Meaning of a BB

[terryl965]

What is it that gives you meaning to be a BB and if you are a BB what is it that gave you meaning to be a BB.
Was it the ability to fight
Was it the ability to better yourself
Was it the ability to better your community
was it the ability to be more confidence in yourself
was it the ability to be something I left out?

 

[CF'er]

The meaning of a BB to me:
It will mean that I started something and didn't give up.
It will give me more confidence in myself (see #1). Also for my abilities as a MArtist.
It will mean that my health held out to allow me to train as hard as I needed to inorder to earn my BB.

 

[terryl965]

I agre about the health holding out.

 

[TKDmel]

I am a traditionalist at heart. I believe that this commentary sums it all up for me. It is located at TKD Tutor. I would copy it here but it is a very long synopsis of Black Belt Prestige, I think many of you will enjoy reading and make you think about the future of all martial arts.

http://tkdtutor.com/05Instructor/BlackBeltPrestige/BlackBeltPrestige01.htm

This pretty much sums up why I became a black belt and the meaning it still holds for me.

 

[kosho]

Hello,
This is my Black belt letter. 1 Of the many things i had to do for this rank.
Kosho

“ What a Black Belt means to Stephen E. Bonk “​

​

The rank of black belt is a sign of one’s ending a great journey and starting a new one simultaneously. A black belt is a combination of responsibility, respect for yourself and others, and disciple. Your natural impulses like your temper need to be harnessed.
The martial arts have given me a great amount of respect for others and for myself. When someone has been promoted to the rank of black belt in his or her art, they take on a large responsibility. You are an example of the art to those around you. Once you put on the new rank, it never really comes off. It becomes part of your identity. Inside the dojo, or outside in the world, you are a black belt and you should carry yourself in a respectful manner. I feel you should be a role model for adults and children by giving them a goal to work towards. The new goal is to keep on learning as long as you can and to pass on what has been given to you. That is a great gift. A black belt rank involves being confident in your ability and knowing your boundaries. You should have an over all understanding of the art you are studying and have some of the history of where it came from. A black belt is always improving your body, mind and limits. I truly will honor my new rank and will try to live up to the level of its meaning and importance.

Thank You,
Kosho

 

[terryl965]

I am a traditionalist at heart. I believe that this commentary sums it all up for me. It is located at TKD Tutor. I would copy it here but it is a very long synopsis of Black Belt Prestige, I think many of you will enjoy reading and make you think about the future of all martial arts.

http://tkdtutor.com/05Instructor/BlackBeltPrestige/BlackBeltPrestige01.htm

This pretty much sums up why I became a black belt and the meaning it still holds for me.

Yes I have read that and love the way it is put thank you for sharing

 

[terryl965]

Hello,
This is my Black belt letter. 1 Of the many things i had to do for this rank.
Kosho

“ What a Black Belt means to Stephen E. Bonk “​

The rank of black belt is a sign of one’s ending a great journey and starting a new one simultaneously. A black belt is a combination of responsibility, respect for yourself and others, and disciple. Your natural impulses like your temper need to be harnessed.
The martial arts have given me a great amount of respect for others and for myself. When someone has been promoted to the rank of black belt in his or her art, they take on a large responsibility. You are an example of the art to those around you. Once you put on the new rank, it never really comes off. It becomes part of your identity. Inside the dojo, or outside in the world, you are a black belt and you should carry yourself in a respectful manner. I feel you should be a role model for adults and children by giving them a goal to work towards. The new goal is to keep on learning as long as you can and to pass on what has been given to you. That is a great gift. A black belt rank involves being confident in your ability and knowing your boundaries. You should have an over all understanding of the art you are studying and have some of the history of where it came from. A black belt is always improving your body, mind and limits. I truly will honor my new rank and will try to live up to the level of its meaning and importance.

Thank You,
Kosho

Very nice Kosho

 

[Kacey]

Any rank belt that is earned represents a level of knowledge - no matter what the rank is, it says that someone, somewhere, is certifying that the wearer has a certain level of information, and the ability to demonstrate that information, in a particular style.

Black belt, to me, is a beginning - a sign that the student has learned to control his/her actions and reactions, physically and mentally, enough to perform at a certain standard, and is ready to begin the next level - training as a black belt, instead of training to be a black belt.

For many people outside MA, black belt is the ultimate rank - people with little or no knowledge of MA often don't have the information necessary to understand the differences between levels of black belt. Many people start an MA with the goal of black belt, not really understanding what that goal means - and too many reach their goal and are unable, or unwilling, to set a new goal, of continuing to learn and improve for the sake of learning and improving, which is, I think, why so many people drop out after black belt. Rank will come, in time, if one continues to learn and improve - but as far as I'm concerned, if your only goal is rank, you are missing a major piece of the journey.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

In my experience, earning a 1st dan black belt signifies that you simply know, understand and s/b proficient in the basic techniques of Taekwondo. It also means that you're ready to advance to the next level of training. A more in depth study of our art, and that you're beginning the transition of not only being a student, but also beginning to learn how to be a teacher of the art.

