On The Road to Black Belt

It's a long haul to becoming a Black Belt in a traditional school. You can't buy it. You can't just wing it through, and you can't brown nose your way to the top. Blood, sweat, and tears will get you through indeed. But that's not even close to the tools you need. Compassion and awareness for yourself and others is one of the primary necessities that branches off into a full arsenal of what you need to bring to the table. Compassion for yourself to accept and embrace your failures. Awareness to comprehend the ripple effect you can and may have on others. It seems the more lethal you become, the more peaceful you become. Determination and discipline are there as well. Discipline to do and continue to do your homework and maintain the standard and uphold it to the level it was given to you and what you may eventually pass to those behind you. Determination to succeed and perfect in every aspect of your struggles and goals in all areas of your style or discipline. It's not easy, because if it was there would be Black Belts walking all over the place. There's not though and that's a good thing. Inspirational mentors that lead through example and if you are fortunate enough to learn from and be held accountable by, you have discovered the path. The rest is on you.

All of that being said, I can tell you through experience and personal perspective, attempting to reach Black Belt for me has been a long road. Many times I have chosen to take the long road because of those qualities I have mentioned above were lacking, non existant, or were just simply tossed as far as I could throw them. I thought a few times that I may just end up being a career Sihing. To hell with this. But, no matter how far I ventured off, no matter how deep I isolated myself, no matter how resentful and arrogant I became about all of these requirments, no matter how many public fails and deep disappointment in myself rose to anger... I continue to come back. I could always see the light in the distant some where. I always ended up searching through the long grass of regret and descending the deep valleys walls of resentement, or diving deep into the sess pool of pride, to get my tools back and polish them back to the lustre of a martial artist on the road to the level of Black Belt.

I feel really good about this year as my perspective and path forward has changed in a big way. I accept my fails and embrace those that have influenced me. I feel like I am so far behind in some areas, but so far advanced in others that it blows my mind and leaves me vapour locked. I look forward to making my teachers and fellow students that have shared so much of their skill and time with me very proud. I look forward to the day when I can wipe the dirt off my face and say, Yup, I am a part of the linage and legacy of our school. I am a Black Belt....Yah, I like that and I hope those of you on your own journey can too. See you at the Kwoon.