Five Levels of Martial Arts

 Go Kaisō No Budō [五階層の五階層の武道]

by CEJames & Akira Ichinose

Below is one of the most widely used “five levels” frameworks that maps cleanly onto martial arts development: the Dreyfus & Dreyfus Five-Stage Model of Skill Acquisition (Novice → Advanced Beginner → Competent → Proficient → Expert). It’s not the only way to describe progression, but it’s a solid, research-backed five-level model that can translate into training design.  

The five levels (Dreyfus model) through a martial arts lens

1) Novice (rule-bound, context-free)

What it is (model): 

Beginners rely on explicit rules and step-by-step instruction; performance is rigid because they can’t yet read context well.  

In martial arts:

• Needs clear, simple rules: stance landmarks, guard position, target lines, “do X when you see Y.”

• Good training: high structure, short reps, tight feedback loops (e.g., kihon lines, isolated kata segments, pad work with fixed cues).

• Common failure mode: “looks right in drills, collapses under variation” (different distance, timing, pressure).

Traceability: 

This “rules-first, context-free features” description is explicit Stage 1 instruction.  

2) Advanced Beginner (recognizes situational aspects, still analytic)

What it is (model): 

Starts noticing meaningful situational cues and uses “maxims” (experience-based guidance) alongside rules.  

In martial arts:

• Begins to see timing and feel: “that punch is loading,” “they’re heavy on the lead leg,” “engine sound” equivalents in fighting (breath changes, weight shift, shoulder rise).

• Training that works: example-rich practice (lots of varied reps), coached “rules of thumb,” light constrained sparring, basic bunkai with a few variations.

Traceability: 

Dreyfus’ Stage 2 emphasizes situational aspects learned from examples and maxims that depend on experience.  

3) Competent (overload → chooses a plan; responsibility increases)

What it is (model): 

The learner can be overwhelmed by too many relevant elements; competence develops by choosing a plan/perspective and deciding what matters—this raises emotional stake and responsibility for outcomes.  

In martial arts:

• “I can do lots of things… but what should I do now?”

• Learns game-planning: preferred entries, set-ups, a small reliable toolkit under stress.

• Training that works: scenario constraints (“only jab + low kick,” “only clinch entries”), decision drills, and after-action reviews to refine priorities.

Traceability: 

Dreyfus explicitly describes overload at Stage 3 and the need to select a plan/perspective to reduce complexity.  

4) Proficient (sees what matters quickly; still chooses how)

What it is (model): 

Perception becomes more holistic—proficient performers more readily perceive what’s important, but they still often deliberate about the best action.  

In martial arts:

• Starts “reading the room” (maai/distance, rhythm, intent) faster.

• Sparring/self-defense: identifies the real problem sooner (angle, line, weapon side, accomplice risk), then selects tactics.

• Training that works: variable sparring, scenario work with branching options, resistance + uncertainty, deliberate sharpening of judgment.

Traceability: 

Dreyfus contrasts proficient performers (see what needs doing) with experts (intuitive execution).  

5) Expert (intuitive, fluid performance; hard to verbalize)

What it is (model): 

Experts act fluidly and intuitively in normal conditions—less conscious rule-following, rapid adaptation, and often difficulty fully explaining “how” they do it.  

In martial arts:

• Movement becomes integrated (timing, posture, breath, perception-action loop).

• Self-defense: can switch gears instantly (de-escalate → preempt → disengage) with minimal cognitive lag.

• Training that works: pressure testing, opponent diversity, teaching (forces articulation), and targeted refinement of edge-cases.

Traceability: 

Dreyfus describes expert performance as non-deliberative in typical situations—“does what normally works.”  

How to use this in training design (quick mapping)

• Novice → Advanced Beginner: build form + simple cues, then add examples and small variations.  

• Advanced Beginner → Competent: introduce choice, limits, and planning to prevent overload from turning into chaos.  

• Competent → Proficient: increase realistic variability and ambiguity; sharpen perception and prioritization.  

• Proficient → Expert: accumulate deep experience under pressure + refine intuition with feedback.  

Fact-check of the results

Claim A: “There are five levels: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, expert.”

Check: Accurate. Those five labels are the standard Dreyfus five-stage formulation.  

Claim B: “This is a legitimate research-based model suitable to translate into martial arts.”

Check: Accurate as a general skill-acquisition framework. Dreyfus is widely cited and applied across domains. However, it is not martial-arts-specific—the martial mapping is an application/interpretation.  

Claim C: “‘Five levels of martial arts’ is a universal standard.”

Check: Not accurate. Martial arts communities use multiple progression frameworks:

• Fitts & Posner commonly describe three stages of motor learning (cognitive → associative → autonomous).  

• Many Japanese budō use Shu-Ha-Ri (three stages) as a cultural teaching model (useful, but not five).  

So if someone says “the five levels,” they usually mean a five-stage framework (often Dreyfus), not the one true system.

Claim D: “Experts are intuitive and may struggle to verbalize their decisions.”

Check: Consistent with Dreyfus’ description of expert performance as typically non-deliberative and intuitive in normal situations.  

References (with traceability)

1. Stuart E. Dreyfus, “The Five-Stage Model of Adult Skill Acquisition” (Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 2004) — primary description of stages and characteristics.  

2. A. Peña, “The Dreyfus model of clinical problem-solving skills acquisition” (2010, PMC) — summarizes the five levels and explains novice rule-following vs expert performance.  

