An 80-second video of a three-year-old in England who is learning taekawndo at the Premier Martial Arts Leeds has become something of a sensation due to the child’s ability to repeat the martial arts creed.
The child, Sophie Wong, a native of Whinmoor, England, takes part in the Tiny Champions class with three and four-year-old children, and is the youngest child in the class. Her excited recitation of the creed is done one sentence at a time with the instructor speaking first, followed by Wong repeating virtually all of it verbatim.
Wong’s six-year brother, Harry, was the source of her inspiration, with her mother, Wendy, is amazed at the worldwide response the video has gotten, saying, “I just can’t believe the power of the internet.” The mother then added that her daughter, “loves to learn and copy her brother, and I just wanted her to come and learn about discipline, attention and the concentration that she might need in school.
Since it was uploaded to Facebook on February 4, the video has been watched over 15 million times. Perhaps even more impressively, it’s sparked a huge increase in the membership of the children’s group. According to the academy’s owner and master instructor, Ricky Lam, that membership has quadrupled in just two weeks.
“We’re always trying to get the best out of our young people, but for a three-year-old, I’ve never seen this type of focus and dedication. Her attitude is fantastic.”