The specifics

I train everyday and night- sometimes I swear that I train during my sleep- and I thought that I knew almost everything.  Then today when I came in early to train with Master Matt I found I don’t know enough to even come close to him, obviously. The words Cho Shim, which means beginners mind, kicked me in the face hard today.  I found that it wasn’t the numbers of kicks I did, although that does help, but it was the specifics of the kicks that I had to work on.  Turning my hips correctly, making sure that I didn’t take a step before I kick, and, of course, keeping my hands up.  It is the specifics that I have to concentrate on  because the specifics are what will increase my speed, accuracy and power. Just like doing math homework, reading, or writing you have to look at the specifics of the problem first in order to do well.

Alex Tienda 3rd Dan at the Asian Arts Center