Repetition Is The Mother Of Skill

I heard the phrase ‘Repetition is the Mother of Skill’ back in 2000 when I attended an Anthony Robinson course.

I have since learnt that the phrase was adopted from renowned author Zig Ziglar who quoted “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.”

Why is this important you ask?

I was contacted last week by a legal representative to confirm the contents of some Armed Robbery training we (CHD Partners) ran back in 2004 and 2007 for a client.

A robbery occurred on site a few years later and I have been asked to provide a statement regarding the contents of that training. I proceeded to inform the legal representative of the contents and the various activities that we went through.

This included:

  • The word ‘Comply’ used regularly throughout training.
  • Understanding fight and fight and this is our bodies natural defence mechanism when we are put in a life threatening situation. Comply is neither fight or flight but a conscious response. It takes practice.

My years of weapons training in the police taught me that to do something instinctive you must have done it 2500 to 3000 times.

I have always been a big advocate for role plays and safe simulations without the use of firearms and scaring people. Ensuring people have an experience during training is critical for them to engage and understand the reason why they need to do what you are training them in doing.

I have always instructed students that whilst you can’t do armed robbery awareness training 2000 odd times, regularly going through in your mind how you would respond in the event of a robbery is a helpful strategy just like an elite athlete does.

Well it is nice to know that years later when the victim of the robbery was interviewed and asked what they remembered from the training it was to Comply, don’t look the at offender and Comply.

Repetition is the mother of skill. Do It will well and keep doing it over again.  It might be just what keeps you alive.

By: Michael Huggett

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