Filling your belt

I'm writing this blog post, because another beautiful nuance of Taekwondo recently hit me. I was presenting students with their new belts after a promotion test, and started noticing, really noticing  and appreciating the colors.

Toward the end of the color belt journey, the amount of black on the belt grows and becomes more visible. Red with a black stripe (1st Gup), Bo Dan (half red/half black), then Black Belt. This got me thinking about how a student must work to "fill" in the color of their belt when they are awarded it.

Ever find yourself asking, "How did THAT person ever get promoted?!"  Come on, admit it.  We've all done it. "That person is no where near as good a blue/red/black belt as I am (or was)!"  This may be true. But remember, you've been at your belt for a while.  When someone is promoted or graduates, they have demonstrated the requisite minimum acceptable knowledge, skills and standards of their course of study. This applies to any pursuit or profession including Taekwondo.  Now the work begins.  It's up to the individual to work to "fill" his/her belt with color.

Filling your belt means working every day to earn it.  Learning the kicks, blocks, forms, stances required of that belt.  Having the discipline, focus and leadership that comes with being awarded that belt. Because if you don't, the color starts to fade.  It fades in the eyes of the person that gave it to you, and fade in the eyes of those that others that see it.

So until next time, tie your belt on, get on the mat, train hard and fill it with color!

The Art of Saying Hello

"Hello"....A greeting known by millions.  A word that serves as the beginning to business meetings, friendships, and love affairs.  But sadly, it seems like it is word that is disappearing.  Lately I notice that more and more people, both children and adults don't take the time to stop, look at you and say, 'hello" anymore. People also don't look up and say hello when someone enters the room.  Why is this?

This blog is directed at everyone. But especially those of the digital age.  Hey!  I'm talking to you.  Put down your phone/I-Pod/PSP/Kindle/Nook/Tablet, and LOOK UP!

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not anti-technology.  I phone, text, surf, blog (obviously), Facebook, own a Play Station 3, and enjoy a good YouTube video.  But I also know how to talk to people. This is the skill I feel is getting lost.

Why is it important to say hello? First it shows respect.  It is VERY rude to walk past, someone you know, a senior, your boss, your parents or your Master without stopping and saying hello.

Saying hello also demonstrates personal confidence.  I know it's scary to say hello.  Especially if you don't know the person. You're putting yourself out there, risking rejection.  What if they don't say hi back?  What if they ignore me?  Being a Taekwondo person means having the confidence and courage to pick your head up, look at someone, and say hello.

Next, it is a tool of self-defense and awareness.  In all of our self defense training, we constantly talk about "Situational Awareness", which is the ability to know what's going on around you at all times.  We also say, "keep your head on a swivel", looking left and right constantly.  Kind of hard when you're head-down, absorbed  playing Candy Crush.

In 1937, Dale Carnegie published a book called, "How to Win Friends and Influence People".  Known as the grandfather of all people-skills books, this literary icon gave me two things I try to use everyday:

#1                   Greet everyone with a smile.

#2                   The sweetest sound that anyone can hear is the sound of their own name.

If you haven't ever read this masterpiece, I HIGHLY recommend it.

Saying hello to someone makes a person feel recognized.  Welcomed.  Accepted.  Important.  Of the 5 Tenets of Taekwondo, Courtesy  [Be nice to people] is the first for a very good reason.  Perhaps it is the most important one.  The one we must foster and spread to others by the way we demonstrate it in our lives.

The world is ever changing.  Technology has become an ever-present, indispensable part of our lives.  But we must not lose those things that make us human.  Those things that connect us, outside the Matrix.

Until next time, train hard, look up, and say, HELLO!

The Black Belt Pit Stop

"I can't wait to get a black belt!"  "How long does it take to get black belt?"

I hear these statements all the time.

"I think Bobby is going to quit once he gets his black belt"  [NOTE:  Bobby the fictitious name I give to all male students.  No, he's not a real person.]

The last statement always stops me in my tracks.  Breaks my heart a little.

Earning a black belt is a goal.  A tangible, measurable goal that people can work toward.  Don't get me wrong.  Obtaining a black belt is no small feat.  Years of hard work, memorization, repetition, refinement, pain, set-backs and frustration.  But..... it's only the beginning!

