Compassion in the Martial Arts
Compassion comes in many forms to many people, but it ultimately is showing someone you care for them.
At Buzz Durkin’s Karate, compassion is taught in every class. Children learn to socialize with people of different ages, getting to know different types of people and making new friends. Teamwork with these new friends is emphasized and expanded upon to help each karate student grow stronger and more compassionate. As a karate student becomes more in tune with the feelings of others, they learn to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of different types of people. This leads to acceptance and a better understanding of all types of people the karate student could come across. This understanding leads to compassion and empathy.
It is important for a karate student to be compassionate, as it is a responsibility to the people they work with and the people they learn from. It is just as important that a karate student learns how to show compassion, as empathy and kindness are the basis of positive relationships and friendships.
Making other people happy and assuring them that they are loved and cared for shows a great deal of concern for their well being. This can be through dramatic piles of presents and extravagant vacations. It could simply be spending time with someone and being a shoulder to lean on in tough times. There is no one true way to show compassion, as every individual is unique in their way of giving or receiving kindness. Show others that they are cared for and you will find that others show that they care for you just as much.
Stephanie Rodenhiser is a 4th Degree Black Belt at Buzz Durkin’s Karate School, having trained since she was eight years old. She teaches students of all ages and especially enjoys teaching kids and adults who work hard and develop great outlooks on life.