Modern Samurai
179-04 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, NY 11366
718-591-9300
Thoughts from a Dojo Mom:
I walked into Modern Samurai last September because my friend Emily said to check it out. “You can drop off all the kids at the same time!” she raved. “The schedule is also very flexible – come any day of the week!” I was almost ready to sign up immediately based on those comments alone; as mother of 3 boys, it was nearly impossible to find active extracurricular activities that didn’t involve spending the entire week chauffeuring one kid or the other or the other to one place or another with two bored siblings in tow. When Sensei told me that my then-3-year-old was “a little on the young side to start”, I desperately promised that I would sign up too and take the class with him to help him along. I figured I would stick around just long enough to help the kids get settled, and then go on my merry way.
I thought I knew what I was getting into, but apparently I had no idea. Here we are one year later, still at it together. It has become our family exercise, something healthy we can all do together despite our differences in age and abilities. We have all gotten more fit and flexible, while picking up self-defense tips. The dojo has even become a second family, with real, positive role models and peers of all ages. However, on many days it’s still not easy: homework and dishes pile up, kids are cranky, or my old knees can’t keep up with the young ones. But, the kids are learning what it means to work hard for something, that learning new skills and staying fit require constant effort. They have become much more aware of their bodies and their abilities. They are learning discipline and self-control. And it doesn’t hurt that they are also learning not to mess with their mom!
My oldest once asked me why we should keep doing it when we know we will probably never become world Tae Kwon Do champions. I could say that we should enjoy the family time, or do it to learn self-defense, or do it for the exercise, but the important lesson is this: we should do it for ourselves, just as we should remember to strive for excellence in our daily lives, for ourselves.
-Ingrid, mom of Aaron, Nathan, and Isaac.
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