Which Belt Gave You the Biggest Sense of Achievement (Except for Black Belt+)

[DennisBreene]

After some thought; I realized that my white belt was the most important to me. I was one of those kids who dreaded gym class. A little over weight and always the last to be picked for a team; I started Tang Soo Do lessons because I was fascinated with what I had seen in a demonstration. During one particular class early in my training, I was a little unfocused and it seemed that every time I turned around I was doing pushups. By the end of the class I was frustrated and dejected. I was sitting on the bench in the locker room and seriously contemplating quitting when Master Roberts walked in. As he walked by he clapped me on the back and said cheerfully, "How do you like it so far?". In 5 seconds he managed to communicate to me that it was not personal, that I was welcome there, and that he had faith in me. For a 16 yr. old kid this was a revelation. It shook me out of my funk and from that moment on, I tied that belt on with determination and never looked back. The years training under him changed me and changed my life. So whether it was a pivotal moment or a belt, that white belt came to symbolize untapped potential and all subsequent belts became part of a natural progression.

 

[DennisBreene]

Then on the other hand, some people do choose to care about rank. Just like some people choose to care about getting good grades in school. And Im not just talking about grades on a single test but grades for entire classes and semesters. Lots of students have a goal of getting an A for a class when they sign up for it.

For some, the grade is the ultimate goal. For others, the grade is the ticket to subsequent opportunities, and while important, is largely a means to a specific end (like graduate school admission). I suppose that if one wants to learn and advance in martial arts, achieving the next rank can be the path to being taught the next level of techniques and serve a similar purpose. I suspect that this varies considerably with schools. So, it seems a bit more complex than the dichotomy of rank for rank's sake versus knowledge for knowledge's sake.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I was held back for several testings, not becuase I didn't know my material, but because I was too young (minimum age of 10 for brown at that school). So I practiced a lot and did a lot of push ups to get stronger for the test and it was one of my best and most satisfying promotions ever. It was also on my 10th birthday so It was a pretty great day for me. Now when I test as an instructor, I remeber that disapointment when I was held back, but I also remember the trenmendous satisfaction and how great that promotion went.

Although I don't think students should be held back because of age, I wouldn't think that somebody under 10 should be too disappointed about being held back until they're 10. You have your 10th birthday to look forward to when you can get a brown belt, and at 10 there's a good chance you still got your whole life ahead of you.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Orange belt for me. It was the first rank above white in our school, and earning it I knew I was on my way. Black belt was kind of a letdown, as I had been a brown belt that morning, but a black belt that afternoon. Somehow, I thought I would feel different. I had to ask myself if I had been an under-ranked black belt in the AM, or was I now a brown belt with delusions of greatness?

After the white belt, that's how it is with all belts. Before you take the test you're at one belt rank, and then after the test if you pass you're the next belt rank up. But hey, you passed so you earned it.

 

[Instructor]

White Belt gave me the most satisfaction. Everything was amazing and new and I had no idea what to expect. Also I overcame some fear of the unknown and walked in there and began learning.