Physical-Mental

Every able-bodied student is capable of breaking one one-inch pine board with a Taekwondo side kick. Many are able to do it consistently during practice and are able to break even greater thicknesses. Yet, under the stress of testing, many students cannot break one board, even after multiple attempts. Sometimes the students who fail to break the board are large men in excellent physical condition who are capable of performing difficult jump-spin side kicks in class, but under stress, they hit the board off-center or miss it entirely.

Sometimes a student, who is normally an excellent sparring competitor, consistently loses against certain inferior opponents. The student may be physically better than these opponents, technically better than these opponents, and better prepared than these opponents, but the student still loses. Something about certain opponents freaks out the student so he or she loses concentration.

It is obvious that something other than physical ability is causing these students to mess up while performing patterns, to fail to accomplish their breaks, or to lose their sparring matches against lesser opponents. That something is mental preparation and concentration.