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Black Belt Your Way to Success
| Article
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11316 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
5 / 1986 |
1,833 Words |
| Author
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Elaine Baum
Elaine Baum is the editor and publisher of Your Child & Home.
She is also the editorial director of Reese Communications and
is responsible for fourteen magazines including Woman. |
Today's parents, concerned about their children's safety, physical fitness, and personal confidence, have become aware of the power of the martial arts in promoting general well-being. The children themselves are enthusiastic about this sport.
"I love it," reports eleven-year-old George McAula, a Karate student for three years. "It makes me feel like I can do anything I want to, be anything I want to be."
"It's amazing," comments nine-year-old Mark Jordan. "I never thought I could do some of those movements. I worked hard, then harder. I tried and I tried, and I got there. I feel like I'm a winner."
And Paul Stevens, age twelve, points out, "The exercise is great but, what I like best is what the master has told us. He tells us we should try just as hard in school as we do in his classes. We should strive to raise our grades. When he talks like that, you can't help but want to do what he says. I've raised my grades--I really have."
Although there are different approaches to the martial arts, including the Japanese school of thought, the Chinese, and the Korean tae kwon do, all seem to have a basic thread that ties them together. They call for the development of patience and character more than physical prowess. They insist on concentration and perseverance, so that each child pushes himself to the limit and no matter what his level, he must be persistent in achieving the movement and the control required. While it is a system of self-defense, it teaches nonviolence and encourages hard work in all areas of life, even the academic.
Interest in the Oriental martial arts started on our west coast and came east to our population centers. In the Orient itself, this defense system has been a part of the culture for centuries. Some countries simply encourage it and others, like Korea, where tae kwon do is the national sport, have incorporated it into the school curriculum for children in at least 25 percent of the schools. It is seen as a superb body builder and mind-builder as well.
One master of tae kwon do, Jhoon Rhee of Jhoon Rhee Sports in Washington, D.C., has put special emphasis on academic excellence for his young students. He has caught the public eye because an increasing number of his young followers are becoming honor students in
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