TaeKwonDo 2nd Dan Black Belt Essay

Some personal progress that I can share over this past crazy year - I’m taking the opportunity to test for my next Black Belt. As part of the examination requirements we are to write and present an essay. The topic: What does it mean to be a Black Belt?

At this point, my black belt represents the expectation of proficiency in the fundamental set of athletic skills and techniques. An emphasis on the standard proficiency because I am reminded again and again of what I must continually refine as I observe lower belts demonstrate control and attention to detail over their movements. Another example is getting my butt sorely handed to me while sparring with Andrei and other fellow students. The journey up to my first Dan Black Belt involved the physical skills I acquired but also needed to further refine for mastery. Beyond the flashy techniques, bragging rights in the schoolyard, and accolade to list on university applications, a Black Belt in an accredited Martial Arts truly represents growth in character. I ask myself, why would anyone go back to training once they’ve reached their goal?

My earliest memory of Taekwondo was my first promotion test from white belt to yellow stripe. I remembered my younger and much smaller self making weak and awkward push kick attempts to break a board as children aren’t yet fully aware of their body. I tried relentlessly to break that board, there was even a moment where I ran over to my mom for a quick water break. Thankfully, I am here today which means that I eventually did break that board! Every student here who passed their promotion tests has built up that perseverance and grit to stick to their practice day in and day out - I believe this is the most important mindset to take away from Taekwondo. You would be surprised at the number of young adults around me who have never faced reality, practiced a craft or anything difficult in their life over a long period of time. Given their naivety and flawed view of reality. Of course, I’m not the greatest example myself. Since then, not counting my 15 year long hiatus, I have been training in Taekwondo and other forms of Martial Arts for roughly 5 years. Although this belt signifies a tangible achievement, there are still many more ways for me to develop. I am glad I chose not to give up breaking that board – to me, it represents progression and moving forward, no matter the difficulty and how long it takes.

Joe Rogan once described seeing two kinds of reactions from beginners in Jiu Jitsu. The first type, after being thoroughly defeated had their egos bruised, and as a result, never showed up again. The second type of beginners show an eagerness to continue and learn from their mistakes. That is the essence of a healthy ‘white-belt’ mentality. Just because I am a black belt does not mean I should develop an ego. Instead, each mistake and every moment of defeat is a reminder to put myself in place. Black belts understand the importance of failure. Even at this level, I want to maintain a humble and grounded perspective that I only understood and gained through training and practice.

Upon my return to Taekwondo, I was to relearn all the Tae-Geuk patterns once again. During one class I was practicing Tae Geuk Yook Jang and Master Young asked Instructor Ryan to teach me. I admit, I had a weird pre-disposition of learning from someone who was younger than me. However, I do understand that in Taekwondo he is my senior and that over his Taekwondo career Master Young recognizes his potential to be a teacher. That being said, it is always a positive experience being taught by Ryan. You have the true qualities of a good teacher and leader.

Through these positive interactions, I learned that I should conduct myself in a way in which I can learn from anyone when interacting and listening to them. I bet that some of our fellow black belts improved even more at Taekwondo once they were bestowed with the duties of mentorship and teaching. Along with the growth from mentoring others, another indicator of competency in our sport is how we practice independently. This is quite apparent when comparing lower belts to higher belts in regards to how they conduct themselves before class, during class, and outside of class. We are expected to warm up and practice on our own time – this takes self-discipline, personal responsibility and autonomy to do. I think a lot about self-discipline, but given the tangible goal of a promotion it is an external factor for us to practice. As the time between promotions such as black belt promotions take longer, it increasingly becomes more difficult to motivate ourselves to practice. Along the way, however, a black belt accepts the process and continues practicing. Thus, we eventually develop the mindset of practicing not for a goal but simply for the sake of the practicing.

The superficial image of a black belt is a strong, fierce, and headstrong person who seeks out fights. There are aspects to this assumption that I find admirable, but we also know the repercussions letting this aggression and ego go too far. In reality, a black belt must have self-control and restraint. Normally you wouldn’t be able to tell whether some man or woman walking on the street is actually a Martial Artist without their uniform on. Part of the training and humbleness is cultivating a ferocity that can be tamed. I’ve observed how modern-day society puts an emphasis on sanitizing the environment around us rather than toughening up the individual. Reality can hit us hard and we have limited control over the external environment, but we what we do have control over is ourselves. Therefore, I believe Taekwondo training is also what molds us into functional citizens of society. We hold ourselves to the highest standards. We must be tolerant with the shortcomings of others, but strict with ourselves. This relates to my prior thoughts of how humbleness became engrained into us as we are continuously beaten up by constant practice and learning from our mistakes. Suppose we have two characters in a story: A gardener in a warzone and a soldier tending to his garden. Who would you like to be?

The second Dan also comes with the expectation to be a role model. Especially at my age, that is what I should be ready to take on. As a mentor to the junior belts, I will work on my communication and soft skills, take more initiative to run drills, and take care of our common space. Those are reminders that I still have more to learn but thankfully I know I can depend on my fellow dojang students and Master to learn and grow with. Lastly, this acknowledgement of continued growth exemplifies a growth mindset. This isn’t exclusive to a black belt, nor lower belts, but to any vocation. Fortunately, we had this mindset instilled in us earlier on. In conclusion, after mastering the technical skills of Taekwondo I must take the opportunities available to me to expand on these soft skills to be a reliable mentor and role model. There are many more traits of being a Black Belt, and I am still a work in progress, but this next belt is physical evidence of my personal progress.