How A One Armed Student Studies Martial Arts
When a martial arts dojo opened up in his neighborhood, however, he could not stop thinking about it. He would pass by slowly, staring at the kids working out inside. He would ask his friends who studied martial arts endless questions, but he never went inside the dojo because he knew that there was no way he could do that physical discipline.
One day a friend of his invited him to the dojo to witness a promotion. Bobby went, and watched, and sadness ate at his heart like a chainsaw chews trees. After the demonstration and promotion, Bobby was introduced to the instructor, who invited him to study the martial arts.
"I don't see how I could," Bobbie said sadly, "since I only have a right arm." The instructor put forth that having one arm wasn't a problem. He said, "Anything is possible to a man with a whole heart."
So Bobbie began studying martial arts. He dove into the practice like a starving man attacked a plate of food, and he made good progress. Unfortunately, the instructor, while he would show Bobby all the moves, would only let him work on one technique.
Day after day, week after week, Bobbie concentrated on learning this one technique. Dutifully, he worked out the problems with his execution until he could do the technique as smooth as silk. Still, the instructor would not let him move on to other techniques.
One day, the instructor came up to Bobbie and said, "I've put you in a tournament." Bobbie was flabbergasted, he just knew he was going to be beaten like a dirty rug and tossed like yesterday's salad. Still, his instructor believed in him, so he went to the contest.
He faced his first foe, and when the attack came, he used the one technique and won the match. And he used that one technique to defeat the second foe, and the third one. When the end of tournament came, Bobbie had won it all!
The next day Bobbie thanked his teacher. "The thing I don't understand," wondered Bobby, "is why that one technique worked so well!" His instructor grinned hugely, "The only defense against that technique, no matter what art you have learned, is for your opponent to grab your left arm.