The Kenpo Belt - Cloth or Symbol by One Warrior

The Kenpo Belt - Cloth or Symbol by One Warrior

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The Kenpo Belt - Cloth or Symbol by One Warrior - Mar. 5th, 2007, 6:03:47 PM

Zoran

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The Kenpo Belt ~ Cloth or Symbol

Quiet, but for the sounds of my own breath and heartbeat. The room was empty, yet full. My mind processing the remaining adrenaline. My lungs steadily declining their intense pace. My thoughts reflecting on the day, the week, the year and the lifetime. As I stood there cooling down after a last minute tweaking and run-through of my techniques and forms, my mind began to wander up to higher planes and into deeper thoughts. Although I’d had been there several times before, I thought, for some unexplainable reason, that tomorrow’s belt exam was going to be different. Sure, things were moving along just as they had always been. I’d tentatively walk through the fresh new material I’d learned that day in class, trying to remember which foot moves next, which direction to turn after that kick. As the weeks passed, each practice would yield a little better understanding of the movements and applied principles. Each day in class would expose my weaknesses and solicit critical analysis from those who have been there before me. Each opportunity to teach another would prove just as, if not more, enlightening to me as to those I would help. Yes, this should be just another step in the ladder. Shouldn’t it? Perhaps it is. But I wanted more. I wanted to know what it really means. As I pondered my skills and experience attained up to that point, I could not help but wonder. Where am I in the martial arts scheme of things ? Where has Kenpo come from? Where is it going? And, most importantly, what is my role in it? I picked up my blue belt and held it for a minute. I thought about my green belt test and the new rank it will represent. Sure, it’s not a black belt. It doesn’t conjure up images of power, respect and grace. It’s not the ultimate goal of so many martial artists. But it’s no small achievement either, right? No, indeed. It is not. It is so much more, yet so much less. This paradoxical view isn’t as strange as it seems. The Kenpo belt, regardless of the rank level, is not just a cloth. Nor is it the all inclusive symbol of attainment of knowledge, wisdom and status. It is not an automatic label granted to you, that you may use as you wish, in or out of the Dojo. It does not guarantee the retainment of your knowledge. It does not provide safety or superiority in a time of crisis. It holds no status to sit upon and squander foolishly. The belt does not just represent your progress in your chosen art. It represents your personal commitment The belt is a reflection of those who wear it. It is a conduit to it’s bearer to summon the strength and wisdom he has attained to that point. It is a portal between one’s true soul and all those who have worn it proudly and honorably before. It is a symbol of personal growth and motivation. It holds no value if it is attained and then shelved like an old hobby. The belt gains it’s strength from it’s use. Your belt is alive when you are alive. It withers when left unattended. The belt is powerful but will become saturated if overused. It must not be allowed to become stagnant. It must be improved upon. It must be slowly but steadily updated. It must be sought after at an increasingly higher level in every way. So, as I make last minute preparations for my green belt test, I enter into the next level with a new appreciation of the belt and what it really means. I renew my commitment to my instructors, my dojo and my art by moving forward with passion, respect and humility. I will faithfully follow those who walked the path before me and will always seek new ways to improve myself in mind, body and spirit.