Week 11: An Action Is Worth a Thousand Pictures

Week 11 of 16 · Test Cycle 2. This lesson is part of The Black Belt Mindset, the character curriculum every new Mile High Karate student begins with, by Grand Master Stephen Oliver and Grand Master Jeff Smith. Every week stands alone, so a student can start with any lesson.

“A picture is worth a thousand words; an action is worth a thousand pictures.”

Grand Master Jhoon Rhee

On this page: Read the chapter · Workbook lesson · For instructors: Mat Chat

Read: An Action Is Worth a Thousand Pictures

You have probably heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It means you can learn more from one photo than from a long speech.

My teacher, Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, took that saying one step further. He said:

“A picture is worth a thousand words; an action is worth a thousand pictures.”

Think about that. If a picture beats a thousand words, then one real action beats a thousand pictures. What you do is the loudest thing about you.

Grand Master Rhee lived this way. He didn’t just talk about fitness. He did push-ups every day. People say he could do 100 push-ups in about a minute, even in his sixties and seventies. He didn’t just talk about serving his country. For years, he taught karate to members of the United States Congress at 5:00 in the morning, as a volunteer. He didn’t just tell parents to teach good habits. He said the most important rule for parents and teachers was ”Lead by example.”

Three Kinds of People

Grand Master Rhee liked to say there are three kinds of people in the world:

1. People who make things happen.
2. People who watch things happen.
3. People who say, “What happened?”

Which one do you want to be?

The first kind of person sees a mess and cleans it up. They see a new student and say hello. They see a problem and start fixing it. They don’t wait to be asked.

The second kind of person sees the same mess and just looks at it. They might even say, “Somebody should clean that up.” But they don’t.

The third kind of person doesn’t even notice the mess until somebody else trips on it.

A Black Belt is the first kind of person. A Black Belt makes things happen.

Here is a kid example. Imagine your family just finished dinner. One kid gets up and carries their plate to the sink without being told. Another kid goes straight to the TV. A third kid doesn’t even notice dinner is over. Which one is making things happen?

Here is an adult example. Picture a meeting at work where everyone agrees something needs to be done. Three weeks later, one person has done it. The others are still talking about it. Who do you think gets trusted with the next big job?

What Integrity Means

The big word for this lesson is integrity. Integrity means your actions match your words. If you say you will do something, you do it. If you say you believe something, you live it.

A person with integrity is the same person when no one is watching as when everyone is watching.

Here are some ways to show integrity:

• You promise to practice your form at home, and you do.
• You tell your instructor you’ll be at class on Thursday, and you show up.
• You find money on the floor of the school, and you turn it in.
• You make a mistake, and you say, “That was me. I’m sorry.”

Every time your actions match your words, people trust you a little more. Every time they don’t, people trust you a little less. Trust is built one action at a time.

The Time My Own Idea Came Back to Me

Let me tell you a funny story about actions and words. It involves my friend Chuck Norris.

Back in the 1990s, Chuck Norris had a foundation called Kick Drugs Out of America. It taught karate to kids in schools to help them stay away from drugs and stay on the right path. Every year, a group of karate school owners, including me, raised money for it.

Each year we tried to come up with a new prize to get school owners excited. One day I was sitting with Chuck and his team, thinking up ideas. I said something like this: “All these karate guys want to be you. Why not give the top fundraiser a guest spot on your TV show, Walker, Texas Ranger?”

Everyone loved the idea. The deal was set. Whoever raised the most money would get to be on the show.

So what happened? I raised the most money. I won my own contest!

I told Chuck, “I don’t want to be a TV star. I was talking about those other guys.”

He said, “No, no, no. That was the deal. You have to do it.”

Chuck was teaching me a lesson. A deal is a deal. If you say it, you do it, even when it’s your own idea and you’d rather not.

So I went. First they offered me a part as a surgeon. I said no. I told them to give it to an actor who needed the job. Finally they called with a karate scene: a big tournament. I could wear my own uniform and be the center referee. That I could do. I even brought my mother from Tulsa so she could meet Chuck.

When I got to the set, the crew taped over all my Mile High Karate patches. Then they found out I didn’t have a special card that TV actors need to talk and show their face at the same time. So they filmed the whole scene from behind me. On TV, you see the back of a man in a black uniform running the match. That’s me!

And the night it aired? Colorado showed a high school basketball game instead. Almost nobody back home saw it.

