Kung Fu Panda changed my life

Written by Gary

I guess the title should read Kung Fu Panda changed my sons life - or it may have done. This obviously makes no sense at all but I'll explain what I mean.

My son KJ watched Kung Fu Panda and was instantly smitten. Previously he had loved the movie Cars and he still does but this seems to have taken back stage to Kung Fu Panda. We probably have watched the film 10 times together and he must have watched it on his own many more times than that. I like the film as well and am a great fan of Jack Black (Tribute is possibly one of the "best songs in the world") so it was no real hardship watching it over and over again.

KJ was so taken with the idea of Kung Fu that he is now enrolled in a karate class which he does every monday and is just about to get his first belt. Now what I find is strange is that he now seems to have moved on from Kung Fu Panda and is developing more wider ranged tastes appropriate to his age range such as Ben 10 and Power Rangers. He doesn't have the fanatical need to watch them over and over again and still likes things like Buzz Lightyear and Cars. So he's developing likes and dislikes and doesn't seem to be driven too much by media and advertising hype.

He has also developed a liking for Indiana Jones and Ironman. Probably a bit too old tastes for him but he likes the idea of adventurers and superheroes. He still likes batman and spiderman as well but it's great to see him making up his own mind as to which is his favourites.

Getting back to the subject in hand how has Kung Fu Panda changed my life. Well it could very well have got KJ involved in a disciplined sport that teaches self control whilst also teaching him how to protect himself. It also has the implications that when he becomes a teenager hopefully he will have better self-discipline and know how to conduct himself properly in society.

Conversely it could mean that when he asks to go out with his friends I might have a hard time stopping him if he's a black belt.

It also means that I am poorer than I was before, as I have to pay his fees. The thing is I know this is just the start of many more clubs, sports and hobbies that he will want to do but I don't care. I am a great believer that children should be encouraged to do these things to broaden their horizon. We parents should provide guidance but not force our children to do something just because we like it. I for instance love rugby but if my sons play rugby that will be entirely their choice. I will encourage them to take up a sport, play a musical instrument, join clubs but which ones will ultimately be their choice.

I think martial arts are a great thing to encourage your children to do, I wish I had been able to learn one when I was younger so Kung Fu Panda assisted me, quite accidentally in getting KJ interested.

Note to self: get hold of a copy of Invictus