WHAT I LEARNED FROM ONE DAY WITH OUR 5-YEAR-OLD WEE WARRIORS

I want to train like a Five-Year-Old. They come to the floor with no judgment, minds ready to learn something wonderful that will add to their joy, and they give everything they have—every ounce of their concentration. I want to train like a Five-Year-Old. An empty mind ready for filling, totally present in the moment, doing what is being shown at 100% of their ability.

How cool is that?

One thing that I’ve always loved about martial arts in general—including Tai Chi and Yoga (although some will argue that yoga is a practice not an art)—is that while you are present, while you are on the floor or the mat, in those minutes you take solely for yourself and your art or practice, there is no room for anything else. It doesn’t matter if you burned the lasagna, or if you got a C on a test, or if that girl on the bus who called your brother a bad name got a fat lip when you punched her. Think of your bad day. On the floor, practicing kata alone or training with your dojo-mates, that bad day doesn’t cloud your practice; it doesn’t impact your training. It simply doesn't exist. When you are done training, the bell has rung, and you’re in the locker room changing, the facts of your bad day may creep back in, but the feeling isn’t nearly as horrible as it was when you walked through the door to the dojo. You are lighter. More in control. Ready to get back at it tomorrow, knowing it’s a new day and filled with possibilities for something better.  

This has been true for me since my first day on the floor.

I hope it will be true when I pass peacefully after my last day on the floor.

Karate training becomes part of who you are. It’s part of life you don’t even think about anymore, like breathing. It’s simply part of living while consciously striving to be better than you were the day before.

Five-year-olds get this. It’s just part of their lives for the time they spend on the floor. And they give their all to it. Unquestionably. Without judgments or preconceptions about what the outcome should be for them. And they smile when they get it right.

We could all use a little more smiling in our lives.

May you smile when you get whatever you’re working on right. May you find joy and value using your mind, spirit,

and body together at the same time. May you approach learning with an open mind and no preconceptions or judgments. May you feel the relief of letting a bad day go while you are fully present in whatever action you choose: Karate, Kobudo, Yoga, Tai-Chi, Painting, Playing the piano or any instrument, Singing, Sports, Knitting, Hiking, Gardening…whatever makes you feel good and brings you joy.

I want to train like a Five-Year-Old. With the heart of a lion. The courage of a Spartan. And the indomitable spirit of a Buddhist Monk walking across the country for peace and justice because they know they can. A Five-Year-Old doesn’t ask if they can do it; they just do it.

I will approach my training like a Five-Year-Old.

May we all learn from those we teach.

Yours in the Martial Arts,

Sensei Morganne L. MacDonald