Teaching Martial Arts by Combat Learning

Josh Peacock

Teach martial arts radically better using the ecological dynamics and constraints-led approach to training. Explore the little-known frontiers of skill adaptation, perceptual-motor learning, and performance science for combat sports such as jiu jitsu, taekwondo, kickboxing, karate, muay thai, and more. www.combatlearning.com

  1. 24/09/2025

    Ecological Dynamics of Injury Recovery

    Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter. It’s the best way to support the show, and you’ll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training. Right now, I’m taking Rob Gray’s How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill - How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own - Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It’s less than an open mat drop in fee per month! Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

    58 min
  2. You Need More Variability w/ Andre Grandbois

    31/07/2025

    You Need More Variability w/ Andre Grandbois

    You could always use more variability. We discuss game selection variety, injury prevention, differential learning, and aliveness. Other topics covered: * The value of some information processing concepts * Performance vs learning, instruction as a constraint, and how to measure learning * Did the research you’re using include representative design? * The limits of representative learning design instruments * The importance of taxonomies and classification systems * How do decide density of drilling vs live work anyway? Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter. It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training. Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill - How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own - Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month! Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

    1 h 4 min
  3. Why Details and Drilling Don't Work for Us w/ Andre Grandbois of Grappling Garden

    16/07/2025

    Why Details and Drilling Don't Work for Us w/ Andre Grandbois of Grappling Garden

    It’s not a mystery at all why so many people quit jiu jitsu and martial arts generally, and coach Andre and I dissect why. Other subjects covered: * Praise the process, not the outcome (fostering intrinsic motivation) * Warmups * Athletic skills Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter. It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training. Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill - How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own - Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month! Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

    49 min

  4. 30/06/2025

    Coach Firas Zahabi's Big Dumb Oopsie

    I didn’t watch the debate, but I know it sucked. What I found in the comments is embarrassing. Snort. A study lol. Why would scientists call a neurological phenomenon “muscle memory?” Doesn’t even pass the smell test. The article states that muscle memory is making muscles remember movements, but then Zahabi says it’s neurological. Sloppy, sophomoric, embarrassing, does not even merit reply, frankly. EDIT: I just noticed he calls it “muscle memory/motor learning”—this is idiotic at best and dishonest at worst. Of course motor learning is a empirical phenomenon; every conceivable theoretical camp in motor learning believes their own discipline of study exists. Greg is arguing for a view of motor learning. Why would he be arguing motor learning doesn’t exist? You can’t use the two interchangeably. Muscle memory is not motor learning. It doesn’t define motor learning, and it’s not a position inside motor learning except to people who have no idea what they’re talking about. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

    9 min
  5. 5 Ways to Start Eco Training if You're Not at an Eco Gym

    18/03/2025

    5 Ways to Start Eco Training if You're Not at an Eco Gym

    Interested in eco/CLA but stuck in a traditional school? Or maybe you’re frustrated with your progress, want to try something new, but are stuck inside a learning environment you don’t control. Either way, you still have some options. Of course, it’s optimal to run your own club or gym, but you can take ownership of your own learning journey and get started with CLA even if you don’t. Here’s the 5 best options I know. Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter. It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training. Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter. Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill - How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own - Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts Training All that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month! Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. See you on the next episode! This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. FCAI1wOo5LzyZQrx7W5z This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

    8 min
  6. Why the Practical Karate Movement isn't Improving Karate

    10/03/2025

    Why the Practical Karate Movement isn't Improving Karate

    My friend Daniel Marino made a critical observation about the karate community: “It’s about looking good, not learning how to fight.” Now, if you’re a part of the so-called “practical karate” or “practical bunkai” movement, you might think that you are exempt from this statement…but you’re not. Dan wasn’t just talking about the most traditional of the traditionalists. He was talking about the practical karate people, too. I haven’t addressed it specifically yet, but I have touched on the practical karate and taekwondo crowd from time to time… This is an audio essay version of an article I wrote last year: Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter. It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training. Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill - How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own - and Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month. Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

    14 min
  7. Training Review #3: David Ooi's Awesome Ecological Jiu Jitsu Seminar

    04/03/2025

    Training Review #3: David Ooi's Awesome Ecological Jiu Jitsu Seminar

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.combatlearning.com Today I analyze a jiu jitsu seminar conducted by David Ooi in Singapore. In the process, a lot of good little nuances surface that I don’t often get to talk about in other places. Other Paid Articles You Don’t Want to Miss…

    23 min
  8. CLA is Not Positional Sparring...

    18/02/2025

    CLA is Not Positional Sparring...

    Positional sparring is consistent with the constraints-led approach (CLA) to coaching—and by extension, scalable live training (SLT)—but positional sparring tends to have a less flexible scope of practice. So whereas all positional sparring can be CLA, the CLA is not simply positional sparring: it can be much more or much less, depending on the necessary scale. Bring your CLA coaching and ecological dynamics knowledge to the next level and upgrade to the premium combat learning newsletter. It's the best way to support the show, and you'll get access to exclusive articles and recordings on how to practically apply the science of skill acquisition to martial arts training. Right now, I'm taking Rob Gray's How We Learn to Move and applying it to martial arts practice design, chapter by chapter.Other premium articles include:- How to Manipulate Constraints to Build Deep Skill - How the Fundamentals Emerge on their Own - and Representative Learning Design for Martial Arts TrainingAll that and more is available to you when you upgrade to the premium combat learning subscription. It's less than an open mat drop in fee per month. Thanks for listening. Before you go, can you do me a big favor? Positive reviews help the show get more listens. If you got value from this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See you on the next episode!This episode was produced by Micah Peacock, including the intro and outro music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.combatlearning.com/subscribe

    9 min
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Información

Teach martial arts radically better using the ecological dynamics and constraints-led approach to training. Explore the little-known frontiers of skill adaptation, perceptual-motor learning, and performance science for combat sports such as jiu jitsu, taekwondo, kickboxing, karate, muay thai, and more. www.combatlearning.com

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