Repetition

Through repetition you can hone your skills to a level of unconscious competence. The unconscious mind is said to be "faster" in response than the conscious mind, because the logical mind needing to evaluate before letting it through. Some might even call it an intuitive response, or gut response, and in such being a fast response.

This "fast" response is based on experience. Knowledge and experience go hand in hand to help you make quick responses; to put your foot on the brakes when a person steps out in front of your bike. The foot to the pedal doesn't come by itself. Nobody was born with the knowledge and technical skills needed to ride a bike.

Getting up on the bike, holding your balance, braking or swinging are all things that are new. And by getting up on your bike, each time you fall off, working on your balance, each time you fail or working on getting around that corner, you are doing repetitions.

Just the same in reality based self defence... you have to work on what you need to improve, be that balance, swinging or holding back. Just like the bike your repetitions have to be based in the environment you expect to be in. Doing your repetitions on a racing bike on an indoor track course, will not help as much as if you are on a trail on a mountain bike, if your goal is to get through / over the Alps.

Use your repetitions in different environments (scenario training and stress) - then your techniques will work for you in a real life situation!