"Block Through Center."
-My Tae Kwon Do Chief Instructor
Do you ever go the extra mile? Do more than is expected of you? Do you do this all the time, or does it depend on the task at hand?
To provide some context, this past week in a Tae Kwon Do class, my instructor fixed a mistake in one of my techniques, asking me to block through center instead of to center. The goal of any block is to stop the opposite person’s strike from hitting you.
So, as seen in the graphic below, the image on the left side has the block stop at the end of that person’s body (to center). However, the one on the right has the block move all the way to the outside (through center). The difference between the two is crucial, because the first one blocks just enough whereas the other blocks all the way through, completely deflecting the strike.
When my instructor told me to fix this, I started thinking about how the statement relates to life.
“Go through center, not to center.”
Think about this: what’s your passion? It could be a form of art, a specific sport, or something else entirely. Now ask yourself: how much are you willing to do to continue pursuing your passion?
Let’s think about it this way: Some people do homework only because they want to get good grades; some do it so they can have some fun (such as screen time or going outside); others because they’ll face certain consequences otherwise. Notice that the reason for doing the homework is for the reward, and for the reward only.
So in this case, asking them to go the extra mile would be a waste of time. It’s like, in school, how students work hard to get good grades, and less because they actually like what they are learning. The grades are the rewards for their effort, which pushes them to continue at the same level, but not try to achieve more.
However, one’s relentless pursuit of passion is what fuels one to keep going. With passion and the desire for mastery, comes the will to do and achieve more - hard work doesn’t seem hard, long hours don’t seem long, and more effort doesn’t seem tiring.
Because we actually want to do that thing, our mind is set to keep going since we’re doing what we love. For example, it’s the people that play sports simply because of their love for it. In art, it’s the people that make art simply for the sake of creation. And it’s the people doing what they do simply for the sake of doing it, and nothing else.
As said in Psychology Today, when we’re passionate about something, “we engage in the behavior because of a love for it itself, irrespective of its instrumental value.”
One last example: every year (except during the pandemic), my Tae Kwon Do school has the Annual Championship tournament in March. Starting in around December, we’ll start training for the tournament, which means working on a form or two to showcase and sparring effectively. Those that hope to achieve a trophy will practice but just enough to win.
However, others will keep practicing, even until 15 minutes before their round starts. These people are the passionate ones, who are working hard and putting in long hours, not to earn a reward, but to showcase their talent and skill. From this, they learn and grow, and may also receive a bonus - the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place.
The difference between the two is the most important. The first person is just trying to reach the checkpoint - the satisfaction of saying, “I got 2nd place!”. The second is striving to reach the finish line - the satisfaction that their hard work paid off, regardless of if they placed or not. Because when they’re fueled from the inside to do what they’re doing, they’re bound to reach their goal at some point.
Therefore, from now on, differentiate between passion and everything else, spend more time on what you love, and go through center. Don’t give up, no matter what, because all the effort you put in until that point wouldn’t be counted. As they say,
Go the extra mile.
Because after all, it’s often never crowded.
Love the Quote! Go extra mile and its often never crowded.