Thinking Ahead with Rhee Tae Kwon Do

Thinking Ahead with Rhee Tae Kwon Do
I have always enjoyed playing chess and I admire a chess player's ability to think ahead. Magnus Carlsen (chess grandmaster and 5-time world chess champion) once said "I can see 15 to 20 moves ahead." A good Martial Artist should be just the same.

When you watch a beginner spar, you can see that they are thinking about their own movements and their mind tends to be occupied with technique execution and the thought of "what should I do next?" (Which is absolutely normal for a beginner)

An intermediate student will be comfortable in their techniques, but they are often "pre-set" and tend to have a "plan of attack". As they advance in their training, they will start being more adaptive, thinking 1 to 2 moves ahead and focus more on improving their self, their stances, their breathing, or kihap (yelling).

An advanced student tends to be a few steps ahead. They are more fluid and adaptive in their mind. Their minds are still "self-centred" but their thinking begins to stretch out more to consider important concepts like timing, positioning and distance.

Finally, the best of Martial Artists will appear to be only 1 or 2 steps ahead, but in reality they are more than 10 moves ahead. You can often observe this sparring against a seasoned black belt or any of your instructors, they appear to be inside your mind, knowing what you are going to do before you do it. They are no longer just thinking of themselves, they are thinking of how their every action will impact you, your well-being and your learning process. Some can even alter and adapt their sparring technique (in a heartbeat) to improve yours.

To be an exceptional Martial Artist, you must learn to think ahead, to think deeper and to think of the "Big Picture". You must look beyond your "self" and adopt an all-encompassing mind, a mind that thinks of everything and nothing at the same time.

Your Rhee Tae Kwon Do instructors have the experience and knowledge to cultivate your ability and challenge you to grow and improve with every training session. Lessons that are not just beneficial in the Dojang but for everyday life.

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