Saturday, November 24, 2007

Weakness or Strength?

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

"Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

"No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grap your left arm."

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Though I am reading this story the second time, I am finding it so fresh and motivating.



Here the ‘sensei’- the master told the boy that the later won the tournament for two reasons:

1) The boy almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo.

2) The only known defense for that move is for the opponent to grab the boy’s left arm!



The boy mastered his weakness!!!



But reading this story the second time, I found a third reason for the boy’s victory and which I presume as more important than the above two.



And that reason is the boy’s faith in his ‘sensei’.



One’s faith in one’s Master/ Guru is a master Key towards one’s success.



This was a superb example.

Even in life, we might face certain circumstances/ situations, where in we don’t find any solution, our mind becomes blank and we fall a victim of high depression, at that time, it is only our Guru’s support that come to our rescue and that withers all the dark clouds of misery and pull us out from the perilous whirlpool of depression; provided we have firm faith in Him.