Hey, what kind of belt do you have?

Quoteable quote from the Karate Kid (1984) from IMDB
Daniel: Hey, what kind of belt do you have?
Miyagi: Canvas. JC Penney, $3.98. You like?
Daniel: [laughs] No, I meant…
Miyagi: In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants.
[laughs; then, seriously]
Miyagi: Daniel-san…
[taps his head]
Miyagi: Karate here.
[taps his heart]
Miyagi: Karate here.
[points to his belt]
Miyagi: Karate never here. Understand?

What it is:

• Having a colored belt system is good marketing. It is a great way to show parents a child’s progress / accomplishments.
• Standardizing on a curriculum is a good way to reach the mass.
• Frequent exams is a good source for extra income.
• Having a belt system creates a status symbol and inherently a visible social class

What it is not:

• Status and confidence gained because of the color of the belt is not real and exist only within the dojo. When you are on the street, none of those matters.
• The belt does not make you a better fighter. Passing a grade just means that you are better in following the exam rules or memorizing forms, it does not guarantee you a win in the future or that you are a better person.
• Passing a grade does not mean that a everything done is correct, optimized or perfected
• Measures only a point in time and not where you are today, yesterday or in the future. Martial arts is a journey and a life style, it shouldn’t be a status symbol or destination.
• Standardization encourages conformity, not creativity and not adaptability

Some of us may not have done our best in every subject that we ever took in university. In fact, some of us may have failed one class or the other. Subjects that you pass with flying colors during school may not be where your interest is. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg never finished college but dropping out of college does not make you a billionaire either. Having the right attitude and skill set to pursue your passion is what you need to be successful in life.

Exercise:
(Still due by Tuesday even though we will not have class. Expect regular blog posting the coming weekend)
– Without exams, it is still important to recognize where you are at, especially improvements made as well as improvements needed. What is a good way to assess where you are at?
– It has been at least 5 months since your last self-assessment. Perform another self assessment on progress made and progress needed.
– Describe one idea /skill from class that really caught your interest or attention?