Focus and Martial Arts

[Kenny Richards]

Focus and TKD

I am always being asked how I got started with TKD and each time I have to laugh when explaining it. You see, I never in a million years thought it was something I would like or even try. If my son had not applied the magical little boy peer pressure, I would proba

bly never had taken that first class. But one day I found myself out on the mat during a family class and when it was over, I realized I had enjoyed myself.

But the reason I have kept with it is the more interesting point. Over the years I have tried many different forms of exercise and gave up on each of them for more or less the same reason, I would just get bored. There was always a point where the activity stopped requiring my 'full' attention and I would check out. As soon as I reached this point, I would start finding reasons 

to not go and eventually the whole thing would fade away.

But there is something different with TKD from all the other types of exercises I have tried. Instead of drifting off, I find myself completely engaged for the entire class. There is just no point where I drift off and start thinking about something else. Even after three years, I still find myself totally focus during class. Some might say there is something just pre-wired in humans to stay focus when people are trying to kick you, but I think it is more than that.

For me, I think TKD keeps me focus for a couple reasons. First, there is a natural engagement that occurs when we try to learn something new. When we work on a new form or chung-cho, it is easy to understand how we become very focused. But even when we are not working on something new, we are still continually refining and perfecting. Consider something as routine as doing arch kicks up and down the mat. At this point, I must have done at least 50,000 arch kicks and I still find myself focusing on where my knee is and if my hip has rotated enough. (These are my biggest problems) And with each more complicated kick, the number of things I am 'thinking' about increases.

It is this consistent development of skills (whether new or just refining) and the focus required to execute them that keeps me engaged. I comeback every day because I know I’ll learn something new, or be reminded of something forgotten.

DoBan Cribbs recently wrote how there are two kinds of TKD classes at Mercer Island Martial Arts. Some are more physically engaging and others which are more mental. I agree in general, there are certainly classes I walk out of more 'tired' than others. Anytime Master Wells tells us to get our pads on, I know Advil will probably be required later. But even with the more physical classes, I still find myself completely focused on the moment. I think the focus required to keep going after a hard class, while keeping your form good, is up there when people are trying to kick you.

With all that said, there are still times when something just happens without you really thinking about it. The first reverse hook that actually reaches up to someone's chin, the first spinning back kick that catches your opponent flat footed, these are magical moments. I think of them as using the 'force'. It is when you just seem to-do the exact right thing, without really thinking about all the necessary steps required.

Master Yoda would say, “Concentrate on the moment. Feel. Don’t think!” I will probably stick with the focusing really hard for now and just let those ‘force’ moments happen.

 

--Kenny

[MeLisa Turcott Strongheart]

Jido Kenny --- i really enjoyed reading this.   It really describes the process so well.   When you talk about the "force" I think about "flow" --   the experience described by, and researched by Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi   http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow

ksn Harris also wrote about it in blog posts-- just go to her page on here and read her posts.   they are very interesting too.   

thanks for sharing your experience.  respectfully --sbn