My Black Belt Test Paper

For my 1st Dan black belt test in Tae Kwon Do, I was required to write a paper about what it means to become a black belt and what inherent responsibilities it brings. I thought I would share that paper here. My test was on 11 January 2014 and I passed! :) This was the culmination of more than 4.5 years of preparation, a journey I started in 2005 and from which I took a break from 2009-2012 for graduate school. I returned at the beginning of 2013 with the goal of earning my black belt—I was a red belt at the time—by the end of the year.

What Becoming a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do Means to Me

10 January 2014

My journey on the way to earning my black belt has been long and full of obstacles. I started training in 2005 as an adult and it has been quite the balancing act between work, martial arts, and all the other inherent responsibilities of being an adult. In many ways, I think trying to do all of this at the same time has made me a better student because it requires a good amount of discipline and determination. I don’t like leaving things unfinished so while it has been nearly nine years since I first began training—with a four year break for graduate school—I returned a year ago to complete the foundational learning of my Tae Kwon Do experience.

This transition to black belt primarily symbolizes for me the very essence of perseverance and indomitable spirit. It’s not a trivial undertaking to learn and incorporate a new set of skills like TKD into one’s life. I am not as young as most students, not in as good physical shape and with much less energy, yet I strive to the best of my abilities (most days) to keep up and accomplish the same skills and tasks. I had a real crisis at red belt with comparing myself to other students and feeling I was not as “good” because of these differences. But with a lot of self reflection, I’ve come to accept that my best is just that—my best. There will always be those with more and those with less talent, drive, ability, or ambition to continue this journey. But for what I might lack in physical ability, I make up for in determination.

As I transition to a true student of TKD, I think the biggest responsibility lies in helping others with their journeys. Teaching skills is the easy part; that is, explaining how to do a particular kick, demonstrating self defense moves, or reciting academic knowledge is something all students are capable of as they move up the ranks. But, upon reaching advanced levels, students should hone an understanding and appreciation for encouraging less advanced students to try their bests and recognize their inherent skills and abilities and to appreciate themselves for undertaking this art. I can’t speak for everyone but I think in order to achieve this level of accomplishment requires maturity, self reflection, and mental fortitude that naturally leads one to want to help others and encourage them to continue learning.

I look forward to attaining the rank of first dan because, most simply, it is something I have wanted to accomplish. Yes, I have enjoyed the journey and learned a lot about myself along the way while internalizing and exploring the tenets of TKD; but while the transition into true student is important, I recognize that for myself the transition out of novice student is equally important. I feel accomplished. The idea of having a real “title” is pretty cool too. In many ways, this is even better than finishing graduate school because it’s something I just wanted to do. No professional reason, only personal. I did this for me.

Note: The title I now enjoy is "Jo-Kyo" which means first degree black belt.