 

[Cirdan]

Inside the club the means whatever the one who gave it to you wanted it to mean.

Outside the club the belt means absolutely nothing.

If your black belt belt is half covered in golden stripes, fancy letters, dragons etc and you got it in two years (according to the contract) it means you`ve been ripped off.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Inside the club the means whatever the one who gave it to you wanted it to mean.

Outside the club the belt means absolutely nothing...

I still stand by my statement above, but yeah I agree with you on this, outside the dojang your black belt means nothing. Especially if someone is holding a gun on you. Human flesh usually can't stop a lead bullet...

 

[terryl965]

Inside the club the means whatever the one who gave it to you wanted it to mean.

Outside the club the belt means absolutely nothing.

If your black belt belt is half covered in golden stripes, fancy letters, dragons etc and you got it in two years (according to the contract) it means you`ve been ripped off.

For me it signafies 42 years of training and that if I like I can wear it with gold stripes and dragons all up and down it for that matter, it is a piece of material like some of my shirts they have a dragoons logo on them and cost me alot of money. Kinda like my Expensive suite as far as really meaning something it means that my father and other instructor felt I was understanding enough about the Arts to recieve one from them. No contract no money no air condition but alot of sweet and bruises and blood from all the training over the years.

I hold a BB to a standerd of being a significient step inone continous training to become the best possible person and strive for perfection which we can never reach, one day I will meet those that have bestol what they believe I was worth and hopefully when I do they will say that I deserved all that was given to me by them until that day I will continue to train and help those try to be perfect in every aspect of life.

 

[RED]

The basics have been learned. It's a first step towards a white belt.

K.I.S.S. Keeping it simple.

 

[IcemanSK]

K.I.S.S. Keeping it simple.

My instructor is fond of saying, "K.I.S.S. stands for, 'Keep it simple,sir.'":ultracool

 

[Balrog]

I tell my students that making First Degree Black Belt is a wonderful goal to set. However, it's like setting a goal to graduate from high school. You know that college follows, you don't stop learning.

The journey from White Belt to First Degree is where you learn the basics of Taekwondo. At First Degree is where you begin to learn the art of Taekwondo.

 

[kosho]

Terry,

Thank you....

Kosho

 

[Just4Kicks]

I am a traditionalist at heart. I believe that this commentary sums it all up for me. It is located at TKD Tutor. I would copy it here but it is a very long synopsis of Black Belt Prestige, I think many of you will enjoy reading and make you think about the future of all martial arts.

http://tkdtutor.com/05Instructor/BlackBeltPrestige/BlackBeltPrestige01.htm

This pretty much sums up why I became a black belt and the meaning it still holds for me.

Thank you for sharing, that article reflects much of what I believe myself. When I started tkd I wanted to make it a life style, a part of who I was. And it is, rank means nothing, it is what you know. A black belt is just a rag, but the status, you should be worthy of it.

When I do go for black belt, it will be when I feel I have achieved enough to deserve it, know enough. Unless I do, I will not take the rank. I will also ask for the same criteria as the men, as my female instructor did before me. I am not here to be coddled, I am here to learn to fight; to strive and to persevere.

 

[Cirdan]

I am a traditionalist at heart. I believe that this commentary sums it all up for me. It is located at TKD Tutor. I would copy it here but it is a very long synopsis of Black Belt Prestige, I think many of you will enjoy reading and make you think about the future of all martial arts.

http://tkdtutor.com/05Instructor/BlackBeltPrestige/BlackBeltPrestige01.htm

This pretty much sums up why I became a black belt and the meaning it still holds for me.

This will not change until our society starts collapsing and it needs someone to save it. These saviors will not come from the ranks of watered-down black belts or martial art athletes; they will come from the ranks of black belt warriors who have trained themselves physically and mental to do what it takes to survive. Then, as people see the need for true warriors, they will not accept the imposters, and the black belt will again be held in a position of high prestige.

Uh yeah.. all hail the Black Belt Warrior Saviours of our collapsing society!
(excuse me for typing while lying on the the floor. The laughter cramps don`t allow me to get up quite yet)

 

[Just4Kicks]

^^ I must admit that the last paragraph was rather... corny. But I do agree that the prestige of black belt has been watered down and barstardized through the 'sporting mentality' where none really learn how to defend themselves instead opting to earn points in tournaments.

 

[Muwubu16858]

When you earn the rank of Cho Dan, you now earn the right to begin learning the Martial Arts. Before that is all building a foundation to work on.