Every Keswick Karate beginner dreams of the day they can achieve the coveted black belt. It’s an excellent award for the years of hard work and dedication that has been put in. There are many hurdles to overcome on the journey to a black belt, and each belt before it is a stepping-stone that allows practitioners to focus on the smaller goals in order to achieve the bigger ones.
A black belt signifies that the practitioner is very well versed in their style of martial art and while it doesn’t allow a person to be considered a master, it does command a certain amount of respect. Children that work hard to achieve a black belt can use parts of what they have learnt on their journey in their adult life, and also learn more in karate. So in reality, a black belt is just the beginning.
It’s easy for children to get sidetracked on their journey to a black belt, providing each year that passes is a very long time for them. A black belt usually takes around five years to reach, so persistence is key in attaining their goal. While it is important that children stay aware of the end goal, it is more important to focus on the belt in front of them.
Keswick Karate practitioners study what is necessary to achieve their next belt, and while what they have learnt may be used for future belts, karate is all about building your foundation. Through each colored belt, you are putting the blocks in place for a greater understanding of karate.
Focusing on the belt in front of them allows students to stay motivated along their black belt journey. Rather than working towards that end-goal that seems so far away, they are able to work towards the smaller goals of achieving the next belt, which helps them to see their progression.
Many people that don’t study karate have the common misconception that once a practitioner has achieved a black belt, they’re learning is complete and they may they choose another martial art to study, or open their own karate school and start teaching.
While achieving a black belt is certainly the end of an era, there are still many things to learn following it. There are 10 degrees to a black belt, with the 10th degree being an exceptional and rare achievement.
So while it can be challenging at times to find the persistence and dedication to achieve your black belt, or spur your child on to achieve theirs, it is really just a case of assessing what you want to achieve and then breaking in down into smaller challenges.
There’s a certain feeling of achieving each belt, which only gets better as you are consistently working harder and learning more advanced techniques. So the worthiness of reaching the level of black belt and further can be a life highlight.
So stay focused, aim for the smaller goals, and the larger ones will fall into place along the way.