I went on a training course with work recently and this concept was brought up. To me it seemed to fit in very well with the learning process we go through as Martial Artists. There are 4 stages to it:

1. Unconscious Incompetence

At this point you don't know that you don't know things and you are blissfully unaware that your skills are lacking.

2. Conscious Incompetence

You know your ability is limited and there are things that you don't know. You have to go through an uncomfortable period learning these new skills .

3. Conscious Competence

You've acquired skills and knowledge and can work on honing them.

4. Unconsciously Competence

You've got to the stage that you don't have to think about what you're doing and it's automatic.

Better explanation here: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_96.htm

To me this echos Bruce Lee:

"Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch, and a kick, just a kick.

After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick, no longer a kick.

Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick."

I think as teachers and as students it's something that is a good idea to be aware of. As a student though how do you make sure that you don't get stuck in phase 1 where you are blissfully unaware that there isn't something currently wrong with what you are doing or that there isn't something you could be doing better? What self-feedback mechanisms do you have in your own training?

I totally agree with this. The only gradings I've ever felt completely ready for were my yellow and orange belt ones, because I didn't know enough to know how bad I was! I'm firmly planted in stage 2 at the moment.

I work for someone who is just plain incompetent but think he knows it all....

I'm not sure where I fit, a mixture of 2, 3 & 4. So long as it's not 1 then I don't mind.

I often work in 3 and think that it's graduating to 4 but then I see a video or check a mirror and realise it's back at 2...

I always like to keep striving for 4 though.

Unconscious Competence is when you're so tired and exhausted that you can barley stand and your grading Sensei shouts: "Rei! Kata Announce!" The next two minutes or so is what constitutes the memory of your Karatedo, the soul of your Budo.

I like it-fits perfectly!

I like it-fits perfectly!

I wholeheartedly concur!! Thanks for posting it Danielle!!

Unconscious Competence is when you're so tired and exhausted that you can barley stand and your grading Sensei shouts: "Rei! Kata Announce!" The next two minutes or so is what constitutes the memory of your Karatedo, the soul of your Budo.

Excellent post!

Some days my instructor will drill us and drill us and drill us. We will sometimes do the same drill for a good 30 min. He says that in the Phillippines they practice the drill for hours until you are too tired to do it wrong anymore.

Or he'll have to do squat kicks and push-ups and sit-ups and and a bunch of punch combos and then have us go into forms without a break.

I guess he is trying to build up our unconscious competence.

Thanks for posting that DWx, I've not come across this before and as the others say, it's very interesting and relevant to the martial arts.

Very nice, thanks for posting this. I like your link to the Bruce Lee quote, too. Its cool how often we see that pop up. I like the breakdown of the 4 stages, and can see where some students fit into various categories. I think a student comes to understand where they are at when they begin looking from what they are constantly doing and into what others are doing, and then comparing, contrasting, and adjusting.

From the course they did say that you continuously flow round the cycle as you expand your knowledge and ability. The important point was to try to skip stage 1 and to make sure you constantly re-evaluate and get feedback so that you are in stage 2 or higher.