tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30732562.post4695124756252064006..comments2009-01-04T02:35:09.464-08:00BBat50http://www.blogger.com/profile/09736054246852300843noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30732562.post-990436693849789412009-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:002009-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00Uss!<BR/><BR/>You set an example by going to class. By being there when the going is tough. As a black belt you have the right to choose how you train each day. You work all those years to to earn the rank of black belt. And when we get it we think I have arrived. Then reality sets in. It is then that we understand that attaining the rank of black belt just opens the door for the real training and understanding. <BR/><BR/>I explain to students this way:<BR/><BR/>You come in the door of the dojo and say "I can do that". You get a uniform, a white belt, and off you go. It's all a bit strange. But as time goes by you get better. Your rank changes. You feel more accomplished. Finally, you get to your brown belt rank (for some this may be red belt). This is the one just before black belt. you have alot of authority in the underbelt arena. When asked you hlep your instructor in the dojo. The lower ranked students look up to you. Then the big day comes. You test for your black belt and there it is. You get it. It's like going from being a big fish in the pond to being a little goldfish a large ocean of great white sharks and killer whales. You almost feel like you need to go back and re-learn everything over again. <BR/><BR/>What is the lesson here? It is that the study of martial arts is a metaphor for life. Like life it is a never ending journey. Go back to class. Do what you can do. You will find that you are not as bad a shape as you may think.<BR/><BR/>Peace and Blessings<BR/><BR/>http://universalgojusensei.blogspot.com/<BR/>www.universalgoju.comJohn Lyons-Sensei Universal Goju Karate Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756759782137823290noreply@blogger.com