How can I convince you of how valuable this training is without sounding like a kook?
I recently had a little girl come in and try out class for a week. She loved it, dad seemed to be pleased with it too, but then didn’t sign her up because she wants to do dance. “It’s her thing,” he says.
Sigh…there is nothing wrong with doing other activities, well…most other activities. But to think martial arts is going to be just like dance, volleyball, gymnastics, cheer, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, tennis or golf is like comparing playing a card game with learning to swim. This can save her life!
“Well of course you’d say that, you teach for a living.” Yes, and have been doing so since 1983. In that time I’ve seen “F” students become “A” students, druggy kids become warriors of virtue and righteousness, sleezy kids become proper ladies and gentlemen, out of control kids and adults with temper issues become calm and in control, like monks in a garden. I’ve seen suicidal people turn their lives around, get the perfect job, marry their true love and have great kids. I’ve seen panic attacks stop forever, I’ve seen diabetics no longer diagnosed as diabetic. I’ve seen older people shed what seems like 20 years so they move and look like a younger person. I’ve seen 80 lbs gone from individuals in 6 months. I’ve seen people in abusive relationships work up the self esteem and courage to get a divorce. I’ve seen married couples fall back in love with each other due to the strengthening of their bond through their training. I’ve seen people meet here, fall in love and even get married in my training hall (actually got married here). I’ve watched kids who are mediocre athletes become high level professionals thanks to what we teach. I’ve seen people learn to defend themselves and then have the training save their life or a loved one’s life in a dire emergency.
My daughter, Jannel is an adult now, she is working super hard with an overloaded schedule to ace her way through college and that’s with dyslexia. Oh, she works nearly full time too. Did I mention she is dating a successful man whom she will never allow to abuse or neglect her? Not that he ever would, she makes good choices about who she spends time with and what she does. She is a bad ass, second degree Black Belt, and with the work ethic she gained while earning that, she is carving her own path in life, not based on how pretty she is, or how well she moves to music to attract members of the opposite gender. Her path is from hard work, diligence, and perseverance. Her self esteem is based in who she genuinely is, inside and out, not on the glitzy clothes or layered on makeup or her ability to move seductively. She is one of the most genuine people I know. The best part is that unlike most dads, I don’t worry about her. If anything, I worry about those around her not finding their full potential trying to shine in her shadow.
If you love your kid, put them in martial arts. Let them do other activities too, those are fun and have some valuable life lessons such as teamwork, being a polite winner and a gracious loser. It’s great for building social skills. But martial arts is more like teaching your child to be a great swimmer. We live in Florida, there is water everywhere. The better they become, the more capable they are able to survive that life or death situation. It’s not just about self defense, it’s about defense against internal self loathing and negative self talk. Nothing I know does this as well as martial arts training.
Every child who trains and grows into an adult tells us how much this changed their life. Every adult who trains today tells us that they regret that their parents had not enrolled them as kids. Everyone who has ever trained can tell you, this is much more than they thought. I’m not a kook, but if I am, there are a lot of others who are as well. Maybe…just maybe, we are right, sign up your kids, watch it change their lives for the better.
No one ever says, “Darn you dad for making sure I earn my Black Belt.”