I laugh about it now. But I’m proud of the real action behind it. Our students and families raised money to help kids across the country. In 1996, Chuck sent me a letter thanking me for raising $18,267 for his foundation. That money did more good than any TV scene ever could.

Actions Outside the School

At Mile High Karate, we believe a Black Belt is measured by what they give, not just by what they can do on the mat.

That’s why every student must finish a community service project before testing for 1st Degree Black Belt. Each candidate picks a way to help people in the community. They do the project. Then they share what they did, who it helped, and what they learned, on video, so the whole school can see.

Some students have done these projects alone. Some have done them with their brothers, sisters, or parents, testing together as a family. Our school has published 76 of these projects. Every one of them is an action worth a thousand pictures.

How a Black Belt Does It

1. Do what you say, starting today. Before you make a promise, make sure you can keep it. Then keep it.
2. Make things happen. When you see something that needs doing, do it. Don’t wait to be asked.
3. Lead by example. Be the student you would want a younger student to copy.
4. Own your mistakes. Say, “That was me. I’ll fix it.” Then fix it.
5. Help your community. Look for ways to help your family, your school, and your neighborhood.

Remember

• An action is worth a thousand pictures.
• There are three kinds of people. Be the one who makes things happen.
• Integrity means your actions match your words.
• A deal is a deal, even when it’s your own idea.
• A Black Belt is measured by what they give.

Workbook Lesson: Week 11

Print the full workbook below, or answer these on paper. Young students can have a parent help them read and write.

1. Words to Know

• Integrity: when your actions match your words
• Example: a person or action that others can copy
• Foundation: a group that raises money to help people
• Community: the people who live, work, and go to school around you
• Inspire: to give someone the wish to do something good

2. Fill in the Blank

1. A picture is worth a thousand words; an action is worth a thousand .
2. Grand Master Rhee said the most important rule for parents and teachers was “Lead by .”
3. Chuck Norris said, “No, no, no. That was the . You have to do it.”

3. Think About It

1. What are the three kinds of people Grand Master Rhee talked about? Which kind do you want to be?
2. What does integrity mean? Give one example from your own life.
3. Why do you think Grand Master Oliver kept his word and went on the TV show, even though he didn’t want to be a TV star?
4. Teens & Adults: Who watches what you do every day? What are your actions teaching them?

5. Activity: Make Things Happen

List three things at home, at school, or at work that need to be done but that nobody has asked you to do. Next to each one, write the day you will do it. Then do them, and check them off.

7. My Self-Talk

Write an “I am” sentence about keeping your word. Start with: “I am a person who…”

8. Live the Creed

Say the Student Creed out loud every day this week. Then write about one time this week you showed Integrity.

For Instructors: Week 11 Mat Chat

A 3–4 minute line-up lesson built on the Hook, Teach, Story, Ask, Commit formula, with a discussion guide for every age on the mat.

Objective: By the end of this Mat Chat, students will be able to name the three kinds of people, explain integrity as “my actions match my words,” and name one promise they will keep and one Black Belt they will interview this week.

Prepare:

• A target pad to drop on the floor for the Three Kinds of People demonstration.
• Recruit a Black Belt or Leadership Team helper who is willing to be interviewed and to answer “What did you say to yourself when you wanted to quit?”
• Line up three volunteers ahead of time to act out the three kinds of people in the drill.

The Mat Chat (3–4 minutes)

Hook (0:00–0:30). Students, eyes on me. You’ve heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Who knows what that means? (One picture tells a lot!) Grand Master Jhoon Rhee took it one step further. He said, “A picture is worth a thousand words; an action is worth a thousand pictures.” Think about that. If a picture beats a thousand words, then one real action beats a thousand pictures. What you DO is the loudest thing about you. Our key word this week is ACTION.

Teach (0:30–1:30). Grand Master Rhee said there are three kinds of people. People who make things happen. People who watch things happen. And people who say, “What happened?” Which one is a Black Belt? (The first one!) That’s right. A Black Belt sees a mess and cleans it up. A Black Belt sees a new student and says hello. No waiting to be asked. Our Black Belt Success Skill this week is Unshakable Character and Personal Honesty. Honesty is more than not telling lies. It means telling the truth with your ACTION, too. Doing what you said. Owning your mistakes. That’s called integrity: your actions match your words. A person with integrity is the same person when nobody is watching as when everybody is watching. Every time your actions match your words, people trust you a little more. Trust is built one action at a time.

