Need the Perfect Gift for a Hard-to-Please Teen? Try a Black Belt

Copyright  2005 by Mark Kennedy www.harmoniouswarrior.com Oh, I know you can't give someone a black belt, any more than you can give them a high school diploma or a college degree. But you can give them a nudge in the right direction along with the financial resources to make the journey. And the martial arts journey is a secret dream of a surprising number of teens and preteens. So if you're looking for the perfect gift for a hard-to-please teen or 'tween'; if you want something they'll like which will also help them (and maybe you!) through a tough stage of their life, give them a martial arts membership! It doesn't need to be extravagant, such as paying a whole year's dues. Three months, one month, or even one or two introductory lessons will do. After all, the quest for a black belt will take a few years, and can only be sustained through the internal motivation of the individual. No external motivation is going to last. But if the way is mapped out, if they are gently bumped into taking the first step, and if the destination is made tangible, they are more likely to begin. The complex chore of finding a school, talking to the adults there, breaking the news to parents or friends, and then getting the money together, can make it too overwhelming a task to attempt. If all this groundwork is done for them, though, a teen is much more likely at least to give it a try. And there are solid reasons that go far deeper than the clich