Vote of confidence + advice

Chun Sun (one of our local 5 dans) offered the following when asked to comment on whether my time frame was feasible:

I think now all the resource is here. It should be relatively easy to come up to 5d comparing to 10 years ago. Here's what I'd do:

1. Fast game game training. Tygem: 10min/30x3 game (or less), 3 games a day, 3 days per week.
2. Slow game training. at clubs, 40min/30x3, 1 game + review per week. Tygem: 30min/30x3 2 games per week.
3. Life/death: 5 problems a day (d level or sdk), download an app, each problem think at least 5 minutes before trying the first click. everyday (in principle)
4. Lectures, Inseong's reviews, weiqitvenglish (http://en.weiqitv.com/video) etc. Do it when you have 15-20 minutes free time.
5. Watch games, just watch, download wbaduk app or daily professional games app, Do it when you have 5 minutes free time, on the bus, waiting for coffee etc.
6. meditation. whenever you get stuck or depressed or frustrated, stop playing (but don't stop watching) and spend time think over, going back. Talk to 5d.

For all 3,4,5 items, if yon run out of problems/videos/games, just pickup the old and do it again.
I think with 100 weeks of this training, you sure will reach 5d.

I really like that Chun included the step of meditation (including taking a break when needed). If you think you're not going to get stuck/frustrated/depressed along the way, then you have no idea what you're in for.

He added later:

A bit more to add: I've seen two types of 5ds:

The first type of 5d is through rigid training, memorize and practice, without much understanding of the game and touch the emotional part of the game. A lot of Asian kids can reach to a very high level by doing this. They reach 5d within a few years then can stay there forever.

The second type of 5ds are though self-training. Although they didn't receive rigid training in the beginning, they still move up slowly. What they are good at is that they are always "empty" and ready to refute/negate themselves. As they move up, they rethink what they've learned, and are always ready to throw that away. They became sensitive to their internal emotions and sub-conscious thoughts, and ready to adjust these whenever they are aware of. For the second type, the channel of going up is always open. And I think this is our advantage (as grown-ups), because we have better reasoning, emotion control, and self-consciousness.

Of course, there are people who live in both world, and they became pros.

I write this down because I believe I'm the second type. I came out of go school as a 4k. What I'm missing is the rigid training. (I still make simple mistakes during the game). I think part of it is that I need to do more problems. Another part of it is I need to control my emotion better such that when the reading is needed, I will still have the serenity to read it through.

I'm also planning to train myself to tygem 9d after congress. I think to write these down helps me too.

Guo Juan talks often about how our strong players in the West make very basic mistakes all the time due to a lack of training. I hope the combination of her training system (http://internetgoschool.com/) and actual lessons online with her will help with this aspect.