Vintuitive

Have you ever tried to memorise a list of keyboard shortcuts? Most of us have found a list of keyboard combinations and pinned them on the wall next to the desk in the hope that they’ll become a part of everyday keyboard use and increase productivity. I’ve done that a few times. I started using a Mac several years ago and have only recently learned more than the handful of general keyboard combos that make life easier.

So I’ve started a series called “Keyboard Kung Fu” to help make learning the useful keyboard manoeuvres much easier and more fun. For now I’ll be focusing on the Mac but may cover Windows keyboard shortcuts at a later time.

How to Memorise More Keyboard Combinations?

The problem with the list of keyboard shortcuts that you pinned next to your computer was that there is nothing memorable about two or three symbols or words printed in black on a white page. There is nothing for your brain to hook onto to make one line any different or distinctive from the rest of the items on the list.

This is the underlying concept of Keyboard Kung Fu. Each key combination will be delivered as an image or video showing you exactly where to place your fingers on the keyboard. Seeing the fingers on the keys will create a visual impression that will stick in your mind much more easily than a list printed on a page or screen.

Will There Be Any Bruising?

In Chinese, the term kung fu 功夫, is comprised of the word gōng, meaning “work” or “achievement” and fu, meaning “man” or sometimes “intensity”. Although the word has become associated with martial arts in the West, Kung Fu is natively understood in the more general sense and can, for example, be used to refer to an individual accomplishment or acquired skill.

Hopefully, by delivering the information in memorable ways, we can more easily learn these handy shortcuts to become a veritable Bruce Lee on the keyboard.

So What’s the Plan?

Each week a photo will be posted here on Vintuitive on the Keyboard Kung Fu page showing a particular keyboard combination along with a description of what it does.

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Occasionally the tips will be delivered in video format on Vine and you can always find them on Twitter by searching for #KBKungFu.

Follow along with the weekly deliveries, practise the moves, and see how long it will take you to get your black belt in Keyboard Kung Fu!