Physical vs. Mental Tae Kwon Do

[CrimsonPhoenix]

As a beginner, a student follows what their instructor tells them to do in order to learn the technique.

As a beginner, everyone is generally learning the same material. They’re developing their martial arts foundation.

In your experience, at what point in their training does a student really start branching out – taking what they already know and experimenting with the possibilities? Trying new things in different ways? Thinking more for themselves? At what level does an instructor begin pushing them to make their training their own and not just follow along with the rest of the group?

I am dealing with this issue right now and it has gotten me thinking. I am a 3rd kyu brown belt getting ready for my 2nd kyu. For the longest time, my job was more or less to follow along and learn what my instructors showed me. It was more about the physical side of TKD – learning the techniques. Now, I am being pushed more and more towards the mental or internal side of TKD. It’s more about experimenting. Trying out new things and seeing what I can do as an individual. I know the techniques, now I have to build upon them.

A good example of what I’m talking about is in freestyle self defense, where someone comes at you with who knows what, and you react. It’s no longer “Do this, then that, and finally this.” It’s more about concepts than specific techniques. I’m struggling with the transition at the moment and trying to be less methodical and more about reacting.

Physical TKD vs. Mental TKD. Does the transition start at colored belt ranks?

 

[StudentCarl]

When you're a beginner (white belt), it takes all of your concentration and thinking ability to make your body do what your instructor wants. As you learn, it is both your mind and body that are trained, not just what techniques to execute but when. As you build skills you will improve your reading of opponents and situations as well as learn what combinations feel best for you.

Just like the physical requirements become more complex as you advance, so do the mental ones. Your mind may not ache as much at the end of class, but your master is certainly training it.

One cannot work without the other.

Have fun sparring--it's good for your brain too.

Carl

 

[ATC]

Well I really don't think there is much difference. When you really think about it you really don't know the physical all that well if you are having trouble with transitions. The mental is not doing what you want but doing what works for the given situation.

We just touched on this in class the other day and it was our Black Belts only class. Many find themselves at bad angle and wrong distances becasue they don't have a solid foundation. That is to say that they don't have simple concepts down like proper stancing and transitions from one stance to another. Another simple basic is that they may use an imporper strike or take down that does not work becasuse they simply do what they want and not the correct techniques.

Once you understand proper stances, then your footwork will be percise and you will flow between transistions and be at correct distances for the correct techniques for the situation. That is the correct mental approach each should be taking.

How do you develope this mental? Forms. You need to practice your forms with the perfect stances and transistion into those stances. This means understanding the correct length and width of each stance. The correct body angles of each stance and technique. The proper weight distrabution on each leg of each stance and so on.

There is no do what you want and make it your own. Do what the situation calls for is what you need to focus on in my opinion.

 

[dancingalone]

Physical TKD vs. Mental TKD. Does the transition start at colored belt ranks?

No. It depends on the individual not the belt rank. There are black belts who never make it to the stage you describe. Conversely there are yellow belts that already question why they chamber their kicks in such fashion and already instinctively tailor the system to their own body's needs.

IMO, you have to have an inquisitive, self-aware nature to begin with. And that's outside of any progressive training you might receive.

 

[StudentCarl]

In your experience, at what point in their training does a student really start branching out – taking what they already know and experimenting with the possibilities? Trying new things in different ways? Thinking more for themselves?

I didn't answer this, so:
I think it happens sooner with people who spar, since you have to put it all together. I think it begins somewhere around green belt when you have more than a couple of different techniques to work with. The higher you go, the more tools in your toolbox. Even then, I hope the student has good coaching to go with their experimentation. It's also easy to develop bad habits when "branching out". I personally believe that experimenting and playing with techniques is an absolutely essential part of learning. You can't just follow directions and have the mental and physical fluency needed.

 

[StudentCarl]

There is no do what you want and make it your own. Do what the situation calls for is what you need to focus on in my opinion.

Very Zen, and very nice.

This makes great sense to me, as I have more experience with soccer than taekwondo. The situation decides your play.

 

[dancingalone]

Very Zen, and very nice.

This makes great sense to me, as I have more experience with soccer than taekwondo. The situation decides your play.

Some food for thought: does your daily practice not influence what you do in the heat of the moment? If you practice kicks all day long, the chances that you will kick in a fight seem awfully good to me.

 

[ATC]

Some food for thought: does your daily practice not influence what you do in the heat of the moment? If you practice kicks all day long, the chances that you will kick in a fight seem awfully good to me.

Just as long as you use the best kick for the job.

 

[StudentCarl]

...does your daily practice not influence what you do in the heat of the moment?

Yes, training shapes habits, which shape behavior. Obviously you don't want your habits to lead you to choose a behavior that doesn't fit the situation. This is more about awareness and flow, using the technique that is best in the moment. That's part of why I think it's important for training to build to fluency with a variety of skills: becoming too focused on a few techniques is bad. 'When all you use is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.' If you are good with many tools, you can use what fits the need.

When you watch video you can slow or freeze frames--and see the best action in a situation. We train reading what the opponent is doing, trying to increase our ability to see the moment clearly (kind of like stopping time) so we choose the best path (kick, footwork, parry, etc.). A trait of superior players is their ability to read the moment better than others and use it.

The idea is training that awareness and blending it with your training so you don't think about it but read-and-respond with the the best technique for the situation. It really is a Zen thing.

 

[dancingalone]

Good post, Carl.