One year ago, G1 earned his orange belt in Judo. Two weeks ago, he got his highly sought after promotion to green…
The road to success, especially in a field that is not your element, can be long and arduous. It is easy to give in and give up. So we must celebrate the little accomplishments, be grateful for whatever progress G1 has made, and let him know that we are proud of his efforts.
We know that sports is good for the brain and that it offers many health benefits, but sports can also teach children many other lessons that help build strength of mind and character. These are some of the lessons we hope G1 will embrace through his practice of Judo…
Be Better Today Than You Were Yesterday
“It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than yesterday.” – Jigoro Kano, Founder of Kodokan Judo
G1 is a competitive individual – often seeking to be better than others. We want him to learn that the real competition is not the external one but the one that exists within. Each day we should strive to be a little better than we were yesterday because that is what life is – a continuous journey of learning. The day we think we’ve done it all is the day we cease to live.
Our Greatest Glory Exists Not in Never Falling…
“Fall down seven times… get up eight.”
The first thing you learn in Judo is not how to throw but how to fall and get up. The funny thing is that this is also the very first lesson we learn in life – a child learning to walk will fall many times, getting back up each time. It is interesting how quickly we forget this vital lesson as we grow older…
Don’t Think of Cost, Think of Value
“Judo teaches us to look for the best possible course of action, whatever the individual circumstances, and help us understand that worry is a wasted energy.” – Jigoro Kano, Founder of Kodokan Judo
Stop fretting about what is and make the most of what you have because “life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it” – I can’t think of a better lesson than that.
What Kind Are You?
“There are three kinds of Budoka: ones that try to look strong, ones that try to perfect their technique and ones that try to gain a good heart.” – Masaaki Hatsumi, Ninjutsu Soke
Our hope, at the end of the day, is that G1 will learn to be one of the latter kind.
Related:
Nurture for the Future 