To My Dec 2012 Black Bets and Candidates

A Black Belt Test … The Human Face of Karate

20 of you, some working on your Black Belt, others your 1st Degree.  Your Test begins Dec 19th and I’m very proud of each and every one of you!

My Black Belt Test was 35 years ago, and I can still recall the whole event like it was yesterday. 

I remember the smell of the mats; the sight of my opponents I had to spar against, and their faces with that look of, “Sorry to have to put you through this, buddy”; the voices of parents and spectators yelling at me to “get back up”, “keep on going”; the sweat that was in stinging my eyes; the boards that almost didn’t break; and looking at my Dad and my Seh Ssung (Master Instructor) when I wanted to vomit...

I remember even more vividly, giving my Black Belt Essay speech, in front of 500 spectators, video camera pointed at my face... with a microphone and all! (Yes, you will do this too.)

After 3-5 hours of demonstrating techniques, and 1000’s of kicks, punches, blocks, etc. there was sparring for 15 consecutive rounds, against 15 fresh opponents.  The only people who get to rest are your opponents!

Next, was board-breaking. Each of us had to do a four station break. (That’s where four separate people hold your boards and you have to break them one after the other -- no stopping!) Now, here is a solid fact, by the time you are ready for your black belt exam, you’ve effectively learned how to communicate, negotiate, be-nice-to, and persuade total strangers.

Here’s why: You are not allowed to have your best friends hold your boards! You must approach newer students to be your “holder” for your exam. That’s the rule. (There are reasons, specific reasons, that Karate develops so many qualities in kids. Psychologists can’t put their finger on it, but are the first ones to say that it does more than any other activity. Well, the board breaking thing is just a small example) Somehow I managed (at 12 years old) to cajole 5 white belt adults into showing up on a sunny, Saturday afternoon and hold boards for me!

End result, confidence through communication.

Now, you get three chances to break your boards. You miss - you’re out!  You could literally hear a pin drop when kids, as well as adults, were on their third and final try!

Finally, the essay! This part we were the most nervous about.  You have to (as you or your child will) submit a one minute essay to be recited at the end of your exam.

You could sense many spent a whole month writing their Black Belt Essays. We were told to title our essays, “What I’ve learned from Seh Ssung”.  And the reasons I say this is because before the exam... you’ve have no idea, that when you make your speech you do it AFTER THE SPARRING! Well, when we got up to recite the well-crafted speech we thought would make us look so smart -- we would get all choked-up while thanking parents, spouses, classmate, and extended family.

Why - even as kids, during that test... we became real. We became genuine.

Gone, were the faces that you can maintain when the going is easy. Gone, were the superficial masks that we get so accustom to “putting on”. People who I thought would pass -- failed!   And, people who thought would never make it through the 3 hour ordeal -- surprisingly passed!

I remember one kid during his essay, it was so incredible, he was 17 years old, he started when he was 12 and was the next youngest kid in our class next to me. The one thing I remember was his Mom had to nag him constantly to come to Karate.   He began talking about how his “the reason he was getting his black belt tonight”, but the most emotional part was when this young man said, “...and most of all, I want to especially thank my you Mom for never letting me quit...” everyone started to bawl!   He was thanking her for the “extra push” we all wish we had from time to time when we were younger.

As far as my essay goes I read three lines and then I just put it aside, and spoke from the heart. In fact, that’s what happened with many of us. On that day -- we became instant public speakers, instant communicators. What seemed like four or five years of kicking and punching at targets all sort of came together. Parents couldn’t believe it.

You see, once a candidate got up there... in their sweat, and their breathlessness... they could only quote like nine or ten sentences from the essay because we were too tired and couldn’t concentrate enough to read the pleasantries we’d so cleverly penned just a few short weeks earlier. It was awesome. We had the guts to just wing it and ended up looking like pros! Everyone knew what was happening too. Everyone knew it came from our heart and not our head.

