Maximise your Weakness(es)

There was once a 10 year-old boy who decided to study judo despite having lost his left arm in a terrible auto accident. He registered with an old Japanese judo master and started his lessons. 

The boy was doing well in his training, and so he couldn’t understand why after three months, the master had taught him only one move.

“Master”, the boy said finally, “shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”

“This is the only move you know, but it is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the master replied.   

Not quite understanding, but believing in the teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the master took the boy to his first tournament, where he easily won his first two matches. 

The third match was more difficult. However, after some time, his opponent became impatient and the boy was able to use his one move to win the match. He was quite amazed at the fact that he was now in the finals in spite of having mastered just one move.

The day for the final of the tournament came and this time his opponent was bigger, stronger and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might be hurt, the referee called for a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the master intervened. No, “he said, let them continue.”

Soon after the match resumed, the opponent made a critical mistake; he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin his opponent down. He won the match and the tournament. He was the champion!

On the way home, the boy and the master reviewed every move in each match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. “Master, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the master answered. “First, you’ve 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 biggest weakness turned out to be his biggest strength after all.

We all have weaknesses. Those same weaknesses, put in the right perspective, and properly channelled, could become strengths.

Maximise your weakness(es).