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Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

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Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#81

Post by al_borland »

borski wrote: post #59
agumonkey wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Long ago a cousin challenged the uncle for a swim. Both are acceptable athletes. He started faster, was ahead for 50m or so and then came back cooked. The uncle started 30% slower... but he kept at that rhythm forever until we couldn't see him and came back unphased. Very telling lesson.

This is a really big problem for me in general, actually. I have ADHD, and so my brain is always telling me to go faster, so that I can get the dopamine hit and move on to other things. It has to be extremely intentional for me to remind myself that pace matters. I really envy those who can just do that naturally; my wife is one of those people. Meanwhile, when I forget, I find myself 25 minutes into what was going t…

I don’t think it always comes naturally. It’s often experience and lessons learned. Sometimes those lessons needed to be taught many times before they stick.

For me, I hate doing the same thing twice, because I didn’t get it right the first time. It hurts my soul. I’ll put in a lot of time and effort to avoid that feeling, which means being slow and methodical. The environment I’m in doesn’t always allow for that, which is where most of my stress comes from.

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#82

Post by ceejayoz »

evantbyrne wrote: post #80
borski wrote: post #18

This is one of the first really important lessons you learn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone walks in, day one, and is dumping adrenaline everywhere they look. I mean, the person in front of you is literally engaging you in practicing murder, so I get it. Everyone starts that way. Super tense, super shallow breathing, and everyone wears themselves out in about 30-40 seconds. Of a 6 minute round. Doesn’t matter if you…

Not that I disagree with your point, but... throwing your fight against the much smaller woman at the dojo is contractual. Weight classes exist for a reason.

Weight classes matter between two trained opponents. Quite a bit less when one’s a newbie and the other an expert.

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#83

Post by al_borland »

desktopninja wrote: post #2

Have long stood by this belief and still do but modern IT calls it legacy and antiquated. Oh how we've lost The Plot.

I can only hope this is cyclical, like most other things. Eventually organizations will reach a breaking point and realize if they want reliability, stability, and longevity, they need to slow down and do things the right way. At least I hope that’s the case. It doesn’t seem like the current pace can or should be maintained. It produces so much throw away junk.

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#84

Post by dylan604 »

dsr_ wrote: post #73
jameshart wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

‘Slow is smooth, smooth is fast’ is a mantra about how to go fast . I’ve heard it in a number of contexts - racing drivers use it, so do woodworkers, so do musicians. None of the people using it are trying to tell you to not try to get things done fast . Speed is still the goal, it’s just about the approach you take in how you act moment to moment, while trying to get things done fast.

Doing it once correctly is faster than doing it two (or more times) incorrectly. And when you try to go fast, it's usually by being incorrect and hoping that it won't matter this one time.

This is something I've learned to really like after hearing it once, we never have time to do it right the first time, yet we always seem to find time to do it wrong multiple times.

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#85

Post by beau_g »

borski wrote: post #18

This is one of the first really important lessons you learn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone walks in, day one, and is dumping adrenaline everywhere they look. I mean, the person in front of you is literally engaging you in practicing murder, so I get it. Everyone starts that way. Super tense, super shallow breathing, and everyone wears themselves out in about 30-40 seconds. Of a 6 minute round. Doesn’t matter if you…

Jiu Jitsu practitioners have incredible conditioning from repeating that exact same story of {guy who thought he was tough} being defeated by {unlikely protagonist} in any scenario they can shoehorn it into, with extreme enthusiasm

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#86

Post by singleshot_ »

observationist wrote: post #20
singleshot_ wrote: post #4

I have a hard time believing that this phraseology originated in the military given its historical use in the motorsports community. See Alain Proust, who professed to embody this philosophy. Granted the SEAL community predated Prousts F1 participation, but SeAL tactics were not top of mind in 80s popular culture like they are today.

It's a marksmanship maxim, extant during Vietnam, gaining ground in any profession or activity where the principle made sense. SEALs definitely embraced it, but I believe it originated in WWII in its modern form. There are all sorts of regional proverbs and teachings and sayings all over the world going back through history capturing the same basic notion, though. Haste makes waste - British Festina lente - Latin (Ma…

I don’t think it originated in marksmanship, that’s all. I agree marksmen say this and I agree it’s a good strategy for shooting, in addition to other fine motor skills. If you look to your Italian version, it’s quite plausible that the idea originated in racing. Further, I hesitate to call Roman soldiers marksmen although I acknowledge aim is required when using a sword or spear.

