Thought some of you might enjoy reading a section of one candidate's "question" segment of Sunday's test. It was an essay question on "What does the black belt mean to you?"
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>What does "Black Belt' mean to you?
To me, becoming a Black Belt is a great accomplishment. Out of the tens of thousands of students who begin their martial arts journey, very few reach this level of learning. With that said, becoming a Black Belt in Uechi-Ryu carries a huge responsibility. There is a certain mystic that society has given to the term "Black Belt", in any style, through legends and film. A Uechi-ka Black Belt must uphold the reputation of its existing seniors.
A Uechi-Ryu Black Belt must have a pure heart like that of Sensei Mattson (as he was the first American allowed to spread the art). Sensei Mattson's open mindedness allowed freedom to his students, which expanded Uechi-Ryu. In turn his students always give back to Uechi-Ryu. How do you gain confidence in your art? The only way is on the floor. Sensei Canna solidified the martial aspect of Uechi-Ryu. There is the intensity of Sensei Huff, the wisdom of Sensei Blake, the Chinese influence of Sensei Campbell, the precision of Sensei Testa, the conditioning of Sensei Fedele, the sparring of Sensei Koury. The list is too large to mention everyone. If I allow my studies to be half as good as my seniors, then the future of Uechi-Ryu will only be half of what it is today. My goal is to maintain their greatness and to add my influence to the art. This, I hope, will add to Uechi-Ryu's existing reputation.
To me becoming a Uechi-Ryu Black Belt is a challenge I accept.
Ovidio Raffa
Candidate for Shodan <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
"What the Black Belt means to me"
Moderator: Available
"What the Black Belt means to me"
Mattson-Shihan,
It seems that someone has been instilling proper attitude into the young again. Kudos to this young man and his Sensei(s).
While there is a certain aspect of Suk Ng Op (and what Dan test doesn't have some of THAT - lol), his points about the responsibility, the future path and the, unstated but strongly implied, necessity for future learning points out a clear maturity that is quite refreshing in light of some of the "Bein' a Black Belt makes me duh Meanest Mutha on da block!" attitudes that seem so prevalent in other styles.
Such attitudes were one of the things that pushed me away from active participation in tournament karate many years ago.
This young man is a real breath of fresh air. If he fights and performs kata as well as he expresses himself, I have little doubt that he won his Shodan.
Congratulations. This kid's a keeper.
Respectfully,
Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
It seems that someone has been instilling proper attitude into the young again. Kudos to this young man and his Sensei(s).
While there is a certain aspect of Suk Ng Op (and what Dan test doesn't have some of THAT - lol), his points about the responsibility, the future path and the, unstated but strongly implied, necessity for future learning points out a clear maturity that is quite refreshing in light of some of the "Bein' a Black Belt makes me duh Meanest Mutha on da block!" attitudes that seem so prevalent in other styles.
Such attitudes were one of the things that pushed me away from active participation in tournament karate many years ago.
This young man is a real breath of fresh air. If he fights and performs kata as well as he expresses himself, I have little doubt that he won his Shodan.
Congratulations. This kid's a keeper.
Respectfully,
Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
"What the Black Belt means to me"
Ovidio's writings were reflected in his stellar performance and promotion to shodan on Sunday.
Well prepared physically and emotionally under a "pressure cooker" board, and with confident strides right down to the grueling four minutes non stop "contact" free sparring.
But it is his "wholesome" attitude that is most meritorius.
Congratulations, and may your Uechi life be happy and endless.
BTW thanks for the CD of Italian songs from your band.They bring back so many diamond sparkle memories.
------------------
Van Canna
Well prepared physically and emotionally under a "pressure cooker" board, and with confident strides right down to the grueling four minutes non stop "contact" free sparring.
But it is his "wholesome" attitude that is most meritorius.
Congratulations, and may your Uechi life be happy and endless.
BTW thanks for the CD of Italian songs from your band.They bring back so many diamond sparkle memories.
------------------
Van Canna
-
gmattson
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6073
- Joined: Wed Sep 16, 1998 6:01 am
- Location: Lake Mary, Florida
- Contact:
"What the Black Belt means to me"
Here is Steve White's answer to the question:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>) What does "Black Belt" mean to you?
