Previous Stories
The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 cups of coffee...
A Young Man, an Old Man, and a Drunk
Matajuro and the Art of the Sword
Ninjai - The Little Ninja
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Stories
Life Lessons in the Martial Arts
Throughout the year, we will be adding stories pertaining to the nature of Martial Arts philosophy and practice.
This Month's Story: Shake it off and step up
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. For hours, the farmer tried
to figure out what to do.
Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the well and trotted off!
The Moral of the Story
Life is going to shovel dirt on you - all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
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