It was right then and there that I knew I had the confidence to do anything I put my mind to. Experiencing the Black Belt Test at that young age made you “different” than other kids. It made you feel like you were made to do something special, something great with your life. You just knew that there is nothing that can stop you except for you.

I began to act and conduct myself so differently that teachers began making comments on my report card like, “He’s so in control of his emotions... Demonstrates Leadership Skills... Always Focuses On Solving Problems...

Years later I heard my Seh Ssung refer to this as the “human face of karate.”

It’s like the stuff you hear about but can’t explain. I mean, everyone talks about how martial artists look at things differently. And it’s true. We do. We look at everything differently; time, problems, service, discipline, stewardship, courage. Maybe it’s because the martial arts inherently provide a platform to actually live-out the stuff that you are trying to instill in your children through words.

Words are not enough. Even example is not enough. Experience is everything. My Seh Ssung always said, “If you hear something -- you’ll forget it. If you see something -- you’ll recall it. If you read something -- you’ll remember it. But is not until you DO... That you will learn it!”

Yes, karate is fun.  Yes, karate is recreational. But when you look at Karate as educational first, then it truly becomes rewarding.

Karate was not very popular in the 70’s so these are things that most of my childhood friends never experienced. And here we are, 35 years later. Many of my peers (not all of them of course) are on medication for one illness or another, some have lousy habits they wish they could “shake”. A few complain about how “life’s not fair” or how they got a “bad deal”... and how “the economy” sucks! I can’t imagine feeling like a victim like that.

Now, would karate have helped them? They tell me, “yes!” In fact, they say things like, “Wow, Doyle -- why didn’t you take ME to karate when we were little? I would love to have gotten my black belt! Look at you, you’re in shape, your upbeat, your positive, does karate teach that? Did you learn that from your Master?” The answer is a resounding... “Of course!”

But my father said it best…   In 1981 I got to travel around the country on a National Competitions team.  A local newspaper covered my progress and wrote a few articles.  They asked my Dad “How has Karate helped Doyle?”  “Are you kidding?” My Dad replied.  “Last year Doyle and I ran into an old Army buddy of mine who had served with me in Korea.  At a time when most of my friends kids where experimenting with drugs and having general bad attitudes, My Teenage Son looked my friend in the eye, shook his hand and said ‘Nice to meet you, Sir.  And thank you for Serving Our Country.’   For me, that was the moment it was worth every dollar I had ever spent on his lessons, sparring gear and tournament fees.  It was worth every hour I had spent sitting on the sidelines watching him practice moves I thought were impossible for a kid to perform.  You could have offered me a million dollars for his Black Belt and I would have turned you down without a second thought.  I couldn’t have been more proud!”

NOW THE 20 OF YOU HAVE TO POWER TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER OTHERS THROUGH THIS BLOG!  SHARE YOU BOOT CAMP EXPERIENCES.  TELL THE WORLD ABOUT YOUR 4 - 5 YEAR JOURNEY.  INSPIRE, EMPOWER, EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN AND GROW!

Think about who will read this! Think about those you could help out there in our community, right now ... Somewhere in Roseville:

• A child stays home, even on nice sunny days - playing video games. Her mother is puzzled. She has no idea that her daughter is afraid to play outside, with children who are more physically active. Even though there is no real danger, she feels intimidated!

• A young boy struggles in school and at home. He just can’t seem to control himself. His father begins to think the teacher from last year might be right... maybe he should be tested for ADD! If the boy were older, maybe he could explain that he is hungry for structure, attention, and some positive recognition!

• A nice young lady struggles with a weight problem. She turns down the few invitations to participate in team sports that she does receive. She is uncomfortable whit her physical appearance and doesn’t believe that she would be “good” at anything. Her parents, believing that she is “just a little shy” are not even aware that she is experiencing a confidence problem.

Strength, Honor and Best of luck to all 20 of you,

~ Seh Ssung