Feedback of Patrick's 2025 Bulgarian Workshop

[HAEDONG]

The great thing about Haedong Kumdo is there’s so much to learn. Even when you’ve already been training for several years and have attended seminars regularly, each time it turns out that even in forms you’ve known for years there are still new details to learn.

During the seminar in Sofia this summer I experienced this again, even a couple of times. When we were repeating form number 12 for single sword, we learned that making a left turn near the end felt indeed better than a right turn. And during the Ki-Mu training, which we received as a bonus at the end of the week, we discovered that focusing on moving from the center of your body provides extra stability in the static parts of the exercise.

This is a reassuring thought: you will never do a form hundred percent perfect. Therefore, you don’t have to learn everything all at once. So when practicing a form, don’t try to get everything right at once (you won’t succeed in this), but rather focus on small parts each time. Once your body recognizes its logic and begins to perform it automatically, you can move on to the next component of the form. For example, focus the first few sessions on your arms and/or legs, the next session on making the correct (audible) strokes, the next on your breathing. This way the learning process remains enjoyable, because it’s easier to notice your progress.

The great thing of this way of thinking is that it’s not only useful during Haedong Kumdo training, but also in everyday life, whether you’re preparing for a school test or learning to make the perfect vegetable soup. I invite you all to make use of these opportunities.

=>

It’s wonderful to see how you find value in every detail, Patrick. Your approach reminds us that progress lies in the small things — well done!
See you soon again. JS Kim