This video lesson is me going on about how training drills should be done. The same principles apply whether you train in traditional martial arts, combat sports or self-defence. In fact, you could use them in everything you want to get better at.

It is for students who want more from their training time, and for instructors and coaches who design drills for others.

Why Most Drills Fail

Drills are meant to make you better at something. Too often they turn into a habit, something you do because it is what you always do. People go through the motions, the drill becomes easy, and nothing improves.

A drill that does not change you is just exercise.

The Principles Of A Good Drill

A good drill has a few things in common:

  • A clear purpose. You know exactly what skill it is building.
  • Relevance. It looks and feels like the situation you are training for.
  • Progression. It gets harder as you improve, so you keep learning.
  • Feedback. You know whether you got it right or wrong.
  • Honesty. It does not fool you into thinking you are better than you are.

How To Build A Drill Up

Most skills follow the same path. First learn the movement slowly and correctly. Then add speed. Then add some resistance or pressure. Then add variety, so you have to choose the right response. Finally, put it into something that looks like the real thing, such as sparring or a pressure test.

If you skip steps, the skill does not hold up when it matters. If you never move on, you stay stuck at the easy level forever.

Common Mistakes

  • Doing it to look good. Drills that impress people are not always the ones that work.
  • Never changing it. Once something is easy, change it.
  • Cooperating too much. Some cooperation is needed to learn. Too much and you learn nothing.
  • Not thinking. Every repetition should be done with attention.

Using This Everywhere

These ideas are not just for fighting. Learning a language, a musical instrument or a new job all follow the same rules. Purpose, progression, feedback and honesty will make you better at anything.

Take It Further

If you teach and want to develop your coaching, look at Private Mentoring or my Training Camps. If you want to become a qualified instructor in my system, see the PPDT International Instructor Course.