Once, long ago, when I was in third year of kung-fu, I learned a great lesson. The kung fu is not a normal martial arts. The kung fu is a philosophy of life. You learn discipline, combat tactics, maneuvers of defense is to attack, but also as being in the world.
I'm not ashamed to say ... I was Bravin. Not the best student, but one of the first. After a particularly hard workout in which I was distinguished for having made several changes, I come closer the teacher who tells me: "The next lesson will be for you with small children at 5 and a half." I remain stunned. I could not believe. I had been demoted and would know all. We know how they think the boys. The appearance first.
I asked for explanations, but the teacher made me to be quiet and said: "If you're not the lesson the children can consider yourself out. Do not come again!" and went away.
The following Friday I went. Punctual as a Swiss watch. The children were extremely noisy and the teacher (I had never seen so smiling) dispensed smiles and hugs for everyone. I began my warm-up exercises and the first whistle of the master even the children began to heat up. One after another I saw them perform various evolutions. About a wheel, a rolling those with calcium, another a Kip (which is nothing but a movement with which we go back to the ground and get up without hands).
As time went on I paid more attention to their movements, their steps, their evolutions. And everyone learned something. I learned a simple gesture, a better position .... feet ... the children moved them without fear of failure. They were free and loose. And then their laughter. Engaging. Time passed and they too had no fear of me. Now a couple of them grabbed my legs, now they blew up ...... one has even seen fit to challenge me. Soldo cheese.
Then there was one. One silent. A bit aloof. I noticed. I went. "Hey," I said ... "And you, do not you train with others? Can I train with you?". He did not want, but I was there and forced him to do some exercise of dissolution with me. I made some silly joke (I do not have a hard time), but he did nothing. I continued and eventually exhausted he said: "Of course if to be great is to be so stupid then I have left everything .... I do not want to be great." I began to laugh out loud. A spontaneous laughter, happy, serene. How not happened to me a long time. At the end of the lesson the teacher crossed. He said nothing except "I'll wait for next Monday, also at five-thirty."
not taken the wrong time. I went home happy and peaceful. And so it went for a week at the end which the teacher told me: "Did I train with the kids because you could find a fundamental thing: spontaneity! Children are not like us, know no shame, having fun, playing and are primarily of sponges: they absorb everything and try to put into practice the things I say without fear! Well, this week and a half you have found the joy of train kidding, you found that you had lost: the feeling of not being afraid and you finally learned! "
Children are exceptional. Simple and pure. They do not need to satisfy the expectations of others about them because there are no expectations and everything becomes linear, unreasonably reasonable. We should all learn from children. Their mind is not blocked by prejudice and then just accept anything. Good or bad. The children bring with them the true wisdom.
