I have now been a 1st dan for just over six months. This post is a result of me reflecting on those months. They weren't totally productive but I don't feel like I've totally wasted the time ether. I've settled in to the role of a black belt a little more now, I still have a long way to go, but it's early days. This is some advice that I'd give to karateka who haven't been black belts for very long ether. I'm aware that the previous description won't fit some readers, but even if you haven't passed 1st dan recently, there might still be something of use to you in terms of general training, or at least, this will make for an interesting read...
1. If, post-grading, you feel unsure where to carry on training from, do the things you might've been guilty of neglecting as a coloured belt. For me, this was studying the applications of techniques and the history of karate in detail. Being aware of these things early on is far from a bad thing. I'd say that if one isn't, the consquences of it are comparable with leaving certain things unsaid after an arguement with somebody; things build up overtime and start to have a negative impact.
2. It sounds ovbious yet it's so easily forgotten: don't expect too much of yourself too quickly. This can be easy to do as a karateka new to black belt, it's easy to assume things will be straightforward because, to put it simply, you've just become a BLACK BELT!!! The fact remains, however, that acheivement and progress in karate take time.
3. There's nothing wrong with learning the syllabus for 2nd dan, but don't focus solely on it, was what my sensei told me when I asked about it. Now, I see what he meant by it. Black belt the point in training where you make karate your own. As a kyu grade, you learn the skills neccasarry for doing so. Theres a difference. It's impossible to train with the mind of a coloured belt as a black belt. Learn the syllabus, but do other things that contribute to karate being your own.
4. Different things work for different people, but personally, I find that keeping a training journal makes being fully responsible for training, as you are at black belt, more manageable. Making a note of feedback from sessions and what's happened in practice helps me take a more organised approach to my training if I'm not having to recall everything from memory.
5. If you're teaching yourself something, be aware there's more to it than just learning its shape off a youtube clip. Understanding it takes more than that, it requires extra research around what you're trying to learn(history, technical details, etc..) and possibly asking your sensei questions about it.
6. When it comes to teaching, avoid making any judgements in the early days or expecting too much of yourself. I speak from experience when I say that it's no easy task, (one of my previous posts goes in to more detail about this). One thing to remember is that the role of a teacher in karate is to help the student learn, not to exert dominanace over them. Ask the student how they feel something is going and what they find particularly difficult about something. It builds a good teacher-student relationship and makes your teaching more efficient if you know what to work on with the student.
7. Don't underestimate or forget the importance of your love of karate(which it's likely you have if you've progressed as far as 1st dan). Love will mean you are comitted and stick it out through the bad times. It means training will be a lifelong thing for you. Love is the connection between a martial artist and their training. Yes sometimes a colder interest is needed for the less enjoyable things in training, but that's done as a result of love for it.
8. Allow yourself to develop your own views on training to help make it your own- try writing a blog!
Saturday 14 June 2014
Sunday 8 June 2014
The Belt System: Overall Conclusion
In conclusion to my last few posts, the belt system has a an important role in a karateka's early training in terms of providing structure and systematicness for that vast amount of learning that needs to be done before black belt. As a black belt, it is signinficantly less of a presence because the aim is to use those skills learnt as a kyu grade to shape one's own karate. Without those skills, karateka would simply not have the ability to make it as black belts. Therefore, it can be an incredibly positive impact on training.
The belt system (seemingly) gets in the way of training when individuals start to see it as something it is not. It's very easy for a karateka not to take full responsibility as the center of their training and let the belt system take that place instead if it's the only thing they rely on for motivation. The belt system does not have this function,it's not its role. Others might see the belt system as something it isn't in the sense that they think their belt defines them as a martial artist more than themselves. This isn't the role of the belt system ether. Because, in a grading, examiners are only able to asses a small amount of the examinee's training: technical accuracy under pressure. Assesment of personality dosen't come in to it. So how can someone's belt define them as a martial artist more than themselves?
When the belt system gets in the way, it's not to blame; it dosen't do that in itself, the karateka uses it for something it is not designed to do. When this dosen't happen, it has a positive impact. As karateka, we need to realise that we are the center of our training and face the responsibililty of being that and accept that the belt system is designed to be a part of training, an important one, but nothing more than that.
The belt system (seemingly) gets in the way of training when individuals start to see it as something it is not. It's very easy for a karateka not to take full responsibility as the center of their training and let the belt system take that place instead if it's the only thing they rely on for motivation. The belt system does not have this function,it's not its role. Others might see the belt system as something it isn't in the sense that they think their belt defines them as a martial artist more than themselves. This isn't the role of the belt system ether. Because, in a grading, examiners are only able to asses a small amount of the examinee's training: technical accuracy under pressure. Assesment of personality dosen't come in to it. So how can someone's belt define them as a martial artist more than themselves?
When the belt system gets in the way, it's not to blame; it dosen't do that in itself, the karateka uses it for something it is not designed to do. When this dosen't happen, it has a positive impact. As karateka, we need to realise that we are the center of our training and face the responsibililty of being that and accept that the belt system is designed to be a part of training, an important one, but nothing more than that.
