Viral sports clips typically show an athlete overcoming difficulty in order to achieve success. In come cases it involves teamwork and sportsmanship. Other times, it might just a be cute kid performing an activity.
This week, a video that combines all those elements struck a chord on the internet.
A young karate white belt was struggling to break a board with his foot in what appeared to be a test to move up a belt color. With parents and peers watching, he simply couldn’t break the piece of wood.
As tears began to come down with the Sensei telling him he needs to kick harder and hit it with the heel, the young peers began to chant his name.
Finally, frustration clearly took over. Crack.
Failure + Perseverance = Success pic.twitter.com/Nv7Lr2ifzR
— Michael Loftman (@michael_loftman) May 13, 2019
Ethan broke the board and his peers mobbed him in celebration.
There’s a lot to love about this video. In opening seconds, a kid physically lifts him up from the ground as another one shouts advice to “go straight through!”
A little later, as Ethan begins to cry, the Sensei yells “Yes you can do it!”
Then, the chanting from the others ups the intensity.
Finally, filled with pure frustration from failing yet again, Ethan drives his foot higher up and then harder down without even thinking.
There’s nothing so pure as unconstrained excitement from children over a friend succeeding, and that’s exactly what his peers showed as they celebrated his success. The coach, too showed the same legitimate joy for his pupil.
It all created a truly special moment for the young karateka.
