Black Belt Significance
What Is The Significance of a Black Belt Today?
by Kevin O'Hagan www.bristolgoshinjutsu.com
Black Belt Significance.
In this article I play Devil’s Advocate to look at the two schools of thought on the above
question and also then give my own opinion on a debatable and controversial topic.
When I first started my martial arts training back in 1975, my goal was to own the then coveted black belt. This was an era of Bruce Lee, Kung Fu
and wild, crazy stories of magical martial arts feats and I saw the mythical black belt as an answer to all my prayers. In the 70s black belts
were still a rarity and those that had achieved black belt status were looked upon with much reverence and respect. These individuals were
legends and thought to be deadly warriors with the power, skill and technique to dispatch anybody with one merciless blow of their hands or
feet.
For me I felt that when that black belt had been tied around my waist it would banish al my worst fears and nightmares, that I also would be
transformed into a deadly warrior, a ‘killing machine’ that feared nobody and would be able to see off all corners without losing a drop of
sweat! When I did finally achieve the black belt grade, it was a very proud moment in my life. I had worked extremely hard for it and I felt I
had earned the right to wear the grade. But I have to say it didn’t transform me over night into a fearless warrior! It certainly was a step in
the right direction for me.
It did improve my fighting abilities, it did improve my self-esteem and confidence but it didn’t give me that magical quality I thought it would.
But then I was still a young 21-year-old man, who may have viewed it all naively and was probably expecting too much. I can still recall the day
that I achieved my 1st Dan in 1982 and exactly what I had to do and I remember vividly all my other black belt gradings, all the way to the
present and the 6th Dan grade I now hold.
So how do I view my black belt grades now in comparison to all those years ago?
Firstly I am a lot older and have gained plenty of experience, I am a much wiser person than that young buck of twenty one. I see and view
the black belt in a much different way these days.
I see my black belt grades now as a landmark and a measuring stick to gauge how far I’ve come in my martial arts journey and of what I have
achieved.
It goes beyond just whether I can have a fight or not. As I have got older that isn’t what drives me these days. Continued next page...
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