3. Human Kinetics excerpt referencing Fitts & Posner (1967) three-stage motor learning model (cognitive/associative/autonomous) — shows an alternative non-five-stage framing common in sport skill learning.  

4. J.A. Taylor et al. (2012, PMC), discussion referencing the Fitts & Posner three-stage model — another scholarly source for the three-stage view.  

The Five Levels of Civilian Self-Defense Skill

Go Kaisō No Minkan hito-muke goshin-jutsu [民間人向け護身術]

This framework adapts the Dreyfus Five-Stage Skill Acquisition Model to real-world personal protection, decision-making under stress, and legal survivability.

1) Novice — Rule-based personal safety

Core capability

• Follows simple, explicit rules without understanding context.

• Needs clear “if–then” guidance.

Civilian self-defense focus

• Avoidance rules:

• “Hands up, palms out, fence posture”

• “Create distance first”

• “Move toward light, people, exits”

• Binary threat recognition:

• “Stranger + boundary violation = danger”

• Freeze-prone under ambiguity.

Best training methods

• Simple scripts (verbal + physical)

• Static drills:

• Hands-up posture

• Backing away

• Loud verbal boundary setting

• No sparring yet

Failure mode

• Freezes or misapplies rules when variables change.

Traceability:

Dreyfus Stage 1: novices rely on context-free rules and need externally supplied structure (Stuart Dreyfus, 2004).

2) Advanced Beginner — Cue recognition

Core capability

• Begins to notice pre-incident indicators.

• Uses experience-based “maxims”:

• “That felt wrong”

• “They’re closing distance too fast”

Civilian self-defense focus

• Recognizes behavioral cues:

• Grooming gestures

• Target-glancing

• Encroachment

• Can apply soft readiness in public spaces.

• Still inconsistent under stress.

Best training methods

• Video-based cue spotting

• Scenario walk-throughs

• Low-pressure role play

• Limited choice drills (“talk or move”)

Failure mode

• Notices danger late or second-guesses instincts.

Traceability:

Dreyfus Stage 2: learners recognize situational aspects but still lack prioritization (Dreyfus, 2004).

3) Competent — Decision-maker under stress

Core capability

• Can choose a course of action.

• Accepts responsibility for outcomes.

• Experiences stress from cognitive overload.

Civilian self-defense focus

• Actively manages:

• Distance

• Angle

• Escape routes

• Can articulate:

• “I moved because he blocked my exit”

• Begins legal reasoning awareness.

Best training methods

• Scenario constraints:

• “Only disengage”

• “Protect the third party”

• After-action reviews

• Stress-inoculation drills (verbal + movement)

Failure mode

• Hesitation from too many options.

• Over-thinking mid-incident.

Traceability:

Dreyfus Stage 3 emphasizes overload → plan selection as the turning point toward competence (Dreyfus, 2004).

4) Proficient — Threat prioritization

Core capability

• Quickly identifies what actually matters.

• Still consciously chooses how to act.

Civilian self-defense focus

• Rapidly distinguishes:

• Social awkwardness vs. predatory behavior

• Primary vs. secondary threats

• Adjusts force proportionally and legally.

• Can break flow once safety is achieved.

Best training methods

• Variable scenario training

• Environmental complexity (noise, crowd, low light)

• Role reversals (defender / witness)

Failure mode

• Occasional delay when stakes spike unusually high.

Traceability:

Dreyfus describes proficient performers as perceiving the situation holistically but still deliberating actions (Dreyfus, 2004).

5) Expert — Intuitive civilian protector

Core capability

• Acts intuitively under normal threat conditions.

• Perception and action are tightly coupled.

• Rarely needs conscious rule recall.

Civilian self-defense focus

• Early threat detection → avoidance before escalation.

• Seamless transitions:

• De-escalation → pre-emption → disengagement

• Immediate post-incident regulation:

• Breathing

• Scanning

• Calling for help

• Can articulate actions after the fact if trained.

Best training methods

• High-fidelity scenarios

• Teaching others (forces articulation)

• Legal articulation drills

Failure mode

• Rare; mainly edge-case surprises.

Traceability:

Dreyfus defines expert performance as non-deliberative, intuitive, and adaptive in familiar contexts (Dreyfus, 2004).

Fact Check of Key Claims

✔ Claim: “There are five levels of civilian self-defense skill.”

Status: Conceptually valid, not universal

• The five levels come from Dreyfus; civilian self-defense is an application, not a named system.

✔ Claim: “Experts rely on intuition, not rules.”

Status: Accurate

• Supported by Dreyfus and corroborated by motor learning research.

✔ Claim: “Lower levels need scripts and structure.”

Status: Accurate

• Matches both Dreyfus and Fitts & Posner motor learning stages (Paul Fitts & Michael Posner).

⚠ Claim: “Expert intuition is always safe.”

Status: Conditionally false

• Expert intuition works best in familiar patterns; novel contexts still require conscious control (acknowledged in Dreyfus’ own writing).

References & Traceability

1. Stuart Dreyfus, The Five-Stage Model of Adult Skill Acquisition, Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 2004.

2. Peña, A. (2010). The Dreyfus Model of Clinical Problem-Solving Skills Acquisition, PMC.

3. Paul Fitts & Michael Posner (1967). Human Performance.

4. Klein, G. (1998). Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions — intuition under stress (recognition-primed decision making).