|
Zoran -> On Becoming a Black Belt by Mike Vassolo (Mar. 5th, 2007, 6:13:18 PM)
|
Most students who diligently pursue a black belt eventually earn one. However, on occasion, I've noticed a puzzling phenomenon that's difficult to explain. For some reason, there have been a handful of people who have worked hard for many years only to quit shortly before their black belt tests. I've never fully understood this, but I suspect that it has something to do with the aura that surrounds the idea of becoming a black belt.
I believe that those who quit, somehow feel incapable of assuming the mantle of black belt. It’s as if earning the rank is something almost mystical that brings with it heavy baggage that’s too burdensome to carry. It’s too bad the quitters never shared their feelings and concerns with me. I would have given them a reality check.
The belief that becoming a black belt is some kind of superhuman accomplishment is an unfortunate misconception that diminishes the real value of studying the martial arts. No doubt, the rank of black belt does have a certain mystique that’s both attractive and daunting. And most martial artists struggle mightily to share in that mystique, spending years overcoming mental and physical obstacles in the process. Still, in the end, some abandon the struggle.
I believe that many achievers and quitters don’t understand the most important reason for studying the martial arts, which is this: The daily struggle to become and remain a black belt is more important than passing the black belt test. The most lasting and significant benefits are derived from the disciplined daily process of striving toward the goal rather than reaching it.
It is daily dedication rather than wearing a colored belt that transforms the student into a warrior. Earning a black belt does little more than announce that one is a serious student of the martial arts. If you quit regularly working out and teaching just because you’ve earned a black belt, you’ll quickly lose your fighting edge, and your skills will continue to diminish over the months that follow.
I don’t mean to minimize the hard work and dedication that go into earning a black belt. I know very the well the price that must be paid. But the only way to honor your rank is to keep working despite any obstacle. Then you can take satisfaction in knowing that you’re maintaining a commitment that few others even dream of, let alone attempt.
The time required, the mental and physical energy expended, the inevitable risks and sacrifices involved-all of these and more, make earning a black belt a very rare and substantial personal accomplishment. But the heart of the matter must be a lifelong commitment to increasing your experience, honing your expertise, and sharing through teaching, so that you can pass on what has been handed down to you. This is what’s known as "giving back to the art." And it’s an almost sacred obligation, because it breathes new life into a unique form of culture with ancient roots going back thousands of years.
The night I earned my first degree black belt, I told John McSweeney that I realized just how little I knew about the martial arts. I pledged to remain committed to him, his system and his school, and I asked him to be patient with me as I continued to develop. Of course, he was more than gracious about it, but I knew that I had a very long way to go. I still do. I know that if I stop growing as a martial artist, then I will no longer be a black belt in the truest sense of the word. The only way I can remain worthy of that designation is by being a serious student for life, and that’s what I intend to do.
Perhaps those who quit before they earn their black belts are right in sensing that the commitment required is too much for them. That’s their decision. The martial artists I’m concerned about are the ones who quit after they earn their black belts, because they are straying from a path that leads to personal enrichment. Before that happens, I hope they come to understand that to be a genuine black belt you can never stop becoming one.
|
|
|
|