|
Two recent events caused me to stop and think about the impact
martial arts instructors can have on society.
The first was a Toastmasters’ speech contest where a
woman spoke about the influence her taekwondon instructor has
had on her life. She
did not talk about physical techniques or increased personal
security. Instead,
she focused on her instructor’s character and his efforts to
teach students to be positive, respectable citizens.
To him, the tenets of taekwondo – courtesy,
integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit
– were more than just words to recite before and after
class. They were
words to live by, and the result of his dedication to them was
the transformation of students into responsible adults.
The second
incident occurred at a bookstore where I witnessed an exchange
between a woman and her 8- or 9-year-old son.
I was appalled at the way the boy spoke to his mother,
commanding her to buy him a book and then calling her names
when she refused. I
thought of my childhood and how I would not have been able to
sit down for at least a month if I had spoken to either of my
parents in such a manner.
The boy did not
stop there: He
refused to leave the store at his mother’s request and
shouted that he was not done yet.
Rather than march the boy out to the car and paddle his
behind as my parents would have done, she pleaded, begged and
then waited for the obnoxious kid to finally leave with her.
I wanted to tell the boy how wrong it was to treat his
mother that way, but it wasn’t really his fault.
It was his parents who were to blame for not teaching
him respect. More
than speaking to the boy, I wanted to tell his mother that if
she didn’t want to teach him respect and manners, she should
enroll him in a martial arts school.
The ancient Hwarang code of ethics and its admonition
to be dutiful to your parents immediately came to mind.
Although people
study the martial arts for different reasons – fitness,
sport, artistic endeavor, self-defense and so on – perhaps
the most important benefit is character development.
No matter how much we may like to discuss the value of
learning how to defend ourselves, we must remember that many
of us will pass through life without ever getting in a fight.
Few of us, however, will be able to live a productive
life without discipline and character.
As instructors
or senior black belts, we exercise a great degree of influence
over those who train under us.
It is our example that our students will follow more
than our words. That
is why it’s crucial for all of us to live by our convictions
in everyday life as well as in the training hall.
Living the tenets of our art will have a greater impact
on our students than any amount of lecturing.
Once we begin to do that, our students will become
people of character with the discipline to achieve their goals
and be upstanding members of society.
Martial artists can shape the future; in fact, it is
our duty and responsibility to do so.
This appeared as the Guest Editorial in the June 2002 issue
of Black Belt magazine.
|
