To
reach the level of Black Belt takes accumulation of many years of training
through commitment to the art form
itself and perseverance. It demonstrates
you have the background, physical skill, and understand the basic philosophy of
the art form.
Reaching
this level comes with responsibility both subtle and profound. You have become an ambassador for the art form
and the Club. In becoming an ambassador
whether you asked for it or not, you are now a role model for all lower rank
students. They will look at your
attitude, training habits, how you interact with instructors and students, your
technique and try to emulate you. They
will learn from you whether you are a certified instructor or not by
interacting with you in class, by hearing your stories of your training and how
you have overcome obstacles (e.g., injuries) in your journey.
In reaching this level, you have demonstrated
the skill to defend yourself with proficiency in Han Moo Kwan techniques and
forms. You have proven you have the
capability to do immense damage. And
because of this, you have a responsibility to do everything you can to avoid
the use of the physical aspect art form and only use it as a last resort. You have a responsibility to share with
everyone you come in contact with (inside or outside the Club) to share the
true essence of martials arts- it is about connecting mind-body-and spirit and
it is for use of self-defense only, and only if you absolutely have to.
Therefore
you have an immense responsibility to understand yourself, your hot buttons,
and understand in what scenario and under what conditions you feel requires the
use of your physical skill. And over the
years, these scenarios may change, as you grow and learn and your situation
changes (e.g., get married, have children, etc.). And therefore, you have a responsibility to
constantly self-reflect and look inward, learning more and more about who you
are.
Many
people may think reaching first level Black Belt is the ultimate and while it
is a great accomplishment, it is only the beginning of not just learning the
art form but learning about yourself and the responsibilities of the belt you
wear. To sum it up simply, when asked
about our goals in martial arts, or simply why we should practice, Mr. Kim
simply said “To better ourselves.”
Regards,
Kelly
“He who conquers others is strong; He who
conquers himself is mighty.”~ Lao-Tzu (6th century BC), philosopher of ancient China,
and best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching
