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At the base of multitasking: mental coordination

With “mental coordination” we normally refer to the ability to process information, plan / organize actions and make decisions in a coherent / effective way.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

In 6 Dragons Kung Fu (and therefore in our a martial arts / self-defense context), “mental coordination” refers to that cognitive skill that allows to consistently elaborate important brain processes, such as:

Scenario awareness / attention (what is happening around us, etc.)
Tactical problem solving (recognize / exploit opportunities, etc.)
Voluntary change our mental state (force our mind on the right attitude, etc.)
Prioritization of information / stimuli (recognize the levels of danger, etc.)
…

The benefits of a developed mental coordination

The more our mental coordination is trained, the more our mind will approach the concept of multitasking.

In our school, once overcome the first phase of preparation, mental coordination gradually plays a more and more crucial role. While fighting (but not only), it is in fact a key ability to be able to perform multiple tasks at a good level of performance, in other words:

Without losing general tactical focus (maintaining scenario awareness, access to quick reasoning, etc.)
Without decreasing effectiveness (maintaining a constant speed, power and precision)
Without crossing / overlapping (maintaining the activities’ paths separated until they have to)
…

A note by Master Kongling – It is useless to stress that working on such an attitude does not only increase our options to prevail in combat but also (and especially) improves our capability to manage every aspect of our daily life (in any field, social interactions, work, study, etc.).

How to develop our mental coordination (and therefore multitasking)

The first (apparently obvious) thing to understand about multitasking is that it is useful only when all the simultaneous actions we perform remain consistent: this is true not only in the practical execution of a series of tasks but even in the very training to perform them in combination.

What does this mean? That trying to acquire the capability to perform 2 actions that we do not master do not bring us anywhere (on the contrary it is counterproductive).

How to train: the first steps of a correct path

To obtain genuine coordination skills is necessary, first of all, to overcome the “wrong imprinting” that “common sense” and our educators have (probably) taught us.

A note by Master Kongling – For our entire life, from when we were children, we were taught to perform one action at a time and this is the reason why our brain feels so difficult to work in an effective multitasking mode.

To overcome this gap, we can:

Work on temporally “parallel” activities – Let’s gradually try to get used to simple multiple actions by implementing 2-3 limbs at the same time; let’s move the first steps with activities that start and end at the same time (the most simple we can imagine); for example, while entering a room, let’s get used to turn on one light and turn off the other at the same exact time or let’s use the right hand to turn on the light, the left to push the door and the knee to accompany it
Work on cyclical concentration – Addressing more complex actions (reasoning included), we have to understand how to move our focus from one task to another by checking their consistency cyclically (eg. “1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4” like an analogic watch) and only when it is necessary (in the phases where control and correction are truly needed, eg. “1-4-1-4”)

A note by Master Kongling – I know, the second point, conceptually, may not be so clear for now but we will see some practical and simple exercises. With time and practice, we will become able to execute more and more complex mental tasks faster and faster, enough faster to make other people think we are managing them at the same time.

In the next article of this series, we will see a practical training exercise (read An exercise to develop mental cyclical concentration).

In-depth video courses

Mind self-control hacks – How to power up our mind’s capabilities (focus, planning, multitasking, etc.)
Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – The martial exercises to develop real combat skills
Advanced speed and reflexes training – Fight, how to build real speed

In-depth articles

Combat: overcome perceptual limits of body and mind – How to cross the data to limit the errors
Always be ready to fight: the mind – Self-defense and mental preparation for combat

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

What is the most complex multitasking you have ever performed?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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