Beauty

This morning was our pre-testing to receive our grading sheets for power belt. All of us were feeling a bit nervous, wondering what the morning had in store. We expected to have to do forms, maybe some self defence (a tunnel perhaps, or maybe that would wait til next week?). I don't think any of us expected what came next. Kwan Jan Nim announced that we would be spending 5 minutes in meditation and then gave each and every one of us a candle and asked us to sit in a circle. What followed was a beautiful candlelit meditation.

My thoughts wandered, as they often do when I try to meditate, but I've learned to accept that and try to let them go. What they wandered to was beauty. Beauty is something that's different to everyone, as it directly affects your soul. I know that martial arts is sometimes thought of as a rough sport, but I have always believed that there is plenty of beauty in it as well.

• Attiphah's V kick landing into full splits
• Kyra's breaking 7 1-inch boards at the first spectacular I ever saw
• Jean-Luc's intensity when performing
• My daughter's performance of Chung Moo this morning
• KJN's smile when you get something right (you know, when you actually figure out how to do what she's asking you to do)
• seeing someone perform a technique perfectly, especially if they haven't been getting it, but then they do
• hugs given to teammates who thought they couldn't do something and then they did
• everytime I say 'beautiful' when someone does a technique

As I opened my eyes after the meditation this morning, the beauty of seeing my teammates' faces lit only by the glow of his/her own candle was heartstopping. It has forever opened my eyes to the beauty of martial arts.