The Elements of Skill A Conscious Approach to Learning

by Dimon, Theodore; Hickman, Larry A.

• ISBN13: 9781556434761
• ISBN10: 1556434766
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-11-04
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Summary

Why do so many beginners, both children and adults, fail to master chosen skills?The Elements of Skillwas inspired byand addressesthat question with a program based on proven techniques. The book, written by a renowned practitioner of the Alexander Technique, outlines an educational system that makes the process of learning a performance or athletic skill more conscious, and therefore more successful. Its principles include breaking down a skill into manageable parts, setting realistic goals, observing mind/body processes, overcoming blocks, controlling habits, and achieving heightened awareness and self-mastery. Included are inspiring examples of people who have benefited from the method.

Author Biography

Theodore Dimon, Ed.D. is Director of the Dimon Institute in New York City. Dr. Dimon became certified to teach the Alexander Technique in 1983 at the Constructive Teaching Centre in London, England, and received both his masters and doctorate degrees in Education from Harvard University. He is the author of The Undivided Self and Anatomy of the Moving Body. For further information on the Dimon Institute, please contact:

The Dimon Institute
737 Park Avenue #9A
New York, New York 10021

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Foreword	xiii
Larry A. Hickman
Introduction	xv
Learning How To Learn	1	(28)
The Learning Paradox	1	(4)
The Problem of Conception	5	(7)
Experimenting	12	(6)
Intelligent Learning	18	(4)
Structure and Discipline	22	(2)
Learning Problems	24	(5)
The Elements of Skill	29	(36)
Reflex versus Voluntary Aspect of Skill	29	(11)
The Receptive Elements in Skill	40	(25)
Tension in Performance	65	(24)
The Pattern of Tension	69	(3)
The Head-Torso Pattern	72	(3)
The Basic Principle of Movement	75	(4)
Specific Problems	79	(3)
The Problem of Relaxation	82	(3)
The Mind/Body Dichotomy	85	(1)
Caring for Our Instrument	86	(3)
Tension and Performance Anxiety	89	(14)
Structured Learning	90	(3)
Working to Principle	93	(6)
Performance Anxiety and Conscious Control	99	(4)
The Role of Reaction in Skilled Performance	103	(16)
The Subconscious Element in Action	103	(2)
Ideomotor Action	105	(2)
Sensorimotor Pathways	107	(3)
The Role of Ideomotor Action in Skilled Performance	110	(1)
Breaking the Association	111	(2)
The Head-Torso Pattern as the Key	113	(6)
The Role of Habit in Skilled Performance	119	(16)
Defective Action and Its Role in Skilled Performance	119	(4)
The ``Expertise'' Fallacy	123	(4)
The Role of Habit in Means and Ends	127	(3)
Achieving the End by Attending to the Means	130	(5)
Non-Doing in Action	135	(30)
The Case of the Apprehensive Driver	135	(8)
The Tennis Player	143	(22)
High-Level Skills and the Art of Non-Doing	165	(27)
The Singer's Breath	165	(9)
The Thinking Pianist	174	(8)
Hitting the Inner Target	182	(10)
Notes	192	(5)
Bibliography	197	(8)
Index	205