This is the black belt strong kids podcast number one – ask your martial arts guy.
Hi everyone, this is your mount laurel martial arts guy, Peter Liciaga, and I created this podcast to share answers to the many questions I get from our students and their parents on a daily basis.
I have been teaching martial arts full time at Dinoto karate center in mount laurel new jersey since 1999 and I have been asked many questions over the years. And I thought this podcast would be a great way to help the many kids and parents out there who may have similar questions.
So here we go,
The question for today is from one of our beginner students who is nine years old. And he asks:
How do you know if you are black belt strong?
I talk about being black belt strong all the time. I even wrote a rap song about it. But how do you know if you are black belt strong? Let me answer this with a short story.
ARE YOU BLACK BELT STRONG?
One day young Ryan arrive at the martial art school early and saw his teacher cleaning the mats. When the teacher saw Ryan he stopped cleaning and walked up to Ryan and bowed. Ryan bowed back out of respect and noticed that the teacher had a serious look on his face. Then the teacher asked, “So do you think you are black belt strong yet?
“I guess I might be,” said Ryan.
“Why do you think you might be?” asked the teacher.
“Well, I’m coming to my martial arts classes and doing all the exercises you tell me to do.” said Ryan
“Do you think that makes you black belt strong?”
“Maybe?” asked Ryan … but deep down inside Ryan knew there was more to it than that.
“Wrong!” The teacher cut Ryan off. “There is a lot more to being black belt strong than just coming to martial arts classes and training. A LOT MORE. What do you think the most important part of being black belt strong is?” Asked the teacher.
“Protecting yourself?” Ryan asked…
“That is important. But that’s just part of it. Guess again,” the teacher said.
“Being in martial arts?”
“Again, that is part of being black belt strong. But it isn’t the most important part of being black belt strong. Got any other guesses?”
“No sir. I’m out of ideas.”
“It’s the black belt strong code.”
“Is that like a secret language?” Ryan asked.
“No,” the teacher laughed. “It’s not a secret language. It’s the rules or creed that black belt strong students live by. The standards they hold for themselves and other black belt strong students in their school.”
“Like laws?” Ryan asked.
“Not really. Laws are what everyone lives by. They keep order. The black belt strong code isn’t enforced by police. It is something that you have to hold yourself to. Something that keeps you on the right path in life.” Said the teacher
“What is the code, then? What are the rules?” asked Ryan.
“Different black belt strong groups have different codes, depending on their culture, their time, and their society.”
“What is ours?”
Ryan’s teacher looked at him very serious and turned around and pointed to the Student Creed on the wall on the training mats and said, “We say it every day in class.”
“Say it!” Said Ryan’s teacher.
Ryan was a little scared but he knew that he wanted to show his teacher that he definitely wanted to be black belt strong, and so he read it out loud:
I WILL DEVELOP MYSELF IN A POSITIVE MANNER AND AVOID ANYTHING THAT WOULD IMPAIR MY MENTAL GROWTH OR PHYSICAL HEALTH.
I WILL BE DISCIPLINED AND BRING OUT THE BEST IN MYSELF AND OTHERS.
I WILL USE THE SKILLS I LEARN IN CLASS CONSTRUCTIVELY AND DEFENSIVELY TO HELP MYSELF AND OTHERS AND NEVER BE ABUSIVE OR OFFENSIVE.
“Great!” Said the teacher. “Now live that every day and you will be black belt strong.
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I talk to our students about beling black belt strong all the time. And we say our student creed all the time. Whether a student is a white belt or an advanced black belt, if they are holding themselves accountable to the student creed every day, they are being black belt strong. If not, then not.
Are you being black belt strong?
Until next time…
