It’s about Learning Martial Arts, not Belt Rank
It's about Learning Martial Arts, not Belt Rank. How long have you been a martial arts student? Do you look in a mirror at your belt and pat yourself on the back with pride? Or do you seek knowledge. To try to perfect what you are doing?
If you look at the history of martial arts, and the masters of old you will learn something. It was about study, training, learning. Tell me what rank was Morihei Ueshiba?
He was 100% one of the greatest if not the greatest of the 20th century. Yet rank is not spoken about. Everyone knew his was great without the rank.
In truth the belt rank system was designed for Judo competition, not self gratification. While I really like the belt rank system, things always seem to go off the rails these days.
People seeking rank for pure self gratification, no connection to learning Martial Arts.
Learning Martial Arts
Back a few years ago after I resurrected the World Budo Alliance I had someone contact me about promotion in Karate. Well that is NOT what the WBA is about. However when he told me I need to do this, and for FREE too, to be humanitarian I knew what kind of person I was dealing with.
No further communications will happen with and myself. Go in peace. I have no interest in this.
Now I have been TEACHING martial arts for about 38 years. I began teaching as a Green Belt in my system. And I have run a Dojo. But NOT ONCE has any student coming in the door, and there have been thousands, ever ask me my RANK much less if I was a Black Belt. And in the last years I did not wear a black belt.
Learning Martial Arts
Learning Martial Arts should be the priority, not a piece of paper. There is just too much focus on that. Back a few years ago in a phone conversation I had with Hanshi Bruce Juchnik his first question to me was if I was after rank.
And while I do have rank in Kosho Ryu, I am not interested in more. It has to me become meaningless. It is all about the learning and the passing on of the Mitose teachings. Here is a history of Kosho Ryu you might enjoy.
When I told Hanshi I was ONLY interested in learning he became very interested in talking to me. I have been studying ALL his teaching now for a long time. And the benefits have been great!
Learning Martial Arts
Today the focus of the martial arts is not in learning Martial Arts but for the purposes of sport. Sport is a game, and does have a place, but it is not nor should it ever be the focus on the arts.
Once again, that is ONLY about ego, and the martial artists should become ego less, not egotistical.
I am concerned at what I do see in the martial arts today. It has become a commodity, and that is just BAD. And after the LIES of 2020 with so many Dojo's forced to close their doors permanently I have concerns about the future of the teachings.
Plus the BITE is gone now from the arts due to the teaching of children and sport. I am still teaching the real thing, but there are not many these days. And the benefits of learning Martial Arts are so great this will be a big loss for the world.
Learning Martial Arts in Conclusion
It should never be about rank but about learning. In 2020 I resurrected the WBA but my schedule has just not allowed me to do justice to the project to make it what it once was.
And it will be a while before I can focus on its growth.
So why this article? Because I hope in reading this you will put learning before rank.
Life is about learning and growing. When we stop doing this life is finished. Educate yourself in all things you can. Do not indoctrinate yourself in anything.
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