Tai Chi

Once you've memorised the whole form, it's like your body does it by itself. You don't think, you just...do. Like washing your hands or eating a piece of toast. You've done it so often you don't have to think. You're still fully conscious but completely calm, and if you're very experienced, nothing could disturb you if you don't want it to. When it comes to ignoring someone, you don't have to try to - most times they go completely under your radar anyway. You're aware of your surroundings, but...they don't bother you at all.

I think the best way to write the scene would be to have the driver not reacting at all to this other person.

My instructor can't even be moved physically. He moves through the Tai Chi form himself, but if you try to push him...it's like he's rooted to the spot.

He can also do the Vulcan death grip; I made the mistake of asking him the first time we met and he 'did it' on me in front of the class.

I just want to 'second' what Peaches said -- you are not supposed to be thinking at all. It's like yoga -- but in continuous/fluid motion.

When I was started to study tai chi is when I first heard of the concept "muscle memory" -- i.e. your body slides into the rehearsed groove.

I've been learning tai chi for about 9 months now, all I can think about is the movement. If I let my mind wander, I lose my place. My instructors both say that it generally takes at least 2 years to get to a point where the muscle memory is developed and you know the sets well enough to be in the flow.