Focus

Focus

"A successful warrior is the average man, with laser like focus." - Bruce Lee

"My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things." - Bill Gates

A Martial Arts Perspective:

As a beginner in Taekwondo, one of the most important and impactful habits that you can develop is the habit of focus.  Not only will focus improve your Taekwondo skills, consistent focus affects every facet of your personal and professional life.  You will be rewarded with greater comprehension and faster progress in any thing you do when you have good focusing skills.

For children, the focus skills they develop in Taekwondo class will carry over to the academic classroom, giving them greater success in all areas of learning.

For adults, consistent focus will help you to accomplish many tasks, stay on track, and complete numerous challenges despite how busy you become. 

As a martial artist you will develop the ability to focus in each moment, whatever the task is--breaking a board, making a presentation, completing a form, master a sword skill, or finishing an assignment.  You will learn that although something seems difficult, that a little focus will go a long way to making your task simpler and your performance more efficient.

For The Student:

In the dojang, what can you do to develop focus?  

What does focus look like?

Focus your eyes: Work on keeping eye contact with your instructor, or the target you are kicking.  Keep your eyes focused even when you feel compelled to look away.  Practicing eye contact will help you to develop a focused mind.  Also, people will understand that you are listening to them.  They will understand that you are engaged in what they are talking about and taking them seriously.

Focus your body: A focused body is when you sit or stand with no motion.  You are ready to take instruction or engage in a physical skill.  In the dojang you do this while you wait for class to begin, when you meditate, or you are listening to your instructors.  Keeping your body still allows you to work on keeping your mind focused.  You are not distracted by your clothing or outside movement.  A focused body demonstrates that you are engaged in listening.  Your body language is telling an important story to the people around you.

Focus your mind: Try to keep your thoughts on the task at hand.  Do not let your mind stray.  When you are sparring, a mind that is not focused on what you are doing has the potential to cause injury.  You must focus on your opponent and what they are doing to keep yourself safe.

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