I started watching the Cobra Kai, Karate Kid series on Netflix. When I first saw it the martial arts movements were not very good. It was actors that were playing martial artists so I was not too interested. I thought that I would give the series another chance so I committed some time into watching it again. The second time I had a better outcome, it brought back memories of my martial arts training and the pressures that I went through as a teenager. School was tough for me because I was a biracial child in a most prominent white school which was not inclusive. I had many years of martial arts training behind my belt before entering highschool and was very good. I was training with Olympic competitors and the US Tae Kwon Do Olympic coach at the time. I watch the series more now and have more of an interest in it, because the show is teaching this generation the importance of having a code in life to follow. The show is explaining how to apply that code to situations in our daily life that we have to overcome.
I just watched a part in the show explaining the difference between choosing honor over no mercy, where the student was confused because the sensi was promoting no mercy. The lesson was never compromise your honor, displaying your toughness by showing no mercy to your opponents does not make you stronger.
When I reflect back to my teaching and training, that was the importance of doing martial arts, it is having a vehicle and code to navigate my life. Something that children need now more than ever, code and vehicle to learn and apply in their daily life. Martial Arts was a good vehicle because most of the bullies that bothered me did not like me because of the color of my skin. I remember having to fight another student in the bathroom. I never met this student before, however he really had some hate for me, not sure where it was rooted from. I fought him and used just enough pressure to humiliate him. He did not get one punch landed, however I side kicked him in the side and back kicked him to the point where he gave up in front of the school. That was really the last time that I needed to use my martial arts in school. Sometimes teaching someone humility in a language they can only understand is necessary. I am not supporting violence, however sometimes life will put you in a circumstance that you will need to use your tools to protect yourself. I was so skilled in Martial Arts during that time I just used enough Martial Skill to effectively defend myself without having to seriously injure him. That is one of the highest levels of martial skill is to apply that skill without seriously injuring your opponent.
So the Cobra Kai, Karate Kid series is a great show to provide the deeper level of understanding of the code in which both sides (Evil vs Good) battle.
No comments:
Post a Comment