Preparing for Instruction

Before each class, the student must be prepared both physically and mentally. For physical preparation, the student arranges has schedule to ensure that each and every scheduled appointment for class is met. Sporadic and inconsistent study is a quick trip to a dead end. Lack of progress and frustration are characteristic of this type of training (or lack of it). Only consistent and regular practice will provide the necessary framework for development.

In addition to regular attendance, the student must also arrive in a timely manner. Arriving early will provide the student with the time necessary to physically ready himself (warm-up) and to begin mental preparation (often through meditation).

The good student approaches his training (regardless of his rank or skill) as if it were his first. That is, without prejudices or pre-conceived notions. Even if the instructor is explaining a rudiment such as a block, which the student may have learned years earlier, the good student drops all mental obstacles and approaches the lesson with a "beginner's mind."

The knowledge your instructor imparts to you is likened unto a seed, which once received, must be planted in fertile soil for there to be growth. If the student has properly prepared himself physically and mentally, he now has "fertile soil"; that is, a firm foundation upon which instruction may begin.