# Have You "Been There"?



## Kaygee (Jun 12, 2012)

I'm gonna come from the heart here, so if anyone is going to flame me or ridicule me for it, I ask you to please think about it before you do it.

I remember when I was a white belt and I had a red belt teaching me my first set of one-step sparrings. My instructor came over to him and corrected him on something. Then, two minutes later, he did it again. Now granted, the corrections were deserved, but I will never forget when he looked up at me in choon bi and said, "being a red belt is really hard."

I heard him, but I didn't really understand.

When I received my 4th gup promotion, my Sah Bum Nim said to me, as he was placing the second piece of tape on my green belt, "I'd tell you to come more, but you come every night. I'd tell you to try harder, but you try your hardest every night! All I can say is slow down....you're a red belt for a long time and being a red belt is tough."

Again, I heard him, but I really didn't understand.

.........I'm starting to understand now........

It is getting hard to keep motivated and I am finding flaws in nearly everything I do. I do not know if that is the "negative energy" that is surrounding me because of my frustration, or if doing the same thing over and over again is taking its toll on me. I completely understand that this is the rank where I am supposed to get all of my skills up to the point where I deserve to be a black belt, and I have all intentions of hanging in there....

But it IS tough! I was just wondering if there was anyone else out there that is currently experienced feeling this way, or if anyone out there got their black belt and remember feeling this way and if anyone had any advice on how to help me get thru it.

I am sure I will get thru it, I just know there are some wise people out there. 
Thank you!


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## dancingalone (Jun 12, 2012)

You're not off-target at all with this, Kaygee.  I've heard people call it "brown belt syndrome".  Basically, it's the moment when an advanced student readying for the dan test realizes how close (and yet how FAR) he has to go to become really good.  It can be a very daunting thing.  You're expected to do well by your teacher and the other students look up to you as a model, YET you're consumed with how 'lacking' you are compared to X.  You feel the criticisms more intensely since you think, perhaps unrealistically, that you should be above that by now, and self-doubt has crept in here and there with no end in sight.

As you said, you'll get through it.  Good luck!


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## Manny (Jun 12, 2012)

I remeber baqck in 1986 when my sambo told me I was not reading for testing for black belt, I felt terrible, I wanted to test before Grand Master An Dae Sup, besides I was going to get an international certification but, my sambonim told me I wasn't ready, I obey him with a little frsutartion but did it, next year I did my black belt test and passed with flying colours, it was worth the wait believe me.

Rigth now I am candidate or elegible to test for 3rd Dan and maybe I will do the examination the next year. I want to reinforced some things and be ready, however lately I've been feeling bored and my motivation is low, there are some nights I don't want go to dojang, feel like I need a little vacation or doing something else.

The only thing I can do is go to dojang to impart clases to my two students and give all, and sometimes show early at the evening and train with the other students, I am one of three senior students but some times I feel a little tired.

My advise it to talk with your sombonim and tell him the way you feel, I know he could give you a good advise.

Manny


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## Steve (Jun 12, 2012)

While not specific to TSD, we have ALL (I'm sure) been through it.  In BJJ, the belt promotions are infrequent, and it's very common to hit a plateau in which you feel as though nothing is working and you're not making any progress.  For me, this happened when I was promoted to purple belt.  It literally felt like I lost my mojo.  

Stick with it.  For me, I just focus on having fun.  Out of all of the ways I could stay in shape, I choose BJJ because I love it.  Everything else is icing on the cake.


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## Kaygee (Jun 12, 2012)

Thank you very much for the replies. It has made me feel A LOT better knowing that it is kind of normal to be feeling this way. 
Now there's nothing else to do but get up and get back into the dojang and keep at it!!    

Thanks again everyone!!


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## sfs982000 (Jun 12, 2012)

I'm currently experiencing the "brown belt syndrome" that dancingalone had mentioned.  For me I think its the added responsibilities that the instructors expect of me as well as the added pressure to do well that I put on meself that have me feeling that way.  I'm just trying to plug away and giving it my all but some nights it is difficult.


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## Tony Dismukes (Jun 12, 2012)

I've encountered this not only in the martial arts, but in other fields as well.  There comes a point where your awareness of what you're doing incorrectly and how much you need to improve is progressing faster than your actual physical skills.  Objectively, you're moving forward.  Subjectively, it feels like you're stalled or even getting worse.

The only solution I've found is to let go of the ego involved in my image of how skilled I am or how quickly I'm progressing and to just keep practicing.


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## JWLuiza (Jun 12, 2012)

Have you heard of conscious and unconscious incompetence/competence? Conscious Incompetence is ego-threatening but the only way to improve your skills.


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## Kaygee (Jun 12, 2012)

Tony Dismukes said:


> There comes a point where your awareness of what you're doing incorrectly and how much you need to improve is progressing faster than your actual physical skills.  Objectively, you're moving forward.  Subjectively, it feels like you're stalled or even getting worse.


Tony, you summed up exactly how I feel! You really don't know how happy I am that I posted this thread here because the support and responses that I have received have made me feel like I am just going thru a part of a stage that every martial artist goes thru!


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## bugatabugata (Jun 12, 2012)

Buddy, I know exactly what you're talking about. (And I'm not even at red yet, that's the next test.) You've received some good advice here. The only thing that I can add is that perspective helps. Whenever you start getting sucked into the "I suck and am not making any discernible progress." or "I should really be way better by now." mentality, just look at the low belts and remember that's where you started. Then look at the black belts -- that's what they used to be back in the day. Then keep pushing. In your own mind, you never stop sucking, just your baseline for "suck" changes with time, and that's kind of the point, the way I figure.


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## Kaygee (Jun 13, 2012)

bugatabugata said:


> you never stop sucking, just your baseline for "suck" changes with time



I fore-see this becomming a popular quote.


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