Inspired by Greatness (or, What I Learned from a Kung Fu Girl)

Last Thursday was one of those taekwondo classes that makes you feel better inside and out. We had that perfect mix of students who take their sport seriously and are there to work hard, even the youngest ones. One younger student, a girl of about ten or eleven, was trying out our dojang for the first time. She had trained in kung fu, and for whatever reason, was looking for a new place to train. She kept up with us perfectly during movement drills and kicking practice. But the real magic happened when she did her form.

During the last part of class we were all sent to work independently on poomsae (forms). Some students are making the tournament circuit, others are preparing for a test, and some like me just need to make sure everything is correct and looking sharp. I was practicing Keumgang, which is a mostly forward facing form, so I had a good view of our new student.

The kung fu girl had a surety and grace to her that you don’t always see in someone that young. She flowed through the complex movements (my knees ached at the sight of those deep one-legged crouches) and had a sense of ownership about the space. About halfway through the form, most students had stopped to watch her. By the time she went to the other side of the room and showed our master her bo staff form, everyone was stock still as we watched her beautiful, powerful movements. I almost thought the room was going to break out into applause when she was done.

In our own way, we applauded by silently returning to our forms with renewed energy. There was a noticeable shift in the vibe on the training floor. Everyone looked a little crisper and stronger. Determination furrowed the brows of the students in the room. We were all inspired to step up our game. When we performed our forms one by one for the class at the end, everyone put in their best effort. I was even a little nervous to do my form in front of our new student and her parents!

So what can I take away from this experience? A few things: a new person who is eager and hungry can inspire others to push themselves to perform at a higher level. Someone with a different background brings a fresh set of eyes and new perspective to our shared experience. A new person who performs at a high level can breathe life into those of us who have been around for a while and have become a bit complacent or even disengaged with what we do. This is true on the mat, in the workplace, and in other areas in life.

I hope to see her in class again soon so I can learn from her.