Turning Children into Successful Adults
“It was really good for my son when he trained with you, so I want my granddaughter to train with you too.”
I love hearing this, and I hear it often, or something like it. This was a call we had about a year ago. I absolutely don’t remember the boy, which means he didn’t train very long. I have a long memory for those who earn higher ranks.
Once she visited the school, we continued the conversation, “Ma’am, you mentioned that this was really good for your boy, how do you mean?”
She smiled and said, “It helped him so much with his confidence and his grades. I know he wasn’t here very long, but even in a short time, we saw the difference.”
I asked, “Do you think we would have had an even bigger impact if he had continued?”
She frowned and said, “I know that I really shouldn’t have let him quit, but he wanted to do other things. It was becoming s struggle to get him here.”
“Did he ever give you a problem about going to school?” I asked.
“Yes, but that’s different, he has to go to school,” was her reply.
“I agree, school is important,” I said, “It is important because you say it is and that’s the reason you were able to get him to go. Had you put that same importance on his martial arts, do you think he would have struggled less and gained more from it?”
“I see what you mean,” she replies, “Yes, I suppose we treated it like a fun activity, but honestly, we didn’t really understand at the time what a difference this was going to make. It wasn’t until later that we knew this was what made all the changes in him. He is successful today as an adult primarily because of what he learned here.”
Parents, your child needs a good education, but ask yourself, what makes a successful adult? Do you know someone with little to no education who is super successful? Do you know someone who has a great education and can’t seem to succeed no matter how much they try? I am sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The difference isn’t the education, it is the work ethic, the confidence, the perseverance, and the self-discipline. Those are the powerful lessons of martial arts.
If you want your child to become a successful adult, one who handles life’s challenges like minor speed bumps instead of overwhelming mountains, then get them enrolled and keep them coming.
