Black Belt

[Anesti Vega]

What does a blackbelt mean to you?

[Fear Is But A State Of Mind]

My reply may not even matter to some cause i dont have a black belt. But to those it does matter to, this is my perspective: the martial world (life in general) gives you challenges to overcome and achieving a black belt in any style is but one step towards the next challenge. At this point, it is up to the warrior to decide what he/she must do to further learn. He/She must also realize that the knowledge they possess does no good to him/her or anyone else if not decided to be passed on to the next generation. But in a nut shell, a black belt is nothin but wat it is unless the owner continues on the search for knowledge and decides to pass on wat he/she has learned.

[Stacy Hall]

Well to me. The rank of BlackBelt is more of sign of Determination and devotion to ones Art! And that if one achieves this rank, They have not finished But as Derek Colney said. They are just beginning there full journey in to the whole art of Martial Science and Honest expression of the Human body and Mind! That is BlackBelt Martial Arts to me.

[Olembe Nguebari]

(didn't follow the convo exactly) one may have these qualities but I think you really need the heavy training to prove yourself...

now where is the black belt to life?

[Anthony Holiman]

I think the idea of a ranking system has become too much of a business to be taken seriously. Many instructors sell black belts. It doesn't mean what it used to. A lot of people just want to say they have a black belt and I have met some black belts that really don't deserve to be. I wish standards were still held as high as I like to believe they once were.

[KEN-O (Fist King)]

A black belt is a symbol of the mastery of the skills you have achieved by your sensei. But this is only of what your sensei has learned. Who's to say he has experienced every bit of the skill. Of course there are more things to learn along the road of being a true martial artist. Even if one was to acquire every black belt of every style, it wouldn't they are the most skilled of all styles. It only means that they know more to give back to that style because of their gift of learning so fast and effectively. As everyone before me said, a black belt is only the beginning, its where you stop that tells how knowledgeable you are. The belt only symbolizes that you are ready to teach and challenge yourself to your very limit.

[Chris Martins]

Hi all, this being my first post, Thanks for creating such a cool place to hang out at...

To me a black belt is two fold : you've been accepted as a student, and the journey to mastery can now begin. Let's face it : anyone with a "young" black belt is still very much a beginner. It only takes a few years to gain a black belt. You'll spend most of your life as a black belt, and comparatively very little on the way to that black belt. And since we learn as we grow, becoming a black belt is only one of the first few steps you take when you delve into the arts. I know that my first black belt was a great accomplishment in my mind at the time, but as the years went by I started to realize how much more time would be needed to gain mastery... I'm still on that path by the way and not much closer to destination than when I received that rank about 20 years ago... lol

Be proud of your black belt, that means you have been recognized as worthy of the training that WILL be given to you. But don't get egotistic thinking you've reached any form of goal. It only starts from there. At least that's the way I see it and the way I was taught...

[Eldrige Holloway]

Having a black belt in the martial arts is not about being the badest person in the valley, but about being a serene and humble person in the valley that exhibits self control and discipline. Achieving the rank of black belt only signifies that the person is trainable and learning is a never ending process which includes mental as well as physical conditioning.

[Sam Byrd]

I personally look at my belt as a reminder of an ongoing journey. It's a material possession that everyone in the martial arts strives to earn and possess. After 11 years studying Jujitsu and Judo, I realized that the belt itself is only what holds the gi closed. What I treasure the most about the belt however, is the knowledge that came with it. Knowing that I could do anything I had set my mind to, no matter how big the task or challenge at hand, I could overcome it. Also, I'll never forget the words of my judo instructor when he signed my belt certificate, "What I am signing is not a belt certificate. It is a license to learn."

I'll never forget those words, I have a picture of myself and both of my Sensei's when I earned my Shodan, and below it has a caption. "The day I learned that I had a long way to go"

[Tonya Davis-Miller]

Speaking as someone who is a long way away from a black belt and really just beginning my journey into the martial arts, I think of it as a symbol of a leader. Just as in any profession or area of life, there are people who are more advanced in their skill and knowledge then I am. When I see someone in class wearing a higher ranking belt then mine, I know that they have worked hard to get that belt and deserve my respect. I also know that I can learn from them so that I can one day achieve greater knowledge and skill. Just as it is in the workplace, where a boss may be younger or older but holds a higher rank, I try to glean as much knowledge from them as possible. And in turn, as I move up the ranking system to eventually have my blackbelt and beyond, I hope to continue to pass on the traditions and knowledge I've gained from my mentors.

[Franklin Correa]

In my opinion,
for a lot of people it is a goal they accomplished and feel they have progressed in the style , and life etc. it helps them stay motivated...but others think of it as just a belt.
I myself cried the day I was promoted cause it took a long time and i went thru the school of hard knocks so it felt a sif I accomplished something in life so yes it has a meaning to me but for others maybe not.

USH

[Damon of Hokuto Kyokushin Ken]

One thing that one of my teachers told me in reference to this was that. The blackbelt symbolizes that you know all of the basics of your art and thats it. True training and mastering of your art come after the earning of your black belt. Another lesson I was told by another teacher of mine was that a good and mindful streetfighter could defeat a black belt in a fight. Therefore the blackbelt doesn't necessarily classify as a top tier fighter either. So never underestimate the abilities of whom you maybe facing.

[Jason Hedrick]

All my black belt means to me is that I have to try harder to improve, and now nothing I do is good enough to me.