The Philosophy Behind Cleaning the Mirrors

Cleaning a mirror can be used as a model to how we approach Tae Kwon Do:

First, the cleaning tool must be chosen. Should I use the newspapers, the sponge, the paper towels? When you practice Tae Kwon Do, you must find the best approach for you.

Next, the sweat stains, dust, and streaks must be cleaned. We focus on one at a time when we do this. When practicing your own techniques, remember to try and fix one thing at a time. The sweat stains are the easiest to clean, so they are fixed first. These are like the basics. Once they are taken care of, the dust is left.

Dust represents what needs to be cleaned up in the basics. It is what can be fixed and worked on even more. And if you haven't noticed, the mirrors are never completely clean.

Finally, when you have cleared as much dust as possible, there are streaks. Streaks are the most aggravating part of cleaning the mirrors. They go in circles, in straight lines, and in all sorts of shapes. They represent something that you can never really get completely clean. The problem can be minimized, and all that you can do is to get the streak consistent and small.

Every week, Mr. Hounsell and I clean the mirrors. We have tried using newspapers, Windex, sponges, water, and countless methods. It seems to us that we have finally found a method to minimize streaks, get rid of dust, and clear sweat stains. Both of us have been training for six years at the studio, and we still have much dust to clear from our mirrors. Be critical about your work, and remember, no matter how good you are, you can still get better.

Written by Mr. Khorami