Am I a total jerk?

[insanitor]

This thread intrigued me because of it's title.

My experience with this kind of thing is extremely different from all of you.

I took Karate lessons at age 10 for approximately 3 months. I trained 6 days a week. I reached the rank of Yellow belt after the three months had ended. Then I stopped the lessons.

I decided to visit a similar karate school which taught the same style about 25 years later.

They started me off with a white belt. The school I got my yellow belt from had closed down, and the master there had died. The new school was run by one of his students who has his master's picture on his wall in the room where people train. So pretty much this particular school was the closest thing I could go to for nostalgic purposes.

I did not mind at all when they gave me a white belt. Besides, my yellow belt is too small for me to wear!

I was content to simply do what was asked of me, that being perhaps what little of my training I had remembered after 25 years.

Two things they asked me to do caught their attention:

One particular leg stretch and one kick.

I believe that it is not the belt that matters but what it represents. I believe that martial arts is a matter of the heart. Passion for what you do. People who show off their abilities do so because they need to convince others or even themselves that they know something.

Those who really know are satisfied just with the fact that they know what they know and they put a smile on their faces when their ability is questioned by others.

Some might say that this is a matter of respect, or courtesy.

I believe that respect is earned, not bestowed.

[sensei8]

This thread intrigued me because of it's title.

My experience with this kind of thing is extremely different from all of you.

I took Karate lessons at age 10 for approximately 3 months. I trained 6 days a week. I reached the rank of Yellow belt after the three months had ended. Then I stopped the lessons.

I decided to visit a similar karate school which taught the same style about 25 years later.

They started me off with a white belt. The school I got my yellow belt from had closed down, and the master there had died. The new school was run by one of his students who has his master's picture on his wall in the room where people train. So pretty much this particular school was the closest thing I could go to for nostalgic purposes.

I did not mind at all when they gave me a white belt. Besides, my yellow belt is too small for me to wear!

I was content to simply do what was asked of me, that being perhaps what little of my training I had remembered after 25 years.

Two things they asked me to do caught their attention:

One particular leg stretch and one kick.

I believe that it is not the belt that matters but what it represents. I believe that martial arts is a matter of the heart. Passion for what you do. People who show off their abilities do so because they need to convince others or even themselves that they know something.

Those who really know are satisfied just with the fact that they know what they know and they put a smile on their faces when their ability is questioned by others.

Some might say that this is a matter of respect, or courtesy.

I believe that respect is earned, not bestowed.

Solid post!!

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