Train for the Present

by Tammy Parlour, TKD & Korean Martial Arts Magazine, January 1997

Hapkido" means the coordination of mind and body; in other words, total concentration. When you achieve this state, you will become aware of everything that happens - every noise and every action.

Gedo Chang (8th dan) describes this as "Being one with the moment" and relates the following old fable to illustrate what he means:
A young boy travelled across Japan to the school of a famous martial artist. When he arrived he was given an audience by the sensei. "What do you wish from me?" the master asked.
"I wish to be your student and become the finest karateka in the land," the boy replied. "How long must I study?"
"Ten years at least" the master replied.
"Ten years is a long time!" said the boy. "What if I studied twice as hard as your other students?"
"Then twenty years!"replied the master.
"Twenty years! What if I practise day and night with all my effort?"
"Thirty years!" was the Master's reply.
"How is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me it will take longer?" the boy asked.
"The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed upon your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find the way!"

The moral here is that we must always concentrate upon what we are doing, rather than on some future goal. So whenever we practise, we must only be in the present. Being able to do this will enable us to learn in six months what might otherwise have taken us six years.