Where are martial arts values?

[three60roundhouse]

"Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing."

 

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Troilus and Cressida, Act 1, Scene 2

 

I see, at my school and others, people quitting upon getting blackbelt! I look at black belt as my first major goal - but definitely not the last? What do you think?

[Jack]

Maybe they wish to start training in another art after learning the fundamentals of their current one, and use Black Belt as a good mark of basic understanding to expand upon with another art.

 

Simply quitting all Martial Arts after black belt though, I wouldn't understand that - surely they would appreciate the Martial Arts and wish to continue studying, and not be in it entirely for the belt?

 

 

[KickChick]

So it's prevalent at your school too! It seems to be the end of the road to some .... and yes, to others just the start.

 

I find that the school needs to nurture those new black belts ... offer more advanced instruction ... fine tune their classes so that these black belts don't get bored or get stale in their learning. Offer workshops onsite at the school .... show them that yes, there is more on the road up ahead ... keep that seat "belt" on!!

 

 

 

[tessone]

To me, black belt just means an advanced student. That said, it's understandable if someone came in wanting to get the basics and felt they'd reached that goal with the black belt. I know people who have gotten to first or second dan in another art, but upon finding KSW, they left the other art and devoted themselves to the study of Kuk Sool. Sometimes you just have to find what's right, and maybe it was their time to move on...

 

 

[Pacificshore]

Two types of personalities I've seen throughout my years of training are those who see martial arts as a way of life, and those who view it as something to accomplish, ie obtaining their black belt and moving on.

 

 

[Withers M.A.A.]

Through my years of training I've seen so many people earn their blackbelt and then quit. To me if you don't continue to train afterwards you wasted your time. When you achieve your blackbelt you are now proficient enough to start to really learn the true meaning of the martial arts.

 

Pete

 

 

[G95champ]

BlackBelts do a few things. One it provides closure. Lots of people don't realize that you can go futher. Alos once you become a black belt you dont really do any ne moves you just learn about the ones you know and how to apply them better.

 

Alos as pointed out many use black belt as a way to go on to another style. A solid base before picking up some other bit and parts of other stylers.

 

Also and sadly many teachers don't really know what to do with blackbelts. How to test them, what to teach them, how to train them etc. Again go check out all the mcdojo stuff.

 

Speaking for myself I have learned so much more after becomming a black blet than a I ever did before. It also takes a special person to keep going.

 

One reason American went to a colored belt systerm was to keep intrest up. Once you get your blackbelt thats it and people loose intrest becasue their is no goal of change to work towards.

[tessone]

Alos once you become a black belt you dont really do any ne moves you just learn about the ones you know and how to apply them better.

 

I'm sorry, but this is patently not true. The Kuk Sool Won black belt curriculum is many times larger than the color belt curriculum. Even for someone who is a black belt holder, there is a lot to learn--weapons, more forms, more techniques and self defense tactics, etc. It's not just perfecting what you've learned. I have no doubt it's the same way in many, many other arts.

 

 

[G95champ]

Well I just speaking from the 2 arts I hold black belts in. In both cases we were shown basically every move before black belt.

 

Yes their is kata and things like that are new but the body can only do so many things. Jump this way, bend that way, arms only bend in one direction, etc. Being a black belt dont give you a bunch of top secret moves no one else knows its more a deeper understanding of the moves everyone else knows.

[OldRookie]

IMHO-if you quit after acheiving your black belt,you are not looking at the big picture. I feel that martial arts are a learning process that does not end-unless you choose to end it.

 

There is always something to learn & I find it difficult to understand how a person can put in time,effort,sweat & of course $$ to just a certain point in their training and say,"O.K.-I finally got my blackbelt-guess I'm done...."

 

Myself-I am in this for the duration & just set short range goals & once they are acheived, move on to the next.

 

I am confident that I will have my blackbelt one day but-will still have tons to learn!