It’s time to talk about the fifth and final core tenet of martial arts. In many ways, this tenet brings all the other tenets together – and it explains why kids who study martial arts have a light in their eyes that other kids don’t. We call it Indomitable Spirit.
What does it mean to have an indomitable spirit? Simply stated, it means that you don’t let defeats set you back. You might not succeed every time you try something, but a child with indomitable spirit doesn’t internalize defeat. Instead, they rise to the occasion, accept defeat gracefully, and use what they learn for the next challenge.
Indomitable spirit is the core tenet that prevents kids from being bullied. A child who has it can’t be bullied because a bully can see that their spirit is strong.
Let me put it another way. When a person has an indomitable spirit, they can be physically defeated… but they will never be mentally and emotionally defeated. That’s important because physical defeats are inevitable in life. Everybody sometimes falls short.
What makes the difference between someone with indomitable spirit and someone without it is the what happens next. When the mind and emotions remain strong – unbeaten – it informs everything else they do in life.
Doesn’t that sound like something you want your child to have? We think so – and we talk to kids about the importance of holding their heads high. Shame has no place in our classes. Kids who study martial arts learn that, and they bring their indomitable spirit home with them.
We don’t take the five tenets lightly. They inform everything we do as instructors, because we want our students to take these lessons to heart. Once they have internalized them, they can never be taken away.