Sunday Story...Who's Going to be a Black Belt?

This past Saturday I spent the day in the incubator we call “Test Day.” In this case I was testing one of my younger students for his first degree black belt. This young man has been with me for over 80 months and has, over the years, been a great student, a horrible student, a great example and a bad one, someone to be proud of and someone to be ashamed of. But through it all I believed this day would come if we just worked, believed and had faith in the basic goodness of humans. He rose to the occasion in a way that surprised almost everyone. Everyone was surprised but me that is. I knew it was there…the it is that thing that spark that light that unseen energy that can arise when one is place in the crucible, when the game is on the line, when the choice is rise or fail.


At the same time it was also my test day. After 20 years I still test. And it was a milestone…the sixth (6th) degree. This achievement has always been so far off in the future that is still seems unreal to have arrived here. I have been working with the same partner for over 12 years and on this day the hours (and the pain) paid off.


Today’s story is an excerpt from the 8 page essay I wrote for my test. Enjoy.


Who’s Going to be a Black Belt?

Twenty four students are standing at ready position at the end of class. The work out is over. We have practiced punching and kicking, techniques and forms, flying and falling, victory and defeat. Sweat and smiles permeate the atmosphere. Various degrees of success have been achieved. As the head instructor I look out at eager faces waiting for that single nugget of wisdom that is going to make them into the super hero they all want to be. I have none. I have no word that is going to propel each of them into greatness. Instead all I have is a question:

Who is going to be a black belt?


This is a question I ask after every martial arts class I teach. The expected answer is, “I am Sir.” There are two reasons to ask this question. The first reason is to condition the student into the thinking that he or she is going to achieve their black belt; that they are going to stick around long enough, practice hard enough, and transform themselves from a white belt into a black belt. The second reason (and the more esoteric and important, in my opinion) is to begin the transformation from normal, mediocre thinking and attitude into a higher level of thinking and attitude…one of excellence and belief in the ability to get things done in the face of no agreement, in the face of adversity, in the face of pain and suffering, in the face of mediocrity.


For over seventeen years I have donned my Uniform and stood in front of expectant students waiting to be amazed, educated and inspired. Over those years I have succeeded in doing that. And I have failed many times, fallen short in so many ways. And after each day, the good and the bad, I got up and did it again. When I began this journey I began it as a father wanting to spend time with his just teen age step son who wanted to “give it a shot.” Then it morphed into a way to feel confident with self defense based on the environment I was working in. After a number of years I became a teacher. Then the vehicle became a way of life and personal growth and achievement. Today it has become who I am.

Who is going to be a black belt?
I am, Sir.

Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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