Had a friend of mine that reads this blog suggest adding something to my "Why do we train so much?" blog. For the record, I hate the term "blog", but oh well, it is what it is, and here I am "blogging."
Anyways, My "article" on why we train so much could better have been entitled "Tacit Knowledge", because that's where I was focused, and didn't delve into the many other aspects of why we train so much. So a Brutha pipes up about an experience he had recently. He was called on to perform a task he hasn't actually done on a fire scene in years. But, because of his training, not only did he perform the task, he was also able to teach a FNG about what he was doing. He said it was because of Muscle Memory, a VERY valid point. I say it happened because of his training, which muscle memory is the direct result of.
Muscle memory is defined by Wikipedia as:
Muscle memory, also known as motor learning, is a form of procedural memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems. Examples of muscle memory are found in many everyday activities that become automatic and improve with practice, such as riding a bicycle, typing on a keyboard, playing a melody or phrase on a musical instrument, playing video games,[1] or even solving a puzzle cube.
In a nut shell, your muscles also have a sort of Tacit Knowledge. The more tasks you perform over and over again, the more your physical self "remembers" how to do that particular task. Much the same way your brain remembers everything you've ever seen and done, your muscles and nerves become accustomed to doing a task that is repeated. Muscle memory is a very important part of Situational Awareness for a number of reasons, that contradict one another. Let me explain.
On one hand, when muscle memory kicks in, and you don't have to actually THINK about the task at hand, that frees up some brain power to focus on Perceive/Comprehend/Predict, the three acts of Situational Awareness. Great news! You know how that nozzle is going to react when you open it, you've done it a zillion times. Your body automatically adjusts it's position to make itself ready for the nozzle reaction. You know to shut the nozzle off slowly, and you automatically do it without a conscious thought, it just happens. Muscle memory! What a fantastic thing!
However, the fact that you aren't consciously thinking about the task at hand detracts from your SA. That task is a huge part of your 360* "bubble" and you have to be consciously aware of what's going on. If you rely on your muscle memory to the point that you aren't thinking about the task at all, well then your bubble gets popped, and your SA is deteriorating. But that goes with every aspect of SA, let one of them go, the bubble pops, and SA starts deteriorating, and it takes all the other aspects of your bubble with it. Blow up a balloon, your 360* SA, and add one pinhole, and what happens? It ALL goes away.
Muscle memory is a fantastic thing, and I rely on it all the time, without even thinking about it. Mainly because that's what it is, it let's you perform tasks without thinking about them! Frees up some brain power to build your bubble, and P/C/P!
I'm just asking that when you're not thinking about that task, at least pay attention to it! Write that down.
Stay safe gang, It's a jungle out there!
No comments:
Post a Comment