Black Belts: The Best And The Worst

 This is Master Kevin Robinson of the World Tang Soo Do Association.

This is a Snickers bar.

 

So, what do they have in common?  Almost nothing, actually.  But more on that in a bit.  Master Robinson is one of the senior masters in the WTSDA, and one of my personal heroes.  Despite that, he honors me be calling me "brother" almost every time I see him.  If you aren't familiar with Master Robinson's personal story, I suggest you talk with him if you are able, talk to somone who knows him, or at the very least, read a copy of his book.

The point is, after getting to know him better, I can honestly say that Master Robinson is one of the very few people I know personally who has the right to complain about how unfair life can be.  He doesn't, though.  Instead, he remains consistently positive, and he openly shares his experiences, both positive and negative, in the hope that by doing so it might help others.  He consistently strives for self-improvement, and defines the word ATTITUDE.  He is also one of the finest martial artists I have ever seen in terms of pure physical skill.

A number of years ago, while speaking at a WTSDA Region 8 Black Belt Camp, Master Robinson coined a phrase that stuck with those of us who heard him speak: the "Snickers Bar Black Belt" 

 

The catch phrase for Snickers at the time was that it "satisifies".  To the Snickers Bar Black Belts, the belt itself is much like that candy bar. The act of getting the belt itself has satisfied them.  They feel that they've reached their goals, that there is no more to accomplish.  This makes them hard to teach, and even harder for them to be effective teachers.  Master Robinson is by no means satisfied.  He is an example of what a black belt should be.

I, on the other hand, do not pretend to be the best of examples in all aspects.  My life has actually been pretty easy in most respects.  Perhaps I could argue that without having suffered too many hardships to forge my spirit, that spirit has become somewhat weaker, but that's just a cop-out.  I'm currently about 25 pounds overweight, and I've done little to nothing about it.  I eat too much and train too little, and while I've recently made an attempt to turn that around, I can't say it's been easy.

I have one nemesis in particular:

He looks so friendly, doesn't he?  Don't that that fool you.  He's evil.  Actually, I know it isn't his fault that I'm overweight.  It's my own fault.  At least I'm not satisfied, though.  Maybe I should start drinking this, instead:

 

I don't think so, though.  What's the point of this stuff, anyway?  It really doesn't have any business calling itself Mountain Dew.  It's really kind of like that Snickers Bar Black Belt, in a way...

 

Meet the Caffeine Free Diet Mountain Dew Black Belt.  He really doesn't have any business calling himself a real black belt, though.  He's bitter.  He's terribly unsatisfied, and completely unsatisfying.  Really, what's the point of having this guy around?  Shake him up a bit, and you'll find out he's full of one thing above all others: Resentment.

As a student, he has resentment for his instructors:

They make me work too hard.

They ask too much of me.

They don't show me anything new.

They're holding me back.

Maybe it isn't his instructors' fault, though.  Maybe it's his fault.  I tell my black belt students all the time: "If you aren't learning anything new, it's your fault."  Blunt, yes.  But also true.  By the time you reach the rank of black belt in our school, you should have developed at least some skills in analytical thinking.  The curriculum has been established.  The knowledge is being presented.  I know this, because I know where and from whom I learned (and continue to learn) to teach.  I also know that the development of teaching skills is constantly being worked on by our team of instructors. So, if that black belt isn't learning anything new, it's because he won't, and not because nothing is being taught.

The resentment of the Caffeine Free Diet Mountain Dew Black belt isn't limited to students, though.  It's found in many instructors as well.  Instructors often feel resentment for their students:

They're lazy.

They don't listen.

They aren't getting the lesson.

They just won't TRY.

They don't follow protocol.

Maybe it isn't the students' fault, though.  Maybe we need to make an effort to become better instructors.  Are we motivating our students to do their best? Are we really taking the time to plan out each class?  When something isn't working, are we willing to shift gears and go in a different direction?  Are we studying curriculum development, pedagogy, psychology, assessment, and everything else that goes with calling ourselves teachers?

I learned from Master Robinson that the best black belts are not satisfied.  They know that there is more to learn and more to do.  They can't be deeply unsatisfied, either.  Don't fall into either of these traps. Don't be a Snickers Bar Black Belt, or a Ceffeine Free Diet Mountain Dew Black Belt.  You can't afford the price that comes with either one.

Kick. Punch. Easy Stuff.