Quitting your training after you get a black belt is like going to medical school to become a doctor, but then never practicing medicine on a real patient.  Getting a black belt means you've checked the boxes.  Met the minimum standards to move forward.  But it's only just the beginning of the real journey.

At a recent Black Belt test, the candidates were asked, "What does getting a black belt mean to you?  "A new beginning".  "A transformation" and "A rebirth" were some of the answers.

I started my Taekwondo training in 1985.  I received my 1st degree black belt in 1990.  It is now 2013.  23 years later.  Do you think I've learned more before or after receiving my black belt?  Obviously the answer is  after.  Not only have I learned more, but I have met more people, experienced more things, traveled more places than I could have ever imagined.  All because I continued my training in Taekwondo.

Life is a highway.  Getting your black belt is just a pit stop on this highway.  It's not the end.  Keep on training after you get your black belt.  Listen.  Work.  Be curious.  Ask questions. Challenge yourself.  Travel.  Meet people.  Trust me, it'll be worth it.

Until next time, keep training hard!

So what's it mean to be a Master?

I'm frequently asked to recommend a book for students, and my answer is always the same: "There is no best Taekwondo book.  You must find one that resonates with you".  There are hundreds of books out there.  And each has just a little gem buried inside if you're willing to look for it.

I'm constantly trying to find another great Taekwondo or martial art book.  Something to build my library.  Something to inspire me.  Something to help me grow.  Something to fill the empty space of knowledge that seems to actually grow in me year after year.

Used bookstores are my favorite hunting grounds.  Musty smells, dark wood shelves, dust, and dog-eared pages.  And most importantly, no Starbucks.

I recently came across, Clearing the Clouds; Nine Lessons for Life from the Martial Arts by Stephen Fabian.  A light, thin, quick-read paperback, this little wonder is truly a gem and pleasure to read.  The author shares his personal journey through life and martial arts, and offers as the title suggests, nine lessons of personal improvement he has learned from the martial arts.

Clearing the Clouds got me thinking about what is means to be a Master Instructor, and how I got to where I am today.  It was only yesterday I was a 16 year old, non-flexible, stiff as a board, but highly motivated teenager training in the driveway in Rome, NY, with my one-day-to-be-father in law as my first instructor.

Fast forward a couple years, and I was a black belt.  Then, I blinked and I was moving up the ranks.  2nd degree, 3rd degree.  It was when I was a 3rd degree, on a trip to Korea that I knew I wanted to become a Master and one day own and operate my own school.

According to the rules of the Kukkiwon  anyone holding a 4th degree black belt (DAN) or higher is entitled be called Sa Bum Nim.  Loosely translated this means, "Master Instructor" or just "Master".  So how does one become a Master?

For me, the title of "Master" held a mystical and magical meaning for many years.  Men and women I that  trained under that were so far more physically gifted than I.  They were amazing; Inspiring; Life changing and in some cases life-saving.

Mastery is built from the very first day. The practice of basic techniques over and over again.  Basic techniques lead to intermediate techniques.  Intermediate techniques lead to advanced techniques.  But all throughout the training, the basics are never forgotten, never cosigned to oblivion.  A true Master can make a front stance with a low block look just as a amazing as breaking bricks, or effortlessly defending against an attacker.  With each block, stance or kick, a Master is always looking at how to make it better.  Fabian writes, "Ultimately, this is the way to Mastery;  the enduring process of discovery and knowledge, applied in the forging of stronger and better technique, form and self".

