As one reinforces these movements day after day after day, the neural system learns these fine and gross motor skills to the degree that one is no longer required to think about them, but merely reacts and performs.”
The stress of a physical confrontation does not allow one to think about self-defense techniques; one must simple react and execute. Uchikomi supports this self-defense requirement. Uchikomi or form fitting a throwing technique is a judo training regimen that utilizes repetition to develop a throw as a natural body movement. With enough uchikomi a throw becomes second nature and the judoka does not think about its execution, but merely flows into the technique when the opportunity arises. Uchikomi is thus a form of neuromuscular facilitation or muscle memory exercise. From Wikipedia: “Muscle memory is fashioned over time through repetition of a given motor skill and the ability through brain activity to remember it. As one reinforces these movements day after day after day, the neural system learns these fine and gross motor skills to the degree that one is no longer required to think about them, but merely reacts and performs.” In a self-defense class you will be lucky if you run through a technique more than ten times; but judo training may have you doing hundreds of uchikomis in a single session, thus building muscle memory.