Being a teacher in any capacity is extremely difficult, especially when the unexpected happens. But when a 9-year-old boy started crying during his martial arts class in Detroit, the martial artist leading the class didn’t skip a beat.
In a video that has gone viral, Bruce Collins III was having a hard time in the final minutes of his initiation test. While he has broken a wood board with his right hand (impressive!), he couldn’t with his left. Because of this, he began to cry.
That’s when the founder and lead instructor of Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy, Jason Wilson, got down on his knee to speak to Bruce. What he said is amazing:
“I don’t mind you crying. I cry a lot, too…You’re pulling your blow.
Being a black man in this country, you’re going to need mental fortitude…You can do it, you just have to put your mind to it.”
Afterward, Bruce goes on to break the board–which is a literal manifestation of Wilson’s words. Wilson also went on to say:
“You have to have follow through when you’re facing a barrier in life. You may have a little resistance at the beginning, but go all the way through. Complete the task.”
It definitely seems like Wilson is a great influence for his students–as he is both supportive and instructive. It’s no surprise his students call him “Sharath,” which is the Hebrew word for “servant.” When asked about why he said what he did to the young boy in class, Wilson stated:
“I wanted him to know, it’s OK to cry, but the key is knowing why you’re crying. What that does for a young boy, regardless of his ethnic background, is say, ‘Now I can shake off this false masculinity I’ve been taught, that it’s not human to be this way.’
I joke with a lot of them, ‘You need emotional enemas, because you’re clogged up with feelings.'”
Wilson went on to talk about how it’s important to create a generation of boys who can grow up to be emotional:
“This is an introspective training program. The goal is to create a generation of men who are consciously and spiritually strong enough to navigate through the pressures of this world without succumbing to their emotions.
We have an opportunity to spread hope and love and free a generation of boys who can finally be emotional. That’s powerful. Do you know the type of men they can grow up to be in society?”
Couldn’t have put it better myself. I’m so glad teachers like Wilson are in the world to guide our kids.
Watch the full video here:
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