Mr. Rays Story
Mr. Ray was not one of my best students when he first began. He had an extremely low self-esteem of himself and a lack of confidence in his own ability.
He felt like he couldn’t do anything.
People typically ignore someone like Mr. Ray. It’s easier to let a person wallow in their own self-pity rather than extend a helping hand. Bad words, bad actions, and violence can all hurt a person pretty quickly. Trying to help and make them whole again, to heal them, is way harder.
We Need To Have Compassion
We need to have compassion for those having problems. Maybe they’re physically or mentally limited, maybe they lost their job, maybe they’re just going through a difficult time. We don’t know what they’re going through, but you can always tell when something’s wrong with a person. You can see it in their behavior and how they communicate.
“I believe compassion helps people get beyond the usual and brings them up.”
Martial artists are supposed to be strong in all aspects of life, but unfortunately as the industry grows that’s becoming less and less true. We’re supposed to build ourselves in body, spirit, and mind, which in turn allows us to be better at our job, in school, or with our family. Everything we do should be at a higher level because we’re martial artists.
How Do I Help?
Maybe I’m teaching a person how to punch and they’re just not getting it. You don’t let that stuff go by the wayside, you figure a way to work with that person, to help them succeed. Taking the time to work with a struggling person makes you a better instructor.
That’s why I spent the extra time with Mr. Ray. I helped him as he struggled. When somebody is struggling, they have to overcome it on their own. A good instructor will guide them to success. This promotes compassion. A person who has struggled will always remember struggling. Down the road they’ll come across someone else struggling and will remember being in their shoes. It’s an amazing teaching technique.
Mr. Ray overcame his struggles. He opened his own school and is one of the best instructors I know. One day I asked him, “What made you stick with Tae Kwon-Do versus anything else you ever tried as a kid?”
He replied, “You were the only guys who made me feel good at something. That I could actually do this. You made me believe in myself at a time when nobody else had compassion for me.”
Be compassionate. Take the time and go the extra mile for someone. The benefits will surprise both of you.
Master Gorino’s Tae Kwon-Do offers a trial program for individuals and families in Buffalo, NY and the surrounding areas that allows you to get a feel for the different classes, meet our instructors, and experience our dojang. It’s a great way to see if Tae Kwon-Do is right for you. To learn more or to sign up, register online or call (716) 836-KICK (5425) and a member of our team will follow up with you on next steps. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals. Pil-Sung!
