StudentCarl
3rd Black Belt
It all sounds like a lot of ego to me, defensive and insecure. We're all students. I've been around long enough to believe that rank is often more of a general measure of experience and perseverence than a strict measure of skill. I do like to know someone's rank, but I also like to know their age. I'm a completely different red belt at 47 than I was at 17. The fact that I'm a red belt means there are some things you black belts know that I don't. That doesn't make me less of an athlete, student, or person--just less knowledgeable and less experienced. I'm pleased to be outranked by so many--it means I have many teachers handy (something else good about this forum).