Question: Dear Sir, I have been practising the art of Hapkido for just under two years. I am 29 years old and this is the first martial art that I have practised. If I am being honest I initially got involved in Hapkido for all the wrong reasons, acting macho, wanting to show off to friends. This quickly changed as I became passionate about the art and it began to change my outlook on life. I have recently purchased your book 'The Art of Harmony' 2nd edition and even though I have read it start to finish on many occasions I still like to read a few pages each day. I have great difficulty though switching off, when I try to meditate or just relax I end up having a thousand different thoughts going through my head or I concentrate too much on preventing these thoughts and don't relax fully. I have managed to relax fully on a few occasions and get lost in the moment, which has been a wonderful experience. I would like to achieve this on more than a few occasions, have you any advice on how I could achieve this? Yours Respectfully Steven Scott
Answer from Sang H. Kim:
Dear Steven,
Welcome to martial art training. Whatever reasons for training you may have had prior to the training, training will help you in three ways: physically, mentally and spiritually.
All may come at once for some people, one at a time for others. You are lucky to have such an experience as being lost in the moment. I want you to remember that. You will have more frequent experiences in the future.
When you are anxiously looking for it, it may not come. So train diligently on a daily basis with one or two specific things in mind, then you will progress in understanding what you are and how you would like to be. Physical training is the first thing to experience daily. It will reconnect your mind with your true awareness of physical being. Try to refine your movement and meditate a few times a week for at least 15 minutes at a time, preferably 30 minutes or so. Let thoughts come and go. Don't fight against them, rather mingle with them. Breathe deeply in through your nose, hold for a few seconds, then breathe out slowly through your mouth or nose.
Reading The Art of Harmony can help. As you mentioned, reading a few pages at a time will help you digest better. Be in touch with your true self. Communicate with the true self regularly. Replace bad habits with something positive. Visualize your future and set your daily goals to get there. And take action.
You are on the right road, so keep up the good work!
Best Wishes!
Sincerely, Sang H. Kim
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sang H. Kim is an internationally respected author of 13 martial arts books, including his new book Vital Point Strikes and the best sellers Ultimate Flexibility, Ultimate Fitness through Martial Arts, Combat Strategy and Teaching: the Way of the Master, and star of over 100 martial arts instructional DVDs and video downloads programs including Self-defense Encyclopedia, Knife-defense, Power Breathing, Junsado Training Series, and Complete Taekwondo Series.
He won the 1976 Korean National Championship and was named Instructor of the Year by the Korean government in 1983. As a special agent during his military service, he developed tactical combat methods for hand-to-hand and hand-to-weapon combat for covert operatives.
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