Savvy Raj

In Japan, a ten-year-old boy had a goal of becoming a judo champion.

However, he was disabled. He didn’t have a left arm.

Becoming a judo champion is a huge challenge even for those with strong arms and legs.

What could a boy without one arm do?

He approached many trainers.

All of them looked at him with pity and sent him back.

The boy didn’t lose heart. He kept trying.

Finally, one trainer agreed to teach him judo.

The training started. The trainer taught him only one move.

Days, weeks, and months passed. The trainer didn’t seem to teach him anything else. The boy got frustrated.

“Master, knowing just one move isn’t enough to become a judo champion. Will you teach me anything else?” he asked.

“If you master this one move, that’s enough,” the trainer replied.

There was no arguing with the trainer. The boy continued his practice.

He mastered that single move well.

The championship began!

First match: A well-trained opponent against this boy who knew only one move.

The match started. To the surprise of the audience, the boy won.

Second match: He won again.

He continued to advance and reached the semi-finals.

He struggled a bit but won that match too.

Now it was the final match.

His opponent was a multiple-time champion. He felt a bit of pity and some disdain for the boy without an arm. But the boy didn’t falter.

The match started. In the first round, the opponent knocked the boy down.

Seeing the boy’s condition, the audience was shocked. The organizers considered stopping the match.

“Let the boy fight,” said the trainer.

The opponent, now careless, thought he didn’t need any safety gear to fight this boy.

The boy executed the one move he knew with great force. The opponent fell.

The boy became the champion.

The audience couldn’t believe it, and the competitors were astonished.

Even the boy couldn’t believe his victory.

That evening, he asked his trainer.

“Master, how did I win this match? I won with just one move,” he said.

Smiling, the trainer replied, “There are two reasons for your success.”

First, you have mastered one of the most difficult moves in judo.

Second, the only way to counter that move is for the opponent to grab your left arm. But you don’t have a left arm!

“Your weakness turned into your strength and made you a champion!”

The boy marveled at the trainer’s words. He felt joy thinking about how his weakness had become his strength.

Each of our minds is a sea of talents. Diving into it can yield pearls or shells, depending on how long we hold our breath.

Every person is endowed with unique talents by God. Our success lies in discovering and utilizing them.