Concepts Vs Technique

I've attended and participated in all types of seminars, from martial arts to programming, cooking to business and many others too numerous to remember, what the seminar was about, or even what was taught. I'm sure that this is a common outcome for most who attend seminars, courses, and classes and learn a technique or techniques for something.

Why was it that I didn't remember what I had just paid a pretty penny to learn but came away empty handed.

This didn't deter me from attending any more seminars, just the opposite. I began my quest to seek the "why" that I wasn't remembering the material that I went to learn.

What I discovered was that most seminars taught how to do a technique or series of techniques. I could remember them for a while but it didn't take long before they faded from memory. Unless that specific scenario occurred, the technique couldn't be applied. Which posed another issue. The "but what if they do this?" scenario. Techniques can be too specific and limiting.

That's when I began seeking the concept behind techniques. If I could glean what the underlying concept for the technique was, I could see if that concept could apply to other scenarios.

What I discovered was that while a technique can be applied to one application, a concept can be applied to many techniques.

This began my greater quest to learn and teach conceptually. Being able to convey a concept to a student made it easier for them to better understand and remember techniques. They then began their own exploration of the concepts and their principles.

In summary, while a technique may express a single concept, a single concept can be expressed in many techniques.

With that being said, future BLOG posts will discuss some of the many concepts that I have discovered or developed.

Stay tuned! - MS