It is through the repeated practice, persistence, self-discipline and rising-up and returning after failure and frustration that we work toward Mastery.  "Not only is true mastery in the application of form and technique possible only with a deeper mastery of the self, but  it is through the long and challenging process of mastering an artistic Way that the self can and must be mastered.  Resolve and courage result from frequent confrontations with and efforts to surpass our limitations and weaknesses...By daring, time after time, to confront and exceed our deficiencies, debilities and pain we forge a stronger, more resilient and less perturbable spirit." [Fabian]

I've written before that to move the the next level of Taekwondo, one must perform a technique not only with muscles and tendons, but with spirit and being. "To Master the Way is to become an artist in your heart and soul."  [Fabian]

We study a Martial ART.  The art is supposed to be beautiful.  Supposed to inspire.  "A technique is not just technically correct, but also full of beauty and meaning...Eventually, the punch, sword cut, brush stroke, or musical chord becomes effortless and richly expressive, a delight to the senses and soul of performer and spectator alike." [Fabian]

But so what?  What are you doing with that talent?  "All of the effort we put into our own personal development is worth nothing if is isn't somehow put into use for the benefit of others". [Fabian]

The true meaning of being a Master, is not what you are called, but what you have become, and what you offer your students and give back  to them.  Do you care for them?  Motivate them?  Encourage them?  Support them?  Inspire them?  THIS is what it means to be a true Master.

Train Hard!

Why we do One-Steps

We stand facing each other.  Two to three feet apart like 18th century armies ready for battle as the dawn mist rolls over the open field.

Upright, in ready position.  Not moving.  (Not the most realistic self-defense position, by the way).   My opponent steps back into a deep front stance and kihops indicating he's ready.  I take a breath, remember what I'm supposed to do, kihop and wait for his attack.  And I think....this is ridiculous!  Who is going to attack me like this?  What bad guy announces his attack with a front stance and a kihop?

Admit it.  You've thought this about One-Step sparring before.  But over the years, I have learned to love and appreciate the deeper meanings and traditions of what they are supposed to do.  Like most things, the lessons are subtle, buried and rarely spoken.

One-Step sparring (Han Bon Kyorugi) consists of two partners exercising prearranged, attack and counterattack techniques. At ATLU TKD each belt level has three (3) onestep sparring techniques they are responsible for learning. One-Steps become more technically challenging as the belt becomes higher.

So why do we do One-Steps?  In  a nutshell, they are about respect, confidence, and self-control.  When done correctly, they demonstrate the beautiful power, effectiveness, quickness and devastation of Taekwondo.   We bow to one another, even though we are adversaries.  This tradition of showing respect to everyone, even an opponent is an important martial art tradition and is one of the things we must continue on.  They teach us about fighting distance, body control and position. They teach us to be constantly aware of what's going on around us. About our ability to accurately and precisely execute our blocks, kicks and strikes.

One-Step sparring is the first step to Free Sparring and self defense.  For the white belt, it is the first time they make actual physical contact with another student

One-Step sparring requires a high level of concentration and cooperation on the part of both people. The attacker must perform each attack with proper execution and consistent timing.  The attacker has one job.  Step forward and punch.  As lower belts, and when practicing with lower belts, this is a slow, sometimes soft motion.  But as we progress, and become black belts, the attacker's role becomes more violent and realistic.  When black belts are performing one-steps, the attacker has one job.  To step forward and try to hit the defender.  If he doesn't move, too bad.  You get punched in the chest.

For the defender, one-steps teach us to be confident and calm in the face of an attack even when we are in a vulnerable position.  Avoid showing fear when the opponent attacks, do not flinch, do not move.  Then, when the attacker moves, we react.  The defender must react to the attack without hesitation. Techniques should be practiced extensively to a point where they develop a sub-motor pattern that reacts out of instinct, without having to stop and think.

One Steps give us an opportunity to demonstrate the actual application of a technique.  This is a hidden beauty of one-steps.  The balance between application and control.  Violence and gentle protection.  It's one thing to be able to throw a great round house kick during poomse or against a kicking target.  More impressive is to throw a great round house kick at full speed and power, in response to an attack that comes within inches, or centimeters, or millimeters or the attacker's body without injuring them.

How good are your blocks?  Would your high block really stop an attacker's downward strike to your head with a knife?  That knife hand block you think is so pretty--could it really stop a punch if needed?  How will you know?  Have you conditioned your hands, feet, knuckles and forearms enough to withstand a real attack?  One-Steps give us a glimpse into how good our technique really is.

We don't do them very often, but I hope this has given you a little better glimpse into the many benefits of One-Step Sparring.

Until next time, step back, make that low-block, kihop, and let's do some One-Steps!

Keep training hard.