Salvaterra de Magos Branch, Portugal / May 2010 - Contributor: Branch Master Jorge Monteiro

A Story of courage

About five months ago one of the Kenshi of the Salvaterra de Magos Branch reported to the branch master a situation experienced by a 17-year-old named Catia.

Catia is a young girl from the town of Salvaterra de Magos, that life penalized with a disease that will gradually weaken their already weak health ... But Catia is a fighter.

Despite is eyes barely see - Catia do not distinguish a human silhouette to more than one meter - and have strong mobility limitations. With the help of his grandmother she has achieved excellent results at school. But Katie wants more from life.

She is a young resolute and critical girl, with strong opinions about the world around her.

The fragility of his body did not prevent her from having ambitions. Katie had a dream ...: practicing martial arts. And who could best advice her on the matter than his physical education teacher?

The following day, during a lesson, Catia asked the teacher: "Miss, can I practice martial arts?" The response was swift, but it was not the one that Katie wanted to hear. "Do not even think about it. It's impossible. "

But Katie was not convinced. She had a friend who practiced Shorinji Kempo and asked him the same. The friend did not know what the correct answer would be, but told her that he would ask the master, and so he did it.

"I see no reason that might prevent Catia from training Shorinji Kempo ..." replied the master. "There are people who train in a wheelchair, people without arms, and people with various disabilities who train Shorinji Kempo. Shorinji Kempo is made according to each person. The limitations are not prohibited, it is only a difficulty. But we have so many difficulties in life, that's just one more.

The next day, Catia and the brother went to his first day of practice, and Katie asked the same question to his master: "can I practice martial arts? I do not know if I can do the same as the others? "

"It's not important if you can or can't do the same as the others," replied the master ... "What is important is if you can do your best and that if you can overcome your own difficulties".

Working with her, helping her to move, to feel things around her, and understanding she's own body, the master and Catia colleagues help her to go down in this new path in she's life.

Catia now has another dream: she wants to be a master of Shorinji Kempo.

Catia recently participated, with his two partners in the national Taikai, which took second place in its category, and yesterday she made is first test, that passed successfully.

Not only Katie is an example of courage. The colleagues Kenshi of the "Salvaterra de Magos" and "Foros de Salvaterra" Branches, that accompany her daily, make a remarkable work helping her and monitoring constantly engaged its progress.

 

TOP