Black Belt

A black belt is a symbol of knowledge, of learning, similar to a diploma. Shodan, the first-degree black belt, translates as beginner. Therefore, a person who has earned a black belt has finally learned enough to become a serious student. The goal of training is to develop the discipline to engage in judo practice on a daily basis. The black belt is a symbol of discipline and hard work.

A person who holds the black belt has the responsibility of acting with the image of a true judoka – of being a gentle person and living a life of peace and harmony with others. A black belt is a symbol of mature development through the avenue of judo.

Generally, to earn a first-degree black belt takes a year. To earn a second-degree black belt takes two years; a third-degree is three years, and so on. You can see that to earn a tenth-degree black belt takes quite a few years, not including all the time it took to earn the belts leading up to the black belt. It is an investment in a skill that pays big dividends over time in terms of increased health, discipline, and focus that can be applied to other areas of life.

Requirements for First Degree Black Belt:

• Right altitude and good character.
  
• Mastery of the aforementioned nine patterns.
  
• Capability of breaking three, one-inch pine boards with the following techniques:
  a. Straight punch.
  b. Knife hand strike
  c. Front or roundhouse kick
  d. Side snap kick
  
• Good free-sparring ability coupled with well-controlled techniques.
  
• Ability and willingness to teach the tenets of Tae Kwon Do to others.

Training:

Training discusses the responsibilities, priorities, and dedication you should work on to maximize your martial arts development. Training boils down to persevering in your quest to apply what you have learned to become the best martial artist you can be. Consistently striving to be the best martial artist you can be, month after month, year after year, is one of the most important steps toward earning your first degree black belt.

Training is your responsibility. It is not your instructor’s responsibility. The instructor has a responsibility to create an environment where you can learn, but it is not his responsibility to make you learn. The instructor and your own studies can provide you with a wealth of information to learn, but if you don’t work diligently to apply it, then you are wasting a lot of time. If you practice martial arts only the two or three hours a week you are in call, then you will never get to black belt. Getting to black belt requires you to develop the self motivation to train outside of class because then you can target and work on specific deficiencies in your skills.

After you get to first degree black belt, you still need to keep training. At Shodan you will still be a beginner in many ways, but you will be a beginner with responsibilities. You will no longer just be a quest in the dojo.

Nidan and Sandan are the Japanese terms for second and third degree black belts, respectively. After you get settled in as a new Shodan, you should start working on your school’s requirements for second degree black belt. At the same time, you should go back and keep working in all of the requirements for first degree black belt.

A doctoral degree is typically the highest formal degree you can earn a college, and it means you have achieved a high level of specialization in a particular area of study. You have also developed your skills well beyond the level required for your initial bachelor’s degree. A third degree black belt is similar because by this point all the basic skills you learned for first and second degree black belt should be automatic. By third degree black belt you should be breaking away from technique, and the application of your art should feel completely natural. You should also have made good progress in developing your ability to train others.