Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Degrees of Black Belt

A few years ago I earned a degree through Tom Callos' Ultimate Black Belt Test. It was a test that took two years and involved a lot of different requirements - some necessary, some not so. It was a great experience. It changed the way I looked at Black Belt testing in some ways and re-affirmed it in others.

There is one thing that has remained constant though, I could care less how many bars I have on my belt. The rank does not make the black belt. In 1985, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin, with my instructor Randy Reid to start the first Karate America. We grew quickly, adding schools throughout the state, and some fellas even moving to Florida and Colorado.

As time passed, we started getting all of these black belts, and we had to figure out what to do with them all, and so we started developing a 2nd degree program, which led to a third degree, and then on to a fourth, and for a few - a fifth degree.

One of the unintended consequences of adding degrees to our black belts is that some of them fell into the trap of believing that the person wearing a 3rd degree is morally superior than than the once with a 2nd degree, and so they base their self-worth on how many gold bars they have on their belt.

So you had a cultural hierarchy develop where some thought they were better than others simply by the rank achieved, with no regard to experience, potential or ability. It was kind of like Animal Farm, where everyone is equal, except some are more equal than others. I hated that.



"IT is not what you wear it is what you do."

It is not what you wear that makes you what you are, but rather  it is the experiences that you endure that make the degrees on your belt bearable. Personally, I have done more than some, but far less than others, but that's okay, I still have time.

Be true to yourself.

"Stay thirsty my friends."