Looking For The Potential
Many times I think the parents of the newer students look out at the floor and see the instructors and black belt kids and say, “Man, I wish my kid tried that hard and looked like that!”
I have even heard parents say “I wish my son was as focused as that little instructor over there.” It is easy for us, as parents, to do. We all do it. After all, what you are seeing is a near finished product. But trust me, they didn’t start out that way. I know. I was there and I taught all of their first classes. What is absolutely hysterical to me is that their parents said many of the same things I hear you say.
Every instructor and black belt at this school stumbled, fell, didn’t listen, went the wrong way, started goofing off when it was time to be serious, kicked with their hands down, couldn’t do a proper stance or push up to save their lives, and messed up more stuff than I can remember.
And during that time, the parents would get on them, criticize them or ask me to be tougher on them. Or better yet, they would come to me and tell me all this stuff their kid “couldn’t” do. Every time I heard this, I looked at them like they were crazy and told them to chill out. Their kid was doing fine. They thought I was full of it because all they saw was today and the mistakes. What I saw was something different entirely. I was looking at their potential.
Yes, I saw they messed up their form, but I also saw they punched hard doing it. Yes, I saw them kick with their hands down, but I also saw the kick itself was good and the knee position was flawless.Yeah, I saw they didn’t chamber their side kick, but I also saw they pivoted their base foot. Yes, I saw them goof off at the end of a floor drill when they shouldn’t have, but I also saw they tried hard for the other 40 minutes. No matter what flaws they had, they always did more right than wrong.
As they went from the Ninjas class to the Junior class they did the most important thing of all. They kept training. They kept showing up. They refined their skill and pushed themselves to new heights. By emphasizing the positive, it allowed them to take on what they needed to improve. Even now, they do that every night when they work out. But in the early days, they were just as awkward, just as awful and just as AWESOME as your kid is today.
Trust me, I have seen it before. They will get there, I promise. We all do. It is as certain as the sun rising in the morning. We just need the time and patience to walk the path.
If you would like more information about our Martial Arts Program don’t hesitate to call us or text at 469-444-0246.
Or get your child started today with our free trial.
