When I decided to go for my nidan, I was told to write a thesis - I am not sure what I am supposed to write but all I can do is tell my own karate story.
To be honest, I never ever dreamt I would be a karateka, never mind the wearer of a Black Belt. Karate always seemed to me to be something done by others, something of a subculture imbued in Japanese mystery, practiced by sage Orientals of the sort in the Karate Kid, offering glimpses of ancient wisdom and eternal truths to Westerners out of touch with their inner selves; lots of men executing dramatic moves, fighting shadows wearing white pajamas.
The first time I heard about the Black Belt was when, as a kid, I heard the Black Cat peanut butter advert - the boy beat up the bully, who said......Black Belt? and the reply was, no...Black Cat!
In popular culture the Black Belt represents the ultimate fighting machine, danger, fighting expertise, ultimate control - don't mess with him, he has a license to kill! Jean Claude van Damme, Jackie Chan and, in the beginning, Bruce Lee, are all Martial Arts icons that in their own ways have personified the Black Belt. Lightning fast reflexes, discipline, strength, skillful fighters and above all, determined self belief.
I came to karate in my mid thirties, looking for a sport to keep me fit and never realizing it was more than a sport - it was more a way of life. I was a director of a company and climbing the corporate ladder but, as a karate novice, had to start as a lowly white belt - progressing through yellow, orange, purple and brown. I am sure that Shihan Norman and the other seniors often found themselves wondering what had hit their dojo in the form of this uncoordinated dude who seemed to battle with the simplest of katas and never remembered to kiai during kumite.
After the brown belt there was a bit of a pause. I never really factored a black belt into my life plan, but here I was facing it head on. Was I committed enough, was I good enough, was I tough enough, was I worthy to join this exclusive club? I was unsure but Shihan Norman was sure and he encouraged me and my mate Ian to train and present ourselves for grading. I have written and passed many tests but I did not realise that this was going to be one of the toughest. I did the training and got the grading - got the black belt. I now had the license. I was legitimate. I can't deny it, I was very proud that I had completed the grading and that I had done our dojo proud.
So, now what? I needed to live up to this icon, this black belt. To show that I was not a flash in the pan, that it was not a fluke, that I have the staying power and commitment: it is not one of the five maxims, but it should be the sixth and it is personified by Shihan Norman. He is absolutely committed to karate. His commitment has inspired me to continue and not to give up.
Karate has instilled in me a sense of discipline and self belief. A discipline to stay the course, to get up early and train week in and week out. As Shihan Norman says, every day is a gift and we are responsible for keeping our bodies healthy - it is our responsibility to ourselves and to our families. The self belief comes from facing one's fears, the fear of failure, of getting hurt, of hurting others. Knowing karate requires one to have control of one's actions and emotions.
There is also the tradition and history that goes with karate. Although karate can be rough and brutal, there is always a sense that it is controlled and that there are rules that need to be observed: the hierarchy and respect for seniors, the courtesy one shows to one's fellows, the bowing and kneeling - these are integral to the sense of order in the dojo.
Nothing that is really worth it comes without effort. Sometimes things need to be difficult for us to appreciate that they are valuable. It is the same with karate - with getting a black belt. It has required a lot of effort and commitment and years of training on my part to get my black belt.
Has it been worth it - oh yes! Adversity is character building and although the road to my black belt has been long and at times difficult, it has provided me with self confidence, purpose, a healthy body and improving coordination. It is with a continuing source of pride that I wear my black belt!
Alan Bruens - Black Belt
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