Thinking Too Much vs. Being Mindful

Even though I’ve been writing this blog for a decade and published a memoir about how practicing martial arts changed my life for the better, I’m still surprised sometimes at the moments of clarity I have when I’m on the mat. 

The most recent moment was this past week when I was working with my master on side kicks. 

Side kick looks simple and is learned at very low ranks, but is comprised of complex pieces, at least the way I learned it. Bend your knee and hike up your foot (i.e., do a good solid chamber), flex your foot and kinda curl it around the shape of your kneecap, slightly turn your hip (and poke out your butt although no one ever says we’re doing that but we are) then shoot your kicking leg out straight with toes pointed down and foot flexed, be sure to lock the extended leg for just a moment before bringing the foot back towards the standing leg’s knee and then gracefully place your foot back onto the floor…and do all this in about 1-2 seconds if that long.

Side kick was my favorite kick as a child, and I’ve mostly been pretty good at is as adult…but…Add two knee surgeries, tight hips from a sedentary office job despite my morning walks and little breaks to stretch, and what I am loathe to admit but must admit is middle age creeping in quickly…and side kick has gotten harder to execute well over the last few years.

So there I was on a Tuesday night, up against a wall standing on a firm-yet-squishy kicking pad to give my standing leg forced instability, and practicing side kicks in a slow, methodical manner: chamber, kick, hold for a second, chamber, drop. As I practiced my master and I chatted back and forth about how we pay attention to things as we perform.

“There’s a balance between thinking too much and being mindful,” I mused as I wobbled off the thick pad. 

What I really meant was, there’s a difference between thinking too much and being mindful, but “balance” was on my mind and was literally happening in my body in that moment. 

Martial arts, like any other sport, has a huge mental component. Not only do you need to know the basics of how to do something and why and when you do it, but you need to think about the mechanics of it, what to be on the lookout for if you’re struggling, and how to make corrections…again, all this needs to be done within about 1-2 seconds. 

That’s where mindfulness comes in handy. When you’re mindful, you’re alert and aware, but you’re not overwhelmed with thoughts, especially the anxious ones that can throw us off balance, literally or figuratively. Overthinking is when mistakes can happen, or simply mental inertia, which doesn’t feel good in the long term.

I’m pretty good about being mindful rather than overthinking in taekwondo. Maybe it’s because I’ve had so much practice that I have some unconscious competence going on, maybe it’s because the dojang is my happy place in this dystopian hellscape we’re living in (ah, modern times), or maybe it’s because the mind-body connection of practicing a martial art is so strong that the two become one and captial-T THOUGHTS fade into the background. 

I’m not very good at mindfulness in other areas in my life. If I make a mistake at work, I mire myself in guilt and self-criticism. I panic over house or car issues. I’m afraid of making a decision that will make someone in my personal life unhappy. 

But I don’t want to think too much about thinking too much because that defeats what I’m hoping to embody as I get older and life comes at me faster. I can find ways to pull myself back into mindfulness. Limiting social media and phone time has been helpful, as has been my go-to trusty tool of journaling and reflection. Staying physically active is the quickest way for me to clear and calm my mind. I’ve come to cherish my morning walks and look forward to taekwondo class after a day of meetings and emails, and I’m working on carrying that feeling into other aspects of my day.

What helps you be more mindful as opposed to thinking too much?