This paper offers an alternative view of critical thinking beyond that which stresses student-centered instruction. It draws on participant-observation and interview data collected from a Kung Fu course held at the University of Rwanda to highlight how students use Kung Fu to make decisions in other domains of their lives. Analysis suggests that direct instructional modes facilitate students’ independent reasoning and their approaches to problem solving. In exploring how Rwandan students apply Kung Fu, the paper questions whether critical thinking and (...) student-centered activities necessarily go hand-in-hand. (shrink)