For me, earning a black belt marks both the beginning and the end. It is the end of a lifelong ambition, one that was put on hold for over twenty years for a variety of reasons. The sense of accomplishment that I will feel if I pass the test is indefinable. Yet it is also just the beginning. My sensei has instilled in us the belief that the shodan rank in Uechi-ryu marks the beginning of the budo journey. On a popular university Uechi-ryu website, there's an analogy of the rank of shodan roughly corresponding to the first year in college. I believe this to be true. There's so much more to learn and tons of room for improvement in what I already know.
Do I deserve a black belt? Probably not. I'm not in the condition that I was as a younger man and although still fast and flexible, I am comfortable with the fact that I'll never be the "top gun" in the dojo. However, I have trained consistently for the past four years and have learned the skills necessary to pass the test. Will earning a black belt make me invincible? Never. Although I'm comfortable that I can hold my own with my peers, there's always someone tougher, stronger and better trained out there. Because of my wrestling background, I'm prone to initiating my attacks with my head forward, center of gravity high and hands waist to chest high. The end result has consistently been to be prone to head attacks - mostly by fist. There's so much to refine, a lifetime of studying Uechi-ryu may still not be sufficient.
So what does a black belt mean to me? It means having the discipline to finish what you start. It means pushing yourself to new heights regardless of age, condition and ailments. It means joining a fraternity of like-minded individuals who share a brotherhood of ritual and rights of passage. In short, it means everything and nothing. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>) What does "Black Belt" mean to you?
For me, earning a black belt marks both the beginning and the end. It is the end of a lifelong ambition, one that was put on hold for over twenty years for a variety of reasons. The sense of accomplishment that I will feel if I pass the test is indefinable. Yet it is also just the beginning. My sensei has instilled in us the belief that the shodan rank in Uechi-ryu marks the beginning of the budo journey. On a popular university Uechi-ryu website, there's an analogy of the rank of shodan roughly corresponding to the first year in college. I believe this to be true. There's so much more to learn and tons of room for improvement in what I already know.
Do I deserve a black belt? Probably not. I'm not in the condition that I was as a younger man and although still fast and flexible, I am comfortable with the fact that I'll never be the "top gun" in the dojo. However, I have trained consistently for the past four years and have learned the skills necessary to pass the test. Will earning a black belt make me invincible? Never. Although I'm comfortable that I can hold my own with my peers, there's always someone tougher, stronger and better trained out there. Because of my wrestling background, I'm prone to initiating my attacks with my head forward, center of gravity high and hands waist to chest high. The end result has consistently been to be prone to head attacks - mostly by fist. There's so much to refine, a lifetime of studying Uechi-ryu may still not be sufficient.
So what does a black belt mean to me? It means having the discipline to finish what you start. It means pushing yourself to new heights regardless of age, condition and ailments. It means joining a fraternity of like-minded individuals who share a brotherhood of ritual and rights of passage. In short, it means everything and nothing. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
"What the Black Belt means to me"
These people are ones to admire and learn from absolutely. They express what is also in my own heart as well, for I too am preparing.
Makes me think that maybe this question should be posed durring training well. (or one like it) Like at green-belt. (sorry I can't remember the name of this kyu rank) That seems to be a breaking point for a lot of people. Maybe if durring the kyu rank tests a question like this were introduced into the test, it might help people re-evaluate themselves and their goals. I know I do this on a constant basis. It keeps me focused.
I hope I fair as well. Thank you for sharring these with us.
K-
Makes me think that maybe this question should be posed durring training well. (or one like it) Like at green-belt. (sorry I can't remember the name of this kyu rank) That seems to be a breaking point for a lot of people. Maybe if durring the kyu rank tests a question like this were introduced into the test, it might help people re-evaluate themselves and their goals. I know I do this on a constant basis. It keeps me focused.
I hope I fair as well. Thank you for sharring these with us.
K-
-
GSantaniello
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2001 6:01 am
- Location: Randolph, Ma. U.S.A.
"What the Black Belt means to me"
Nice essay's.
God job and congradulations to all !
------------------
Gary S.
God job and congradulations to all !
------------------
Gary S.
