When your Black Belt begins to show shades of Grey! by Shihan S. E. Philips

Is Your Black Belt Fading to Grey? 🥋 The Master’s Guide to Training with Real-Life Limits

By Shihan S. E. Philips, 8th Dan Nidai Soke Aido-Ryu

---

The Beginning: Lessons in Adversity 🤕

A little over 43 years ago, I stepped into the Dojo for the very first time. I was a young, fresh 20-year-old, completely injury-free. My only martial arts training consisted of watching TV shows like Kung Fu, Black Belt Theatre, and, of course, the classics like Billy Jack and the Bruce Lee movies.

My foundation was instantly challenged by my Sensei, the late Soke Richard Hallman, who instilled two critical concepts:

• Symmetry is Survival: “Now that you have understanding of that technique, show me how you can do it with your other side.” Soke always stressed learning to use both right & left sides for all techniques.
• The Master’s Mantra: His most repeated quote over the next 39 years: “What do you have open?”

I learned the brutal importance of this lesson less than 2-months after starting. Fresh out of a cast from a training injury, I faced my first real-life altercation. I learned a valuable, painful lesson that night: “I went left when I should have gone right,” resulting in a massive black eye.

Soke’s critique was golden: he pointed out that despite the injury and the result, I had used my meager training well by utilizing what I had open and protecting my injured side while employing both my left & right sides. He added privately, “I guess you zigged when you should have zagged.”

---

Maturity: From Dojo to Duty 👮‍♂️

Two years later, I began my career in law enforcement, where the need for adaptive training was magnified.

• Academy Stress: My academy training stressed once again the importance of training both sides. On the firing range, instructors taught proper shooting techniques using both dominant as well as support hands.
• The Practical Question: Their logic was undeniable: “What if you get shot in your dominate arm/hand? How are you going to fight i.e., Stay alive or protect the public or your partner?” This shifted my mindset from technical perfection to situational survival.

As I matured in both careers, my thoughts became second nature: situational awareness, reading the room, knowing where the exits are, knowing your opponent—a myriad of critical skills.

---

The Radical Experiment: Training Under Compromise 🧠

One night, after a few “adult beverages,” my roommate (who was also a part of the Aido-Ryu Family) sparked a radical idea: “We should train after having a few drinks.”

My thought process was simple: I train both left & right sides for physical limitations; why not train while impaired when motor skills are slowed and challenged?

• Years of In-Home Training: We spent the next several years training in our in-home Dojo to hone our skills when “impaired.”
• The Payoff: Nearly 10-years later, I had to step into the Dojo with only 85% use of an appendage after a traffic crash. All those years of training with compromised physical and motor skills came to my aid. I leveraged that knowledge and earned two Black Belt degrees despite the new physical limitation.

---

The Graying of the Black Belt ⏳

This brings us back to the title: “When your Black Belt begins to show shades of grey.”

After 43 years of life and 30+ aggressive years of mat time, my body carries the toll: daily aches & pains and medical issues that have, admittedly, tainted my Black Belt with a few shades of grey.

My most recent insight came from an article about concealed carry. It highlighted the most common place people fail to carry concealed (or, I realized, fail to train for): at home.

• A high percentage of physical altercations occur in the home, the one location we typically feel safe.
• This made me realize the importance of home training outside of the Dojo and preparation for the unexpected.

My new mission is to train for how to react and prepare for the unexpected in the one place we feel safe: HOME!

---

Final Challenge: Get Back to the Basics 💪

If your Black Belt is beginning to show shades of grey, take this challenge:

• Get back to the basics.
• Train to use your techniques with whatever physical/emotional challenges life has shown you.
• Remember: Your Black Belt is truly white and has only darkened to black because of the knowledge & experience you have.
• Continue to use that knowledge and gain new knowledge, as well as share that knowledge.

And above all else, always ask yourself that foundational question:

“What do I have open?” Osu!