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By Bradley J. Steiner, American Combato
Once you learn something and acquire the ability to do it well you normally will never lose your ability entirely. Learn a foreign language and discontinue practicing it for a couple of years and you’re sure to be less able to communicate effectively than you were. However, you will be able to communicate somewhat, albeit at reduced efficiency.
But . . . if you brush up for a month or two, practicing every day, your full capability will return. In general, this applies to the techniques of the combat arts in a similar way.
If you were a hard-drilling classicist and attended practice workouts four or five times a week, but have been out of training for a few months, you’ll muddle through a few classes when you return, and after four to six months you’ll either be back to your old level of ability or beyond it.
If you were active in a competitive fighting sport, you will not have lost all of your ability to compete after a year’s hiatus, but you’ll need some hard months of regular training to regain your “fighting edge” and be ready to compete again.
About the only real negative attached to temporary discontinuances of classical or competitive training is that it’s going to be a while, when you return, before you’re back to where you were—and nobody enjoys feeling at less than full capacity after enjoying a high level of proficiency.
But what about combat and defense training? What’s the story here? Well, it’s pretty much the same, except that losing your edge here could prove a bit more costly.
Good techniques of combat are readily retainable.
In fact retainability is one of the requirements for techniques that are intended for actual defense and close combat purposes. However . . . discontinuing training for months or years will definitely result in a bit of rust gathering on your ability to use the techniques.
And the potential drawback here is nothing to take lightly. Yes, you’ll retain a good deal of what you acquired, if you trained suitably; but there is always the chance—in real combat—that “a good deal” of your former level of ability will not be enough.
As far as combative capability is concerned you do not want to let the blade dull, so to speak!
From our experience, in the case of our personal training and the teaching of countless others over the decades, quality combat skills are only minimally “perishable,” and with just a small amount of discipline, and the commitment of a few hours a week, it is easy to retain at the very least 80% of your own previous best. Closer to 95%—if not a clear 100%—is more likely with just a little effort.
Practical, real world combat skills are the least perishable of all because they are the simplest of all martial arts skills.
However, if you are wise you will do what is needed not to allow your combatives skills to diminish to any appreciable degree. Keep in regular training if at all possible. When and where breaks in your routine of practice and drill occur, keep them as brief as possible, and at least mentally review your skills, and practice something for a few minutes each day.