Primary Demo

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Copy First, Create Later: How People Learn and Solve Problems

In today's world, there are people with inner motivation — they know what they want and are willing to try the ideas that come to mind. These are the experimenters, the inventors.

Then there are others who need to be motivated externally — by other people, by incentives. This second type is more common and reflects the spontaneous reaction most people have when first facing a problem.

When a problem arises, the first instinct is to look for examples. If there's something to copy, they copy it — like a son mimics his father's way. Only if there is no example does the inventive process begin.

So we can conclude: there's no problem with duplication, even though InFi development advocates creation rather than copying. The truth is that creation works in both ways:
First, we copy.
Second, we invent.

This also explains the popularity of corporate styles in the past. To summarize:

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING
I WANT TO COPY (THE IDEAL)
I WANT TO FIND MY OWN WAY

People look for someone to copy.
If no one is there to copy, then they invent.

This is the normal sequence for average people — and it's the fundamental explanation behind the conquest of traditional styles.

“I show you I am good. Do you want to be good? Then you need to copy me. Want to copy me? I’ll show you…”

That’s teaching by example.

But there’s a problem:

An eagle cannot copy a crocodile — and may not even realize it.

Trying to copy someone without similar endowments leads to never-ending failure.
So yes, it matters who you copy — and who gives the example.

The Power of Attachment

According to psychology, attachment explains a lot.
If there’s a strong emotional bond between the individual and the master, the drive to copy can overpower any orientation toward creative problem-solving.

I LIKE HIM, I WANT TO DO AS HE DOES

The Changing World of Learning

But the world is changing.

Globalization is sweeping away everything that used to be "normal."
Teachers today struggle to find obedient pupils.
Old-school teachers suffer from the fact that the internet shows everything — good and bad — to students without control.

Now, students might know things their teachers don’t.
Sometimes, the teacher becomes the student’s student.
This is beautiful — but also new, and difficult for many to accept.

I LIKE HER, AND I LIKE OTHERS — I NEED TO CHOOSE WHAT TO COPY

The Role of Demonstration in INFI

The Primary Demonstration is a display of possibilities. It is not instruction — it is exposure. It helps the individual develop ideas.

“Primary” means earliest.

Later comes the Secondary Demo.

Primary Demo

When an expert introduces a new movement or solution, they show a few possible options as an initial push. This set of options is called the Primary Demo — or first demonstration.

It’s like a menu:
You can choose something from it, or not.
It’s not obligatory.

That’s why the trainer shows the primary demo only once.
Unlike in traditional methods (once fast, twice slowly, once fast again), it is not repeated.

Secondary Demo

Later, a Secondary Demo may be shown — targeted to a specific practitioner.
It might be:

  • A selected example from the menu

  • A personalized correction

But again, it’s not about forcing anything.
Neither demo is meant to impose a technique or solution.

That’s a core principle of the INFI process:

The trainer demonstrates relatively little.
The essence of INFI is experience.

The Word That Is Forbidden: “MUST”

One word is forbidden in this process:
MUST

The expert is not allowed to say “you must” — unless the practitioner has first come to that conclusion themselves.

Example:
The trainer shows a front kick in its optimized form and says:

“This is how you must kick the front kick.”

That’s a mistake.
The student will copy — and the result might not work.
Maybe they drop their guard while kicking. That’s not necessarily wrong — it’s part of the correction process.

So what should the expert say instead?

Words like:

  • Advised

  • Suggested

  • Recommended

  • Appropriate

  • Necessary (in a specific context)

These are guiding, not forcing.

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