Mikhail, my son, is taking his junior black belt test this weekend. I think this is a very honest assessment of the life of a child growing up into an adult. Just a few sentences and what we should all strive to do in our own lives, at home, at work, and even in our relationships.
Mr Moncelsi should give me my black belt because…..
I started karate because I thought Power Rangers on TV was really cool. My mom asked me if I wanted to do karate, and I said yes. We found Mr Moncelsi’s school, and I started as a white belt. I thought karate would make me tough, and I would be able to beat up the bad guys.
While I was at karate I learned other stuff.
Respect: Karate reminded me to be myself. It make me strong inside, and help me choose right from wrong. If you respect others, like my Mom and Dad, my sensei, my teachers, grandma’s and my cousins, they will love and respect me back. When people at school make fun of me, I have to remember to have self respect. I go to child study team, and they told me that they want to have power over me, by making me upset. If I truly respect myself, I can ignore them.
Self Control: Sometimes I think that I don’t deserve to be a black belt, because my buttons are easily pushed. I can get very angry. Especially when people tease me. They say shhhhh to me all the time, even when I am not talking, just because I don’t like very loud noise, like in the cafeteria. Karate reminds me to control my actions. To be a black belt, I do not have to be perfect; I have to always be my best at self control.
Courage: Courage is one of the reasons I came back to Karate. That and because my Mom kept bugging me about it. I was afraid that I lose my self control, and hurt someone some day. Then mom helped me understand that Karate helps me work on my self discipline, my temper, my focus and my physical health. I faced my fears and came back.
Temper: When I punch the bag in karate, and kick, it helps me get the anger out that I have toward those people that bully me. Punching and kicking also help me focus and calm down. It also make me fitter, and improves my physical health.
Integrity: Before I started karate I did not know what integrity was. Integrity is when you stand up for someone, or something. I hate it when people lie to me, so I try to be honest even if it’s hard. I apologize when I am wrong, and try to forgive people when they have hurt me. Always doing my best and never giving up is what karate taught me about integrity.
Learning: I love karate. I love it when I get a new technique right, even though sometimes learning new stuff is hard and confusing. Sometimes I want to cry, but I do not have to be perfect, so I just try. I like getting stronger. I run and walk at night, I learn my form, and practice, and I try to live up to the advice my sensei gives me.
I deserve my junior black belt because I have learned these things and want to keep on learning. I want to keep on doing karate even after I get my junior black belt.
By Mikhail Georgiev
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