A
artist89
Guest
Black Belt, what comes to mind when you think of a black belt martial artist? Do you think of huge muscular person, or perhaps a medium size person with lighting reflexes, or both? I think of a person who has sharp clean techniques, their forms or poomse or katas in excelent shape. I also think of them as sound as of mind body and spirit. But what my question is how do you think black belts have came along since Martial Arts has came to the U.S.?
To me it seems like black belt is more of a status symbol more than anything. To me people just want it to say "I'm a black belt, fear me, respect me" and some just want it say they have it. But they thing is the payed tons of money and didn't put the practice in. It upsets me every time I go to a black belt testing or tournament and I see these black belts who cannot even do a front snap kick or a correct kick(or punch) at all. So my other question is why are black belts the wya the are today?
My dad, a 3rd degree black belt has been in it for 20+ years. When he was training for his black belt, he had a hard training master who was Korean. If their stances weren't correct he would knock them down with his "mental stick" ( a pieace of bamboo) and yell in their face.
Those black belts from that harsh and severe training are all extrememly good today and are still in it. Of course my dads master cannot teach like that today becuase people are money hungry babies who cannot take pain and will sue if they feel the need too(not everyone is like that of course)
I'm not saying we should do what my dads master did to todays students of martial arts. I'm just saying instructors,masters and even grand masters shouldn't just be giving black belts away like it's candy. To me todays black belts(not all of them, just most of them) are lazy, pathetic and not that good. It seems todays value of getting a black belt means almost nothing any more but a mere status seymbol. So what I want to say is to those(including me) who are testing for their black belt, make it your best. Show them that you aren't like the rest and that you want your black belt for real training. As they say the real training begins at the black belt level.
Thank You,
Dustin H,
Red Belt
To me it seems like black belt is more of a status symbol more than anything. To me people just want it to say "I'm a black belt, fear me, respect me" and some just want it say they have it. But they thing is the payed tons of money and didn't put the practice in. It upsets me every time I go to a black belt testing or tournament and I see these black belts who cannot even do a front snap kick or a correct kick(or punch) at all. So my other question is why are black belts the wya the are today?
My dad, a 3rd degree black belt has been in it for 20+ years. When he was training for his black belt, he had a hard training master who was Korean. If their stances weren't correct he would knock them down with his "mental stick" ( a pieace of bamboo) and yell in their face.
Those black belts from that harsh and severe training are all extrememly good today and are still in it. Of course my dads master cannot teach like that today becuase people are money hungry babies who cannot take pain and will sue if they feel the need too(not everyone is like that of course)
I'm not saying we should do what my dads master did to todays students of martial arts. I'm just saying instructors,masters and even grand masters shouldn't just be giving black belts away like it's candy. To me todays black belts(not all of them, just most of them) are lazy, pathetic and not that good. It seems todays value of getting a black belt means almost nothing any more but a mere status seymbol. So what I want to say is to those(including me) who are testing for their black belt, make it your best. Show them that you aren't like the rest and that you want your black belt for real training. As they say the real training begins at the black belt level.
Thank You,
Dustin H,
Red Belt