Without being asked...

So my son, Joel, has been asking to take karate lessons for a really long time. I have to admit I have really dragged my feet because karate seems like a sport where the main goal is to hurt other people, try to keep yourself from getting hurt, or use your hand to break blocks of wood (all of which seem quite unpleasant to me!). However, I decided I needed to let all that go and give him a chance to try something he was really interested in. So in January, both he and Brendan started karate lessons.

And..... I must say it's pretty awesome - in ways I never would have expected. The premise of karate, at least where the boys are studying, is to have excellent self-discipline, respect, and obedience skills. (Especially physically, they must never use their karate skills other than in self-defense.) Hello, I'm in love! Every mother out there wants her children to have more of these three important life skills.

(Plus the boys get to do all kinds of kicks, punches, and generally rough stuff, so of course they love it, too.)

My personal favorite is the boys have on-going homework to show they are developing self-discipline. The dojo's definition of self-discipline is to do things "without being asked." So, their homework is to do their household responsibilities without any prompting at all. If I remind them to do something, they do not get any credit at all.

So imagine how lovely it is when my boys come running to me saying, "I made my bed without being asked!" "I took my dishes to the sink without being asked!" "I set the table without being asked!" I can listen to that ALL day. I have to add to this the fact that my children have a good chunk of chores every single day, and they are already pretty good at doing them. But this whole deal is just taking it to a new level.

In a broader sense, isn't this idea of "without being asked" kind of the best way we can possibly interact with each other and the broader outside world? If we could: do kind things, pay our bills, live good, responsible lives, grow spiritually, work hard, help others, etc., etc., without being asked, wouldn't so many needed, beautiful things happen continuously all on their own?

In closing, have my feelings about karate changed? I would say definitely yes, but the first time my boys actually hurt someone, get hurt, or break wood with their bare hands, I will be tempted to reassess that answer.