After 9 years I am a black belt

Thats me, second from the right.

I suppose I speak for everyone when I say that when I see someone with a black belt, I immediately have an immense respect. Yes, a respect for the belt itself, but mostly, a respect for the person wearing it. This is a respect for their wisdom, their knowledge, their attitude and their overall commitment to Taekwondo as a whole. The black belt that they wear indicates to me the dedication they’ve demonstrated through their years of training. He/she who has earned a black belt has the ability to assist you in any aspect of Taekwondo. They demonstrate to others that they were willing to take the never-ending and life-changing journey that comes with starting an amazing martial art such as Taekwondo.
I haven’t always had this appreciation. Starting Taekwondo at a young age, I did not understand this as my attention span was rather limited. But as the years have gone by, I can honestly say that I have come to the realisation of what the true meaning of being a black belt is.
It’s safe to say that over the years, I have had many commitments, each of which I do my utmost to achieve at a high level. At school, I strive to maintain a high academic standard. I have a love of music which is a big part of my culture and as such I have been playing the piano since I was five and have endeavoured to keep the required exam standards. On the sporting side of things, swimming has also played a major role in my life and at time, has taken over most things, including Taekwondo. It has been a constant battle to achieve and still have balance. As I have matured, the achievement of a black belt has come to mean much more to me than it has previously.
Looking back on my Taekwondo journey, the real turning point for me on how I viewed Taekwondo in general and black belts in particular, was at of all places, one of my gradings. I remember I was going for my second-stripe in red belt. I had done well I thought, patterns, sparring, self-defence, terminology, and all that was left was breaking the board. I didn’t break the board. This upset me greatly, and I held back the tears until it was over. However, straight after that, a group of black belts came over to me – they comforted me, reassured me and helped me to learn from it.
This incident altered my perspective and I got a much greater appreciation for the fact that there was much more to being a black belt than performing all the technical requirements. To me, the black belt is not just another coloured belt which shows a high level of skill, the wearer is also a good motivator and role model.
If I should be successful in obtaining my black belt today, I will view it as one of the biggest achievements of my 14 years. The attainment of it means that with focus, dedication and discipline, I will have finally earned that elusive goal, a black belt. What it will also mean to me is that if I set my mind to it, I can do anything. This will provide me with confidence which I sometimes lack as a teenager.