Sunday 1 June 2014
The Belt System: A positive impact on training or does it get in the way?(part 2)
If you haven't read my previous post already then I suggest you do as the two have some close links between them.
As mentioned in my previous post, the belt system is not just a source of motivation in itself or people would just give up as black belts and karate would die out (see previous post for full explanation), it would just be pointless. However, working through the kyu grades as a karateka is far from pointless. This post examines the importance of them in training and how they lay the foundations for training as a black belt.
In spite of my argument that the belt system wouldn't work if it was just a source of motivation, it can if it's not the belts in themselves. The coloured belts systematise that huge amount of learning that needs to be done between starting karate and becoming a black belt. Without them, the task would seem impossible to many (westerners) who start karate and who would otherwise give up. The systematic approach the coloured belts provide prevent karateka from giving up early, a more optimistic way of putting this would be that it keeps them motivated. So, in the early years of a karateka's training, the belt system acting as something preventing them giving up, but not the belts in themselves, actually keeps karate alive.
Also, kyu grades lay the foundations for black belt. Without them, training as a black belt would be impossible; a craftsmen can't make anything until they know how to use the tools. In the context of karate, 'the tools' are skills karateka learn as kyu grades, the crafting of something (making karate your own), happens at black belt. As a kyu grade, one learns basic (becoming increasingly advanced) techniques, one of the more obvious and important skills. Equally important, is developing good training habits(working hard, regular practice etc......).
Training regularly and working hard only when there's a grading on the horizon is an example of an unhealthy training habit. It also shows a total reliance on the belts in themselves for motivation, which they're not, because it wouldn't work if they were, as I've said before, people would just give up at black belt, because of unstable foundations laid as a coloured belt, clearly. This also an example of making the belt system in to something it is not. The two, training habits and making the belt system in to something it is not have a correlation between them, this suggests. Training for the next belt, and not for the love of karate, is another example of an unhealthy training habit along with seeing the belt system in to something it isn't.
However, this also suggests that, the belt system can easily get in the way of a karateka developing good training habits. So is it such a positive impact on training after all? Personally, I don't think it's the belt system to blame, rather people not understanding that developing good training habits won't just happen, they have to work at it. It's when they don't that they start to rely on the belt system and it in to something it's not; a karateka is the centre of their training, the belt system is a part of that training, not the other way round.
When the belt system has a negative impact on training, it's because of the individual seeing it as something it isn't, yet again. That's all I'll say for now as my next post will be the overall conclusion to my last 3-4 posts and I don't want to repeat myself too much.
As mentioned in my previous post, the belt system is not just a source of motivation in itself or people would just give up as black belts and karate would die out (see previous post for full explanation), it would just be pointless. However, working through the kyu grades as a karateka is far from pointless. This post examines the importance of them in training and how they lay the foundations for training as a black belt.
In spite of my argument that the belt system wouldn't work if it was just a source of motivation, it can if it's not the belts in themselves. The coloured belts systematise that huge amount of learning that needs to be done between starting karate and becoming a black belt. Without them, the task would seem impossible to many (westerners) who start karate and who would otherwise give up. The systematic approach the coloured belts provide prevent karateka from giving up early, a more optimistic way of putting this would be that it keeps them motivated. So, in the early years of a karateka's training, the belt system acting as something preventing them giving up, but not the belts in themselves, actually keeps karate alive.
Also, kyu grades lay the foundations for black belt. Without them, training as a black belt would be impossible; a craftsmen can't make anything until they know how to use the tools. In the context of karate, 'the tools' are skills karateka learn as kyu grades, the crafting of something (making karate your own), happens at black belt. As a kyu grade, one learns basic (becoming increasingly advanced) techniques, one of the more obvious and important skills. Equally important, is developing good training habits(working hard, regular practice etc......).
Training regularly and working hard only when there's a grading on the horizon is an example of an unhealthy training habit. It also shows a total reliance on the belts in themselves for motivation, which they're not, because it wouldn't work if they were, as I've said before, people would just give up at black belt, because of unstable foundations laid as a coloured belt, clearly. This also an example of making the belt system in to something it is not. The two, training habits and making the belt system in to something it is not have a correlation between them, this suggests. Training for the next belt, and not for the love of karate, is another example of an unhealthy training habit along with seeing the belt system in to something it isn't.
However, this also suggests that, the belt system can easily get in the way of a karateka developing good training habits. So is it such a positive impact on training after all? Personally, I don't think it's the belt system to blame, rather people not understanding that developing good training habits won't just happen, they have to work at it. It's when they don't that they start to rely on the belt system and it in to something it's not; a karateka is the centre of their training, the belt system is a part of that training, not the other way round.
When the belt system has a negative impact on training, it's because of the individual seeing it as something it isn't, yet again. That's all I'll say for now as my next post will be the overall conclusion to my last 3-4 posts and I don't want to repeat myself too much.
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