Tuesday, May 13, 2008

8:01 PM - What does a Black Belt really mean?
Current mood: thoughtful
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

"Someday, who know when, it will come. It is not easy , but it's worth it. It may take one year; it make take ten years. You may never achieve. When you come to realize that the black belt is not as important as the practice itself, you are probably approaching the black belt level. When you realize that no matter how long or how hard you train, there is a lifetime of study and practice ahead of you until you die, you are probably getting close to a black belt.

At whatever level you achieve, if you think you "deserve" a black belt, or if you are now "good enough" to be a black belt, you are off the mark and, indeed, a very long way from reaching your black belt.

Train hard, be humble, don't show off in front of your teacher or other students, don't complain about any task and do your best in everything in your life. This is what it means to be a black belt. To be overconfident, to show off your skill, to be competitive, to look down on others, to show a lack of respect, and to pick and choose what you do and don' do (believing that some jobs are beneath your dignity) characterizes the student who will never achieve black belt. What they wear around their waist is simply a piece of merchandise bought for a few dollars in a martial art supply store. The real black belt, worn by a real black belt holder, is the white belt of a beginner, turned black by the color of his blood and sweat."