November 2nd, 2019
The “Warrior” understands that the more they know the more they know they don’t know. Simply put, there is always more to learn. The best way to learn is to start with the right mindset. This encompasses the six fundamental learning principles of Tang Soo Do but starts with humility or what we call Kyum Son. You must first empty your cup before you are able to fully learn. This requires humility and or at least the ability to suspend the ego long enough to look and listen with the intent to learn. My first instructor told us that to learn, “we must be like a sponge”. That is, we must be able to absorb a lot and then be ready to soak up more after we have rested. There will always be more to learn if you are open to it. To be open, you must first empty your cup. There is a great story about this very topic in Joe Hyam’s classic, Zen in the Martial Arts, in which he relates a story of a potential student seeking knowledge and instruction from a famous martial arts teacher and Zen Master. The potential student introduced himself and his many accomplishments while the Zen Master listened intently and poured a cup of tea for the visitor. As the potential student continued to talk, the Zen Master continued to pour tea until it was flowing over the top of the cup and all over the table and the potential student’s lap. The potential student exclaimed, “what are you doing, you are spilling the tea all over the place.” Upon hearing this, the Zen Master stopped pouring and said, “just as this cup is full and can’t hold anymore tea, you are full of yourself and can’t learn what I have to share”.