When we talk about respecting things, we are talking about taking care of them as if they are your own. Most people take care of their own things, cars, homes, etc., but when it comes to taking care of the things of others, or things that we share with others, such as beaches, parks, or the environment, they lose some of their respect.

Many people take the attitude, “That’s someone else’s job.” But the job of taking care of our environment belongs to us all. You see, we’re all the “Owners” of the Earth!

Why is is to important to respect and follow the rules? One of the biggest reasons for following the rules is that it keeps us out of trouble. As adults though, there is another reason of even greater importance. We need to follow the rules because of the example it sets for our children, other people’s children, and for the people who look up to us.

In his book, “Time Well Spent,” Steffen Kraehmer gives some examples of what happens to the children of parents who ‘stretch’ the rules slightly…

Rules are what we use to help us live together. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Rules are meant to be broken.” It’s true that some rules need to be challenged, as the civil rights leaders challenged the tyranny of racism in the 60′s.

But, we also need to show respect for rules. What rules do we need to respect? How about every one of them? Respect is built by following the rules. Not blindly or without thought, though. We need to challenge poor laws and rules, just like the civil rights leaders. But we respect rules because with all our diversity, they help us coexist!

Native Americans have a code of ethics that was published in 1994. The following is their view on respect to others…

I have posted an excerpt of their code of ethics below for an interesting read. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone in Worthing participated in these simple code of ethics.

Not, just those that at Blackbelt Leaders who practice martial arts, kickboxing, karate, kung fu and sport martial arts… But everyone in Worthing!

When martial artists think of showing respect we often think of respecting others… Often, as adults we are thought of as people in authority.

Adults in authority, such as parents, coaches, teachers and Martial Arts instructors, earn respect by showing respect to others. They demonstrate respect to people by talking with and listening to them.

In fact, although there are many ways of showing respect, one of the best ways is by listening to others…

In the Martial Arts, it is common to see students bowing to each other before training. The bow is similar to a western handshake. The reason for the traditional bow is a way of demonstrating respect towards your training partner.

For example, when you bow to your training partner this would mean… “I respect you, and I’m going to do my absolute best to work with you to the best of my ability, and I’m going to do this to perfect my technique and myself, not to hurt you….”

“You may be sorry that you spoke, sorry you stayed or went, sorry you won or lost, sorry so much was spent. But as you go through life, you’ll find – you’re never sorry you we’re kind or respectful to another human being.” – Unknown

As you know that respect is a very important part of life. As you may know, respect is an attitude, a way of thinking about people, places and things. It is and essential part of Martial Arts training…

At Blackbelt Leaders Martial Arts Academy in Worthing our programmes are designed to help our Martial Arts students develop the proper type of respect.

As you know respect is necessary for our us and our children to develop in todays society. By being the example and helping a young child understand what respect is, and the importance of it in their life, we can help them develop a better sense of respect in all areas of their lives which in turn helps Worthing become a more respectful and pleasant place to live…