Absorb what is useful, reject what is
useless, and add what is specifically your own. – Bruce Lee
It is often said that attaining the rank of 1st
Dan black belt marks the beginning,
not the end, of a martial artist’s training – that the years before are about creating
the weapon, while the decades beyond are for learning to use it. In these last two years of training as a 1st
Dan, I am beginning to understand
this statement. My focus has shifted from building muscle and endurance and acquiring
my JSD curriculum material to
learning how to learn, how to adapt, how to create and experiment, and, perhaps
most importantly, how to teach. As I prepare
to test for my 2nd Dan
black belt and to accept the title of Sabumnim,
reflecting on what it means to teach others, and on the mentors I’ve been so privileged to have fills me
with humility, extreme gratitude, and a desire to pay their investment in me
forward.
It’s unsettling at first to put on a black
uniform and belt after so many years of study as a color belt student. I remember catching a glimpse of myself in the
mirror and wondering about this unfamiliar black belt at the dojang before I realized who it was. A black belt faces less scrutiny and feedback
from the higher belts, but more responsibility as the lower belt students begin
to ask for help and feedback themselves.
My goal as a 1st Dan
was to focus mainly on myself, taking this time to deepen my understanding of the
curriculum, to fix the things that needed to be fixed, and to develop the
confidence I needed to live up to my new role and the duties associated with it.
During these last two years, I have gradually accepted
more responsibilities helping with the children’s program and with the adult
color belt students. The experience of
helping and teaching other students has been eye-opening in many ways. It is one thing to do a form or technique,
while quite another to communicate it to someone else, or troubleshoot what
might be going wrong. In some cases,
I’ve been able to draw upon the memory of how the same item was taught to me,
and I have had much success with that.
(The fact that I made a lot of mistakes and needed a lot of correction
myself gives me plenty of material to work with in this regard.) Other situations have been more challenging,
and I have had to experiment, learning through trial and error what might
resonate with a particular student. In
either case, I’m learning that the act of breaking down and working through a
technique with someone always teaches me something as well.
Another
insight I’ve gained from this process of breaking down and experimenting with
different techniques is that not every technique works for every person. While learning the standard curriculum was
important to my development as a color belt student, in the last two years I
have been increasingly focused on how I can modify those elements to make them
work for me. I’m discovering my own
favorites, and finding the tweaks I’ve needed to be not just correct, but also
effective in the application of a technique.
During this time, I have appreciated having had both a solid foundation
in my teachers’ methods, and also the space and autonomy to modify and
experiment and begin to discover a style and approach that is uniquely my own.
Part of finding my own path has involved moving
out of my comfort zone to cross-train in Yoga, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Exploring these interests and gaining the
knowledge available from them has been extremely valuable to my development as
a martial artist. Exposure to different
methods, techniques, and philosophies has broadened my vision and given me a
new context in which to see myself and my own strengths and weaknesses, as well
as new examples of instructors and mentors to watch. As I shore up my weaker areas and become more proficient in these other
pursuits, I will have a unique perspective and skill set to bring back to my
own learning, teaching and mentoring at the Academy.
An additional important benefit of committing
to learning something new is getting in touch with what it feels like to be a
beginner at something. As a higher level
student in one discipline, I have found that it is easier to identify with the
confusions and frustrations beginners experience when that same feeling is
fresh in my own mind as a beginner in a different pursuit. The establishment of that connection is important
to the process of meeting a struggling student where he or she is, and developing
rapport.
While establishing this connection with fellow
students is, of course, important, in my mind, the mark of an excellent teacher / mentor is primarily the example he or she sets. The people
who inspire me are the ones who work tirelessly at something to get it
right. They put in the extra hours before
and after and outside class, and are generous with their time and knowledge
when asked for help. Their hard work
shows in the execution of their forms and techniques, and observing them motivates
me to work hard as well. This is the
kind of example I hope to be as a Sabumnim
at the Academy.
I am a very different person today than I was six
years ago, when I began training. I am
stronger, more confident, more resilient, more assertive, less anxious, and
less prone to depression and worry. I am
happier. I have a body I truly love that
amazes me every day with what it can do.
Training in the martial arts is more than a hobby or a workout; for me, it
has become a way of life. When I
consider the way this pursuit has transformed me, I am acutely aware of the
power a skilled and caring mentor can have in changing someone’s life for the
better. As I begin to find my identity
as a Sabnumim, my goal is to combine
the various experiences that have shaped, and continue to shape, my development
as a martial artist into something that will benefit others as well. Taking this next step in my own journey marks
the beginning of my opportunity to pay forward what has been generously given
to me, for which I am infinitely grateful.