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#87

Post by risenshinetech »

borski wrote: post #18

This is one of the first really important lessons you learn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone walks in, day one, and is dumping adrenaline everywhere they look. I mean, the person in front of you is literally engaging you in practicing murder, so I get it. Everyone starts that way. Super tense, super shallow breathing, and everyone wears themselves out in about 30-40 seconds. Of a 6 minute round. Doesn’t matter if you…

They're not "practicing murder". They're not "practicing killing you". Stop with this hyperbolic nonsense. The military practices murder, not you and your mates in your local BJJ class.

Do you say these things to make yourself feel cooler/tougher when you inevitably tell someone you practice BJJ? And I'm sure they didn't ask, you just worked it into the conversation (much like this post) because you can't wait to tell everyone you practice murder.

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#88

Post by borski »

evantbyrne wrote: post #80
borski wrote: post #18

This is one of the first really important lessons you learn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone walks in, day one, and is dumping adrenaline everywhere they look. I mean, the person in front of you is literally engaging you in practicing murder, so I get it. Everyone starts that way. Super tense, super shallow breathing, and everyone wears themselves out in about 30-40 seconds. Of a 6 minute round. Doesn’t matter if you…

Not that I disagree with your point, but... throwing your fight against the much smaller woman at the dojo is contractual. Weight classes exist for a reason.

Sure, and I'd agree with you if the much bigger guy could, I don't know... breathe. :)

Weight classes exist because they matter amongst opponents of roughly the same skill and training level. If one person is trained and the other is not, they matter a lot less.

You're not the first person to be surprised by this and challenge me on it. You also wouldn't be the first person to come to the gym, try to prove your point, and fail. :)

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#89

Post by borski »

beau_g wrote: post #85
borski wrote: post #18

This is one of the first really important lessons you learn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone walks in, day one, and is dumping adrenaline everywhere they look. I mean, the person in front of you is literally engaging you in practicing murder, so I get it. Everyone starts that way. Super tense, super shallow breathing, and everyone wears themselves out in about 30-40 seconds. Of a 6 minute round. Doesn’t matter if you…

Jiu Jitsu practitioners have incredible conditioning from repeating that exact same story of {guy who thought he was tough} being defeated by {unlikely protagonist} in any scenario they can shoehorn it into, with extreme enthusiasm

Fair point, but it's because when you've seen it firsthand it almost looks fake, except that you know exactly why it happens.

It's a lesson that many of us learn and then take into other aspects of life, because it's really humbling.

Re: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Navy SEALs' efficiency secret

#90

Post by borski »

risenshinetech wrote: post #87
borski wrote: post #18

This is one of the first really important lessons you learn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone walks in, day one, and is dumping adrenaline everywhere they look. I mean, the person in front of you is literally engaging you in practicing murder, so I get it. Everyone starts that way. Super tense, super shallow breathing, and everyone wears themselves out in about 30-40 seconds. Of a 6 minute round. Doesn’t matter if you…

They're not "practicing murder". They're not "practicing killing you". Stop with this hyperbolic nonsense. The military practices murder, not you and your mates in your local BJJ class. Do you say these things to make yourself feel cooler/tougher when you inevitably tell someone you practice BJJ? And I'm sure they didn't ask, you just worked it into the conversation (much like this post) because you can't wait to tel…

No, not even a little bit; perhaps you might consider lightening up a little.

The point I was trying to make is that when you're on the mats against an actively resisting opponent who is, yes, attempting to break your joints (which is what happens if you don't tap) or choke you out (which is what happens if you don't tap), you don't have a choice but to focus on only the thing in front of you. Your brain and body simply won't let you focus on anything else.

"Practicing murder" or "practicing killing you" is simply a cute way (and obviously exaggerated for effect, since nobody's literal goal there is killing anyone) of describing that last paragraph without having to use all of the words in that last paragraph. I never said I was Deadpool; relax. It's a self-defense focused martial art which, in real life, you would use to prevent someone from causing you harm.

So no, I really don't think your comment or this one were necessary. It's pretty cynical to go from 'exaggerating for effect,' which is the obviously charitable reading, to 'mak[ing] yourself feel cooler/tougher,' which is the cynical reading.

I haven't been on the mats in over four years, because I had surgery and haven't gone back yet; I miss it. I definitely don't work it into "every conversation," because I am not the one-dimensional NPC your brain decided I was when it read my comment. :)

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