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Respect: One Lesson Worth Teaching
Posted: June 01, 2022
It is most unfortunate, but American children rarely play sports or get enough exercise these days, due to modern technology. Video games, the Internet, text messages are all solitary stimuli. So - where does this leave the parent who sees their child failing to develop motor skills or lacking in interactive experiences and social skills?
What would you give for a controlled environment where your child could develop life skills, a healthy body, and a peaceful mind? Such places do exist! A good martial arts school will teach your child more than self-defense, as emphasis is placed on balance, coordination, and doing the best you can.
Another focus is on a core value on which America was founded. Respect and martial arts are symbiotic. Student and teacher; Student and other students naturally form a mutual relationship of trust, followed by respect.
Abstract qualities are often difficult to illustrate. Take respect. You can't see it, but it's expressed in the symbolic bow when you walk into a training hall where classes are in progress.
It is traditional in training for everyone to bow before and after lessons and to their training partners. Discipline, self-control, and respect are silent messages the bow transmits between student and instructor.
Kids learn by repetition. Given time, the bow will come from their heart, not because it is the thing to do, but because they truly get the inner meaning behind the centuries-old ritual. One seemingly insignificant gesture becomes a sign of respect, humility, and gratitude.
It is a most rewarding experience for the parent to observe short and tall, young and old bowing in a respectful manner. When each person acknowledges the other, in a way that is kind and respectful, with the understanding that it takes more than just one to practice and you need the help of others, then mutual respect is practiced. When a child is exposed to the concept of oneness at an early age, he/she understands that in respecting others, they respect themselves.
Are you beginning to see that respect and martial arts encompass more than rigid rules and spoken lessons? It's about instructors who model and mirror core values intrinsic to martial arts.
Almost by osmosis, many layers of respect unfold during sessions. For example, American children are sadly deficient in respect for authority figures. In class, black belts are authorities. Students come to understand that it took many years of discipline and practice to obtain the coveted black belt. With that understanding, comes the worthiness of self and respect for the teacher who is sharing his knowledge of his art.
Ultimately, your kid will discover that respect is a gift and if you give it you will also get it.
