Written by The bar is very high but I am feeling confident after a couple good training and sparring sessions this past weekend with Dirk-San, Geneva-San and Elijah-San (who joined us for sparring).
I had dinner with a good friend of mine last night who was in Sacramento (he lives in Oregon) for the evening; he also trains in the martial arts and has for many years. I was eager to share my experience with him and we ended up spending well over an hour talking about our respective journey’s in training, similarities and some differences in our disciplines and moreover, the broader interweaving and importance of mind-body-spirit in seeking balance. He trains in Taekwondo and is a 2nd dan in his art and said, “It is humbling to know that while I know some things I still know little,” which was another way of saying, I believe, what our sensei (M. Oliver) has said multiple times (not verbatim), “achieving a black belt is when we start to learn karate.”
Anyway, it just reinforced for me that achieving black belt for me is not the “end” (while it is a goal) and that in some ways it will be yet another phase for personal growth, spiritual development and doing something meaningful with purpose and intent. Glad I have another friend outside of our dojo that gets it.