Achieving Your Black Belt is not the End it is the Beginning

Achieving Your Black Belt is not the End it is the Beginning

Learning martial arts at the American Dragon Martial Arts Academies can be a lifelong journey that many consider a lifestyle. If you are an adult looking for a new adventure and a healthy lifestyle then joining our class is a great place to start. Achieving your black belt might seem like the end of your journey as a student but it is the starting line for your journey as a martial artist.

Black Belt graduation for me was definitely a time of change. I would say that it is likely to be one of the most important events in your life so far.  It has been called one of the most coveted titles to hold. It is the completion of your time as a student. It is a rite of passage to becoming a martial artist.

Although you probably did not know it when you started, becoming a Black Belt wasn’t your final goal, just one step on a long journey. Being a true martial artist is a quest and achieving your black belt is just a tiny first step on that lifelong path.

Whatever the changes that you may face later in life, one thing is certain. The future will be different, and it is inevitable. It may be exciting, fearful, or uncertain, but one fact is unavoidable: You will face change as you prepare for a new life. 

As a martial artist, you have finally earned a prestigious title.  Achieving the Black Belt is your passage from the Warrior stage of your martial arts career to the status of Scholar. You are now ready to study the real essence of martial arts realize all the benefits that you get by continuing along this path.

A wise student once told me that after being awarded his Black Belt he could finally see the true purpose of all his training. It was to conquer and master yourself.  “It’s like watching an old TV that finally gets a new antenna,” he said.  “You thought that you were watching all that there was, but all of the sudden, you can see so much more clearly!        

As things become clear they finally begin to make sense. Being a Scholar means that you will now seek to master all aspects of your art. The deeper aspects of learning extend far beyond merely fighting or learning new forms.  They include aspects that will make you a better person, a role model for others to aspire to be like.

As you proceed into the future, as you travel beyond simply attaining a Black Belt you will develop into a true martial artist. It is within you to make the lifelong journey of self-discovery while mastering your art. By achieving Black Belt rank you have earned the right to follow this path. You now have a new responsibility to yourself and your school. A responsibility to learn all that you can, to share all that you know, and mentor those who are not yet as far down the path as you are. We invite you to start your journey with us at the American Dragon Korean Martial Arts Academies schools.

About the author: Instructor Ma is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in the Korean self-defense art of Hapkido and a 2nd Dan in Traditional Taekwondo. She is a professional sports and fitness model and full time Nursing student. She is the Language, Culture and Leadership Development Teacher for the American Dragon Korean Martial Arts Academies and can be reached at www.AmericanDragonKoreanMartialArts.com