Congratulations and welcome to those of you who have made it to the world of the Black Belt. I am very proud of you and have always known you could do it. But, there is still much to be learned and there are newer and even loftier goals to achieve. Black Belt rank is where the true training BEGINS, not ends. You will continue learning new skills, as you continue training with what you know and developing these skills so you can use them effectively and without thinking. If you dedicate yourself to your training as much now as you did to get there, you will see that your skills will grow quickly! Remember the belt around your waist is just fabric. It’s who and what you are that defines you, not the belt!

The biggest obstacle to training at black belt, believe it or not, is dedication! As you know by now, the time you must remain at the same rank now starts to grow. Too many students are tempted to slack off or not push themselves when they attain the rank of Black Belt. Some even stop their training, feeling that they have achieved a goal they set for themselves and that once a black belt they will always remember and be able to do the skills they learned. This is a misguided notion. So, the first thing you need to do in order to succeed at this level is to continue to train and come to class. This is why we have chevron test in place! Come to class, learn, train, and test! As the old adage goes, “Use it or lose it”! Nothing could be truer!

You still need to have short-term goals in order to motivate your training and stimulate your mind. Where do you find them? Well, class and tournaments for one. The entire reason I belong to a national organization, and as a school owner I continue to train regularly myself, is to help me develop better students. By having my black belts test their skills against other students in class and from around the country, they learn and become better. While I don’t require you to go to tournaments or to seminars (which many instructors do, by the way!) you SHOULD participate! There is no substitute for preparation for seminars or a tournament. Getting ready for a tournament makes us better at Taekwondo even if we don’t place first, second, or third. You are a better student just for participating. A black belt student should try and attend at least one tournament a year, and as many seminars as possible! Not only are they ‘educational,’ they are fun!

Lastly, when some people find out you have a black belt they tend to act stupid around you. I have yet to figure out why, but it happens all the time. Whether they make stupid karate yells or even try to test your skills, I have found that people just don’t understand what you have managed to accomplish. As a true martial artist, don’t let them upset you! To the trained eye, they are nothing but clowns. So do what you do when you see a clown; LAUGH. You will be surprised how fast they realize by the display of your confidence and not your ability that they are pulling on a tiger’s tail and will leave you alone. Never try to prove yourself to people who don’t understand what it is you have accomplished, because you already proved yourself to those who know. Thank you for your many hours of hard work and congratulations. I knew you could do it. Now, on to the next step!