This Is What It Takes

[Bill Mattocks]

Everything you have. For a very long time.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

Your sweat, your dedication, your perseverance.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

Your deep-seated belief in yourself, your dedicated and expert instructors, their careful tutelage.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

Your dojomates, your family, your friends urging you onwards, celebrating your triumphs, supporting you in your setbacks and temporary failures.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

The martial artists who came before you, those who look up to you as an example of what they should be doing, the never-ending road in front of you.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

You keep learning, keep trying, keep passing on what you have learned, and that's all there is. There is no end of the road, you just keep traveling down it.

And eventually you figure out that every step you take is as important as the one before it, and the one you have yet to take. Black Belt is only another stop along the way, there is no end.

Keep training. This is what it takes - everything you have.

 

[JR 137]

Very good post.

I especially like the "Black belt is only another stop already my the way..." part. I've seen far too many people leave shortly after promoting to 1st dan, thinking they've mastered something or reached some sort of pinnacle. IMO all first dan really means is that you've shown proficiency in the basics. You've barely scratched the surface. It means you can start to move on to what the art has to offer on a deeper level.

I had to stop training about 2 months before I was scheduled to test for 2nd dan (I was offered a graduate assistantship about 5 hours away). The day I promoted to 1st dan I thought I was someone new, someone else with some new abilities, like I unlocked some sort of newfound abilities that I never knew I had. Then I went to class 2 days later and once warmups were over realized the hard way that I was still just me. My head shrunk back down to normal size again.

Thinking about it, maybe that's why so many left within a few months of getting their black belt. Maybe the letdown was too much.

 

[Ironbear24]

That's so awesome.

 

[Balrog]

Everything you have. For a very long time.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

Your sweat, your dedication, your perseverance.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

Your deep-seated belief in yourself, your dedicated and expert instructors, their careful tutelage.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

Your dojomates, your family, your friends urging you onwards, celebrating your triumphs, supporting you in your setbacks and temporary failures.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

The martial artists who came before you, those who look up to you as an example of what they should be doing, the never-ending road in front of you.


Earning A Black Belt by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

You keep learning, keep trying, keep passing on what you have learned, and that's all there is. There is no end of the road, you just keep traveling down it.

And eventually you figure out that every step you take is as important as the one before it, and the one you have yet to take. Black Belt is only another stop along the way, there is no end.

Keep training. This is what it takes - everything you have.

This is excellent. May I have permission to copy the text and use it in my blog?

 

[Balrog]

Very good post.

I especially like the "Black belt is only another stop already my the way..." part. I've seen far too many people leave shortly after promoting to 1st dan, thinking they've mastered something or reached some sort of pinnacle. IMO all first dan really means is that you've shown proficiency in the basics.

I like to use this analogy. Setting the goal to achieve 1st Degree Black Belt is like setting a goal to graduate high school. It's a great thing to do, but all you've done from 1st grade to 12th grade is get ready to go to college and do some really serious studying. Same with martial arts - everything from White Belt to 1st Degree is about learning the basics. At 1st Degree is where you really start to learn the art.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

This is excellent. May I have permission to copy the text and use it in my blog?

Of course, please do and thank you!

 

[Buka]

Wigwam Jones always was the balls.

 

[Balrog]

Of course, please do and thank you!

Thank you!

http://www.westhoustonata.com/what-does-it-take/