A Black Belt is supposed to be an honor to receive and something to be very proud of. It is something that is worked very hard for. The Black Belt represents a great deal of time, emotion, dedication, and virtue. There are many Black Belts in the world in many different martial arts. Some are jack of all trades and master of none, and some are masters of one and then masters of some.
The true Black Belts that you meet, however, you can always tell how they treat themselves and treat other people. A Black Belt is not about being able to beat someone up, nor will you ever hear a Black Belt say that. They are humble, and they are peaceful. Black Belts do not hold grudges, and Black Belts do not make quick judgments. Black Belts should be the mos tolerant and open minded people you should ever come in contact with.
True Black Belts show respect to all, they do not boast, and they don't have to emit "toughness." Just because you can break a whole bunch of boards, kick really high, give bloody noses and bruises, and break people's bones does not make you tough, and it does not make you a Black Belt. The physical abilities of a Black Belt were able to be attained through mastery of the mind, and Black Belts that continue to move forward in their training procure mastery of self and mastery of spirit. It is an incredible journey. But to truly live the martial way is through humility and integrity.
Pettiness, maliciousness, vindictiveness, and cruelty go against everything a Black Belt stands for. Even though we are all human, flawed and fragile, there may be times these things DO happen, even if a Black Belt works very hard to do otherwise. But again, a true Black Belt has no shame in admitting their mistakes, correcting them, and graciously learning from them with gratitude. As a master-in-training, this is what I believe Black Belts should be. I am happy and proud to say I believe all my Black Belts show all these qualities. May they always carry these values throughout their lives, whether in uniform or not, whether on the mats or not. A Black Belt is not just a thing of cotton around your waist, but it is an attitude and a way of life! And you know what, a lot of Black Belts I know, never even trained in martial arts! ;)
Yours in service,
ANDREW TRENTO
You are justified in being proud of your Black Belts. They are respectful, decent, and loving. The way you live your life by developing your best qualities has brought out the best in them. They are just good, good kids (people...they're growing up!!) You have every reason to be proud of them. And you have every reason to feel good about your leadership.
ReplyDeleteI think this should be displayed in every Martial Arts school in America!
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