Skills, skills, and more skills (part three)

After spending the past few months arguing for (part one) and against (part two) the importance of learning more skills, I’d like to question the relevance of either argument.

So why does focusing on more or less skills actually miss the point?

I’ve noticed that those students who are becoming expert performers no longer come to class with a desire to practice their most recent set of skills, or a desire to practice any particular skills for that matter.  They trust the process & the class, and have faith in their instructor.  They face what is in front of them with full attention.  As many black belts commented when I surveyed them earlier this year (click here to read more), they do it simply for the love of doing it.

What I mean is that the skill we practice becomes less important than the attitude with which we approach our training. I don’t mean to imply that learning skills and practicing skills aren’t essential, but expertise is no longer attached to either of these stages.

I want to repeat myself because I think it is incredibly important: the skill we practice becomes less important than the attitude with which we approach our training.

When we have the right attitude we feel fully present.  When we are present we are able to face reality (that which is right in front of us).  When these things happen then we are closer to achieving coordination of mind and body, the essence of hap-ki-do.