Stick With It!

Many times, I see two beginning students that look as different as night and day! Both are trying hard. One has raw talent, is athletic, graceful and just looks good. His kicks are clean and sharp. The other? Well, he may be a little sloppy, lacking the ability to control his limbs the way he or she wants. Sometimes I can’t even tell what stance he is in or what kick he just threw. While technically he is not as good as the other student, he tries hard every class just to keep up and learns the material we ask of him. Now, which of these two students will be the better black belt? Becoming a true black belt is less about physical grace than internal strength and determination to succeed. More times than I can count, the awesomely talented kid will not make as good a black belt as that kid who was just plain ugly at white belt. Why? The awkward student has had to work hard since white belt to succeed and is used to overcoming the obstacles presented at black belt. It is just par for the course. However, the talented student, if lacking that same level of determination, completely freaks out the first time they have a set back or if the material gets hard enough to truly become a challenge. He is so used to it being “easy,” that he has a hard time coping with not being perfect and persecutes himself far more than any instructor would.

In fact, when one of these talented kids freak out, the instructors and parents rarely see it coming because there is no outward sign! The first thing the parent or instructor will hear the kid say is that he “hates martial arts!” Of course this isn’t true. They are just frustrated and do not know how to handle it. So they are trying to avoid it! Because Taekwondo, by its very nature, is a humbling art, everyone will be challenged to the point where they question their ability to succeed. When that happens, that is the time, as parents, spouses and friends, you have to be the most supportive and make sure that they STICK WITH IT! Whether this occurs at “red stripe”, blue belt or black belt, real gains in the martial arts are made when we aren’t doing well or we feel we CAN’T do it! That is when we truly learn something. That is when we truly learn the determination to succeed. That is when we truly learn what we teach every day. If you have a positive attitude, positive results WILL happen through hard work and dedication.