Your Weakness = Your Strength

This is a 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 defence for that move is for your opponent

to grab your left arm."

 

 

The boy's greatest weakness had become his 

greatest strength..