Showing Respect

GOOD MANNERS (Section#4) – Week 2 – Instructor’s Script

Start the lesson by gathering your students into a tight huddle and ask these three questions:

What does it mean to have good manners?
Why is it important to have good manners?
Can you give me an example of having good manners?

Then share the following story or lesson and ask the questions listed.

This week we are going to talk about showing respect. Once there was a famous Martial Arts Grandmaster who noticed that one of his Black Belt students wasn’t showing respect to his teachers or classmates. So he asked the student why he wasn’t showing respect. The student said, “But I do have a lot of respect for my teachers and fellow students, only it’s on the inside of me, therefore I shouldn’t have to show it on the outside.” Then the Grandmaster told the student to close his eyes and hold his arms out to the side, and he replaced the student’s Black Belt with a white belt - and told him to open his eyes.

When the student looked down to the white belt on his waist he was shocked and almost started to cry. Then he said, “Grandmaster, I have worked so hard for the Black Belt and now you put a white belt on me - why?”

The Grandmaster asked the student, “Are you still a Black Belt on the inside?” The student said, “Yes”. Then the Grandmaster said, “Then it shouldn’t matter what is on the outside” and walked away.

What do you think the student learned? (Get feedback) Is showing respect on the outside important? Why?

In Martial Arts, we believe that it is not enough to have respect for people, we need to SHOW respect. Showing respect to people is a way of demonstrating good manners.

To whom do you show respect first?

Of course, we need to have self-respect, but after that, on top of our list should be our parents.

How can we show respect towards parents? Obey cheerfully. This means do what they ask you to do with a smile on your face right away. Is this easy? Of course not, but we should try to do it anyway.

Here are some examples of showing respect to parents:

1. When asked by your mother to do a chore, respond, “Yes Mom, I’ll be glad to.” Then do it! (Role-play being a mom asking about a chore and the kids saying, “Yes Mom, I’ll be glad to.”)
2. If your Dad asks you to help with the lawn, respond, “Why certainly Dad, I’ll get right on it.” Then do it! (Role-play being a dad asking about a chore & the kids saying, “Yes Dad, I’ll get right on it.”)

Who else should you show respect to?

1. Teachers
2. Grandparents
3. Friends
4. Sisters and Brothers, etc.

By the way, the Grandmaster gave the student his Black Belt back at the end of the class. This week lets show respect on the outside by our good manners.