work on? Throwing and catching. Fundamentals. We never stop refining the fundamentals. So that’s my approach. Isolate and build the skills. Then train context and application so you can deliver on demand. It’s a never ending journey.
William Long