I don't think this is the correct model nor should we try to generalize it. Deliberate practice works by systematically forcing us to continually engage in the

I don't think this is the correct model nor should we try to generalize it. Deliberate practice works by systematically forcing us to continually engage in the part of the activity that we suck the most at. That is the place where we can most readily improve and addressing it is consequently the best usage of our time (disregarding some side effects and constraints). This sort of engagement requires a brutal degree of discipline and integrity to accurately assess performance. Most people are unwilling or incapable which is why teachers are valuable. I did martial arts for years, but never quite deliberately. Its easiest for me to talk about music where I put in 3-5 hours a day for years - its so fucking hard to hear what you are playing instead of what you intend to be playing or what other performers have played. Music lives in your head more than the real world. After a few years, undirected practice was stealing my time, holding me back. > Just go get reps doing something you love, in an experimental and playful manner. This may have addressed some problems you faced (maybe the practical application of otherwise the Platonic ideal technique), but that is a specific problem. I'd wager the more common problem is one of mindlessly playing with no regard for performance because that's the easy trap. At the end of the day, training BJJ to improve is an entirely different endeavor than going to class 2-3 times a week (though both are perfectly reasonable activities of course).