I've been training in Tae kwon do for almost 2 years, and I'm working towards my black belt. I started out just to get in better physical shape; my back hurt, I was pretty overweight, and I just wanted to start feeling better.
Little did I know that not only would I get back into shape, but I would also learn quite a bit more about the core of Tae kwon do. My master has always put focus on the fact that TKD is not just kicking and punching, but a way of life. I've worked hard to be as good as I can be when it comes to forms and technique, to the point that I look at myself 2 years ago and would never have imagined I'd be doing what I can do today.
But there's a massive amount of things you can learn just under the surface, aside from knowing how to simultaneously (and effortlessly) break an attacker's arm and jaw with your bare hands while smashing the back of his head against the floor. Here's 3 things.
1. Your mindset determines your success.
Sure, most would look at that and say, "well of course we already know that," and I would have said the same thing. But how many know that, and how many actually KNOW that? This statement is almost throwaway, perceived to be mostly used by motivational speakers. It shouldn't be. This should be a mantra taught in every single school in the world.
The most basic mindset change is moving from "I can't" to "I can." Changing your mindset from "I can't" to "I can" will change your whole life. This is coming from a person who practiced the "I can't" mindset for years. I was a squishy, miserable guy with quite a few security issues. As a result, I was quick to anger, sarcastic, and foolish in my decision-making. Changing that mindset turned all of that around.
2. Practice does NOT make perfect, but it does make you better.
The only difference between someone who's better at a task versus someone who isn't is the level of practice. Again, this should be mantra, but it isn't.
We start to learn sparring when we've earned our green belt. We pad up, put on headgear, and meet up on the mat. My first sparring experience was terrible. I got hit, and I got angry. I couldn't land an attack to save my soul. I was still out of shape. I left after class feeling incredibly deflated.
The next classes weren't really any better. I started to hate sparring. But our master encouraged us to continue on, so I kept doing what I could, keeping the first point above in my mind.
I'll never forget the first time I landed a back kick to my opponent, two belt promotions later. He was shorter than me, and a lot faster than I could ever imagine. I saw him coming forward with a roundhouse to my back. I instinctively swung away and brought my leg up to hit him right in the chest. I felt the impact, and heard my opponent shout as he took the hit. Our reactions were the same of almost disbelief...
Me: "I hit you!"
Him: "You hit me!"
We couldn't help but stop for a second, and he congratulated me by saying "that was awesome!" It felt awesome. And without many months of practice to get to that point, it would have never happened.
I'm only faster now. We sparred again recently, and my opponent had to credit me on how quick I was. He can still kick my ass, but every time we spar together I get quicker.
Nobody's perfect. There is no such thing as an un-sinkable ship, an impermeable wall, or an unbeatable opponent. Practice, and you will get better. And it hinges on the first point, which is changing your mindset.
3. Focus determines time.
I'm sure you've seen The Matrix. If you haven't, watch it. It was the start of a trend in movies of a "time-slows-down-so-the-good-guy-can-take-a-bunch-of-bad-guys-out-in-a-split-second" kind of scene.
What's amazing about it? It's real. And it comes from knowing the first two points.
Humans are interesting creatures. It's been suggested that we're one of few species that have the ability to observe the passage of time. Animals like dogs apparently don't have that ability.
So, since we have the ability to observe the passage of time, it's second nature. Some of us are better at it than others. I'm very time-sensitive. I'll set a timer for something I'm cooking, but I don't usually need it. My mind keeps such accurate track of time that I simply know when the timer is supposed to go off, and I'll get up and move to cancel the timer right before it rings.
Even when we spar (which is only 1 or 2 minutes at a time), I know when the whistle will get blown without even thinking about it. It's a useful trait, especially since I've got a pretty solid German heritage. We hate being late.
So, with that, I have a non-stop German clock running in my head. I'll call it the Clockenspiel.
Then I started learning about focus. With proper focus, you don't move faster. Time moves slower.
My master and I sparred together recently. I was determined to put as much focus as I could into the match-up. This guy's a 5th degree black belt master, who trained Korean military. He's a bad-ass. There's no possible way I could ever win against this man without decades of training.
But he had to dodge a hook kick from me.
I didn't get a point. He dodged it, of course. But the look on his face after he dodged it was priceless. He was impressed on how fast it was! Thing is, I had no idea how fast; I actually thought he was moving slowly when I kicked. He wasn't. Time slowed in my mind to show me the perfect opportunity to strike, and I took it.
Boy, did that mess with my Clockenspiel.
It was because I was determined to focus on the bout, and identify points of weakness in my opponent. Focus determines time, and now I'm determined to build on that focus until I can slow time on demand. It's really amazing!
These three points are but a sample of what you can understand once you apply them. They are life-changing if you choose to put effort into understanding them, and practicing them constantly.
Get on the mat. Change your mindset, and learn what you're truly capable of.
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