Student Testimonials

The Joy of Discipline

Class 2 & 3 By Hana, Age 10

March 27, 2000: Today was like two classes combined. See, for the REAL second class, I had the last day of a drama class, so I was absent and missed it. Then I was sick for the REAL third class. Because Master Carlson had liked my journal of class 1, he came early to give me a private lesson and catch up on everything.
He also gave me three stars. You see, there's this contest type thing, where if you do good things, you can earn points, and every ten points you get, you earn a star. At the end of the year, the people with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most stars get a BIG prize! Everyone gets a prize if you at least have 5, which I know everyone will at least get, and many more.
Let's go on to what I learned! In the private lesson, I learned a lot of basics to a form. Master Carlson explained that basics were parts of something that when you put them together, they make a big, neat thing! They're like, well, steps to learning something. I also learned how to punch, and kick/snap in just that one private lesson!

When everyone else arrived for the real lesson, Master Carlson gave us an order to stay in. I was next to his daughter, Hannah. Her name was close to my name, which is Hana. I thought that was pretty neat! He welcomed everyone, and we did our “hello” form type bow. We practiced the first form we learned (the one I had just learned in the private lesson), and then he tried tricking us by doing different basics/steps except saying the name/number to a different basic of the form! We had to do the form that he said, not did. We had to listen hard. It was confusing, but he didn't trick me!

Then we reviewed the snapping/kicking, and practiced it a lot, getting faster every time. After that, we did the snapping on a punching and kicking pad, a little like a punching bag. One of the parents held it. It was fun. Then Master Carlson held it, except he moved it around everywhere and we really had to pay attention and kick at just the right time. He said it was all about focusing and timing.
Then, after that, we practiced keeping our arms tucked into our ribs. We did that by Master Carlson sticking two fifty-dollar bills right under our elbows and we had to tuck them into our ribs. Then, he borrowed someone's umbrella and he asked us to jump over it when he said so. If we jumped a lot without any of the fifty-dollar bills dropping, we could keep the money! We only had time for three people. I was one of them. No one did it. It was extremely hard!

At the end of the lesson, he gave out the stars to the people who earned them. I got three (30 points) for the article I wrote about my first class! Everyone was surprised like “Wow! Thirty? No way!” He explained how I earned it. Then he introduced me more, I felt more recognized, and it made me feel very good.

Anyway, I think that the program tonight made my night so wonderful, it made me want to go right home and write all about it! It was a wonderful class of The Joy of Discipline, and I'm happy I'm a part of it!

The Joy of Discipline

Class 4 By Hana, Age 10

Wed., March 29: Northern Virginia: Tonight I was so excited to go to the Joy of Discipline because after the two wonderful classes on Monday (the private lesson and the regular lesson), I felt like as soon as I left the building that I wished I were back there again! Now tonight, I finally was!

We started off with our “student creed.” It goes like this: “To build true confidence through Knowledge in the Mind, Honesty in the Heart, and Strength in the Body.” Then we had our welcome respect bow. It's actually fun to say all of those words! Then we practiced our Kumsah form, meaning Appreciation, which is 10 - basic steps. Master. Carlson said that we were going to have a contest between the girls and the boys for the Kumsah form! We had the girls in a line in the back and the boys in a line in the front. Everyone in the girls' line and everyone in the boys' line had a turn as a leader as we practiced the basic form.

Then we had the contest! First, the boys all performed the form, and then the girls did. Master. Carlson said that it was a tie. I agreed! We both said the steps with the same confidence and we both stayed together when we performed the steps in a straight line, and they were both great! So we each got two points for the star contest!

Next, Master. Carlson had us all move back to the very end of the room and had one of the parents hold up two boards next to and facing the wall. Master. Carlson said that he was about to demonstrate the confidence that we need to have to break a board. Breaking a board isn't just the strength, power, and ability that you have to break the board, but it represents thinking, concentration, true power and knowledge in your head, and confidence inside of yourself. I knew what he was explaining. The tradition of breaking a board wasn't just a tradition, but that it represented true confidence in yourself. You need the confidence and courage to break it, and looking at the positive things, and not the negative.

Next, Master. Carlson backed up, and ran up the room and up the wall very close to the ceiling, jumping off the wall and aimed for the boards and missed! Then he backed up again and ran up to the wall again and he broke the boards into many pieces! I was amazed. And without him needing to tell me, I knew that what he meant by missing and trying again, was to teach everyone that nothing is worth giving up, and you always have to try your very best to get where you want to be in life.

Then it was the end of the lesson. The lesson seemed shorter than it really was, but I definitely knew that I had learned a lot today. Almost a lifetime's purpose I learned in a mere 45 minutes. I had the most wonderful time tonight at the Joy of Discipline, and I really look forward to the next lesson on Monday.