Story (1:30–2:30). Here’s a funny story about Grand Master Oliver. Years ago, he helped Chuck Norris raise money for his foundation, Kick Drugs Out of America. Grand Master Oliver had an idea: give the top fundraiser a guest spot on Chuck’s TV show, Walker, Texas Ranger. Everybody loved it. Then guess who raised the most? (Grand Master Oliver!) He won his own contest! He told Chuck, “I don’t want to be a TV star.” Chuck said, “No, no, no. That was the deal. You have to do it.” So he did. They filmed him from behind, as the center referee at a tournament. And the night it aired, Colorado showed a high school basketball game instead. Almost nobody back home saw it! But he kept his word. A deal is a deal, even when it’s your own idea. And the real action was the money families raised to help kids across the country.

Ask (2:30–3:15). Quick check. What is an action worth? (A thousand pictures!) What is integrity? (When my actions match my words!) If a target falls on the floor during class, which kind of person picks it up? (The one who makes things happen!) Turn to a partner and tell them one promise you will make and keep before bedtime tonight. Go! [Allow about 20 seconds.] Hands up if your promise is something your family will see you do.

Commit (3:15–3:45). Here’s your challenge for the next seven days: Promise Keeper Week. Write down every promise you make, big or small. Each night, check the box if you kept every one. And interview a Black Belt. Ask, “What did you say to yourself when you wanted to quit?” Then copy one of their actions. That’s how you get to your Black Belt date, and Black Belt and beyond. What is an action worth? (A thousand pictures!)

Discussion Guide

Aim: Help students connect integrity to small, everyday promises and to being the person who makes things happen, and get each student ready to interview a Black Belt and copy one of their actions.

Little Dragons (ages 4–6)

1. If you drop your water bottle, who picks it up? Show me how a Black Belt picks it up.
2. Can you keep a promise today, like “I will put my shoes away”? Thumbs-up if you will!

Kids (ages 7–12)

1. Why do you think Grand Master Oliver went on the TV show even though he didn’t want to be on TV?
2. What is one thing at home that needs to be done that nobody has asked you to do?
3. Which Black Belt will you interview this week, and what do you think they will say about wanting to quit?

Teens and adults

1. Who watches what you do every day, at home, school or work? What are your actions teaching them?
2. Think of a small promise that slipped recently. What makes small promises easy to break, and how could you protect them?
3. Grand Master Smith says a good instructor motivates but a great instructor inspires. When has someone’s action inspired you more than their words?

Listen for:

• Integrity means actions match words, including small promises and when nobody is watching.
• Making things happen without being asked: cleaning up, helping, saying hello to new students.
• Owning mistakes (“That was me. I’ll fix it.”) as part of honesty.
• Seeing that the road to Black Belt is walked by copying the actions of those who have done it.

Follow-up questions:

• What would that look like at home tomorrow morning?
• Before you make a promise, how can you check that you can really keep it?
• If you break a promise this week, what will you say and do next?

Into the Mat Drill

• Mat drill: Three Kinds of People: drop a target pad on the floor. Three volunteers act out the person who makes things happen (picks it up and returns it), the one who watches, and the one who says ‘What happened?’ Then run class with a rule: anyone who sees something that needs doing does it without being asked, and the instructor calls out ‘Action!’ to recognize them.
• Leader role: The Black Belt or Leadership Team helper sits for a 30-second interview in front of the class, answering “What did you say to yourself when you wanted to quit?” and “What did you do to keep going?”
• Open next class: Open next class by asking, “Hands up if you checked your Promise Keeper box every night so far. Who interviewed a Black Belt, and what action are you copying?”

Black Belt and Beyond: Module 3: Black Belt Stories, revisited

Checkpoint: Pre-frame Black Belt during class; identify “A” students and parents

• Feature a different Black Belt than cycle 1, ideally one close in age to the class, and have students interview them.
• Ask the Black Belt in front of class: ‘What did you say to yourself when you wanted to quit?’
• Collect one new student or parent testimonial for the school’s files.

Adult and parent tip: Parents: keep every small promise you make to your child this week, and point out when they keep theirs. Adults: write down every promise you make for seven days and check each one off.

Teaching tip: Tell the Walker, Texas Ranger story with a little drama, then ask kids to act out the three kinds of people: one cleans up a dropped target, one just watches, and one says, “What happened?” Kids remember lessons they act out.

Download the complete books (PDF): The Black Belt Mindset · The Workbook · The Instructor’s Manual

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Train at Mile High Karate Thornton, 3979 E 120th Ave, Thornton, CO 80233. Call (303) 280-1839, or see class schedules and enrollment at ThorntonMHK.com.