During
a Saturday afternoon training session with boxing guru, Eddy Kaliboti, we were
asked to stand in a circle and observe the technique of everybody participating
in the seminar. Eddy made an interesting point that watching the technique of
others is useful in helping fine-tune our own technique.
Italian
scientists observed a strange phenomenon in monkeys. When a monkey would see a
human bring a peanut to their mouth, the monkey’s brain would fire as if they
were bringing a peanut to their own mouth. Through observation alone, the
monkey had activated this mental process in their brain for the task they just
witnessed. The overseeing scientists suggested that humans have a similar
ability to subconsciously imitate what we see.
Whether
or not Eddy was one of the scientists involved in observing the mental
processes of the monkeys, they both had suggested a similar idea - that we can
learn by watching.
This
helps support the training methods of mental rehearsal and visualisation in
refining your skills without physically performing them. It also suggests that
by watching footage of the sport you are participating in, you may be picking
things up without even realizing. More importantly, it provides a method to
prevent detraining when you are injured. Serious injuries usually result in the
athlete disappearing off the face of the earth until they are fully
rehabilitated. If you are injured, keep rocking up to the gym – just by
watching you can help stimulate the motor networks linked to the skills you are
observing and reduce the loss of your skills through inactivity.
