Greetings!
I recently met a man in my school who had come in to inquire about training. At first glance he was not what some would consider to be an "A Typical" candidate for the martial arts. He was wearing a dirty laborers uniform for a local company and was well into his 60's.
Many people would see this person and assume that he was looking for classes for a Grandson or Granddaughter. As per our usual philosophy and teachings here at Kuk Sool Pasadena, I asked the man if he was interested in lessons for himself or someone in his family.
The man introduced himself and in what I can only describe as one of the most humble introductions that I have ever heard. He proceeded to tell me that he had dreamed of training in the martial arts his entire life. He went on to tell me that he had looked in the windows of other martial arts schools for years and had never had the courage to go inside. He had served in the United States Marines and had served in Vietnam. He was also a professional musician! He was ready to start classes right now, and must have thanked me at least 10 times for having a school in his area.
WOW! What an opportunity we have to help this man achieve a life long goal. This is why we are here.
"We are here to serve!"
Now imagine if we had assumed that because of his attire or because of his age that he was not a viable candidate for our programs. Imagine if we had just looked at his outward appearance and judged him from this alone.
Every day we are offered the opportunity to see the world in the way that we choose.
A true leader is someone who looks forward. Forward to see what people still have, not what they have lost. Forward to see what they will accomplish, not where they have failed.
This type of thinking should not only be reserved for how we look at others, but how we look at ourselves.
By finding the best in others, we find the best in ourselves.
This is the "Black Belt Spirit"
Respectfully,
Sa Bum Nym Jason Franklin
P.S. If you know of someone in your life who could benefit from our training, let us know together we can team up to get them started on the road to excellence.
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