The 4 Stages of Competence

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By Pete Mills, on 02-03-2008 16:16

In kung fu (and psychology) there are four stages of competence that a person will follow when gaining a deep level of skill.

In kung fu (and psychology) there are four stages of competence that a person will follow when gaining a deep level of skill.

The first is an unconscious incompetence. At this stage a person does not realize recognize there is a deficiency of any sort. At this stage a person is neither concerned with nor recognizes that they need the benefits of kung fu.

The second is a conscious incompetence. At this stage, a person recognizes there is a deficiency or need in some department but has not done anything about it. They may also not have the skills to resolve the deficiency even if they wanted to.

The third stage is conscious competence. The person has taken action and has learned how to fix the problem. In kung fu, this stage is where they have learned the mechanics of a movement or skill. Their mind understands the movement and by using the brain to control movements they can perform the movement. This is like learning all the notes on a piano keyboard and being able to play by translating paper to keyboard on a note-by-note basis.

Some people have become accustomed to instant gratification. They are used to getting things right away. They believe in a service oriented society where they pay for a service and then fight to get what they believe they deserve.

Some people, in training the martial arts, will gain conscious competence in a skill and then once learned will expect to be taught the next level or technique. At the conscious competence level the movement that has been learned cannot be applied under stress. Functionally, it does not work.

The fourth stage is unconscious competence. At this stage the movement can be performed naturally from "muscle memory". No conscious effort is required to demonstrate or perform the skill.

Instant Gratification
In these days we are fortunate to have access to many time saving devices. We have microwaves to instantly heat our food and fast-food restaurants when instant heat is too inconvenient. We have minute-rice and instant potatoes. There is instant access to information and bank machines for instant access to cash, so you can instantly purchase whatever you need. All this instantness (if that's a word) is a great convenience.

This stage can only be achieved through constant practice over a prolonged period of time. At this stage a martial art becomes functional. This is the stage where a martial art becomes effective on the street.

Often people will get to the third stage and make their own assessment that they have enough skill. They then demand to be moved on to the next step. They want to learn something new. They spent the money, now give up the goods. Here's a secret: traditional martial arts do not work that way.

When the instructor suggests more practice instead of teaching how to instantly dismantle a hoard of thugs, the student leaves. In reality it's not the martial art that put them off, it's the thought of hard work and the patience required. Hard work and repetition, although required, are not always that much fun. The impatient students become bored with the classes and lose focus. They lose motivation. They stop attending classes and soon quit altogether. In a nutshell, the work is not worth the value they place on the skill - or - they do not have the patience to put in the practice. Getting a skill from stage 3 to stage 4 may take weeks, months, or even years depending on the amount they practice.

The instructor has a responsibility to move the student on as quickly as possible, but that must be tempered with ensuring the student has the required level of unconscious competence.

These days many people expect quick results. They want to take a 2 day or one week self defense class and then feel safe and secure. The truth is that these types of courses will teach a person to the third level of conscious competence and any technique will NOT be effective in a situation.

In order for your techniques to be effective, they must be committed to muscle memory. At our schools you can be sure the hard work will be rewarded, but make no mistake about it - hard work will be involved.

Think of it this way; the harder you work now the better the stories you'll be able to tell your grand-students. You can tell them about how hard you trained in your day and how easy they have it now.