Taekwondo students begin drills from their first class, when they learn one or two basic stances and techniques. A significant portion of each class is dedicated to drilling particular techniques — alone or in combination, moving or standing still. This is the martial arts equivalent of playing scales and chords on the piano. A student practices each technique literally thousands of times until it becomes a part of his or her being. Many people believe that martial arts “masters” have learned the techniques so deeply that if they need to defend themselves, they can perform automatically, without thinking. This is true, but learning techniques at this level is really only the first stage of martial arts study. What seems like mastery is really only an introduction which must take place before real training can begin.