Essays for Black Belt: 20 Inspirational Student Stories

By Tom Hill

Students have to prepare and present an essay on what being a Black Belt means to them as part of their grade. Here are twenty such essays.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AUK Authors
• Release date: Apr 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781781661918

Book preview

years.

Introduction

My name is Tom Hill now in my sixties; I am the Chief Instructor of Goju.co.uk.

Over the past 39 years I have trained and taught in the Martial Arts from the age of 21 and have specialised in self defence and fitness. Training for about 8 to 10 hours per week during that time, pretty much non-stop. My club has about 20 to 30 members of all adult ages and a few of my students have been with me for over 30 years.

My main experience is Goju (hard soft) Karate I have also trained in Shotokan Karate, Jujitsu and many other styles and systems and have incorporated anything that I think works into this our system Goju.co.uk - much was already there - it was simply a case of finding it anew.

I have been lucky enough to have trained with many world famous Masters of Martial Arts from the East and more influentially from this Country.

Over the years I have trained Door Security Personnel, Soldiers, Detectives, Policemen, Boxers, Wrestlers, Ju Jitsu Practitioners, Barristers, Prison Warders, Businessmen, all manner of sports people and fitness fanatics, other Karate styles, other Instructors and other Martial Arts practitioners too numerous to mention.

Our club has been operating three times a week for 34 years. To obtain ‘Shodan’ a first degree Black Belt in our club - along with a very rigorous grading and a considerable amount of time training, usually about 5 years of 3 two hour sessions a week, the students have to prepare and present an essay on what being a Black Belt means to them.

The purpose of this is not only to help the student consider their motives for training and think carefully about their goal. It is also to help weed out any students who may have a violent nature or a mental problem previously missed.

Their essays have always been an eye opener to me and my fellow instructors when we have read them and much about a student can only be learned and understood by this interesting exorcise.

Reading them again years later they still have the power to entertain and enlighten. A few of these students are still with the club, others have stopped training.

It would be easy to claim they are simply essays in flattery to gain the grade, yet the students know this would perhaps have the opposite effect, if tried - However, I do not think simple flattery works in this case - decide for yourself.

The date by the name is the date of the Grading the students may have done many years of training prior to this date.

Here are the Essays of the students applying for Shodan (Black belt - first degree).

Ian

What Karate means to me

It’s difficult to remember why exactly I began training in Karate. Looking back it was probably a combination of things. I had not really taken part in any sport or physical activity since leaving school at 15 years of age. By the time I was 17 I was in a bit of a mess, smoking, going down the pub all the time and hanging around with the wrong crowd getting into trouble! About that time the first Bruce Lee movies started to come out Like many other young lads was impressed and thought I’d like to be able to do all that stuff in a few weeks. Little did I know!!

I went along to join a Karate class at a local community centre. The instructor was Sensei Des Head, at the time a 3rd Dan in Sankukai and a student of Nanbu Sensei. I trained with Des for several months and passed 9th Kyu, but I was not too serious about Karate and sort of drifted out. I did not go back, but something in me kept nagging away, I guess I had been bitten by the bug!.

A friend of mine and I went along to Grovehill Community Centre and joined Tom Hill’s club. My friend did not go back, but I did.

The training at Grovehill in those days was a bit like the Wild West, but all as young lads enjoyed it. Several months after joining Tom’s club I had a motorcycle accident and broke my wrist. This stopped me training for a while until I bumped into Tom at a friend’s wedding reception. Of course he gave me a good nagging finishing with his favourite phrase Get back training! To which I replied like Arnie I’ll be back Tom thought I’ll believe it when I see it. Something within me changed when I went back. Gradually I became much more serious about Karate and started for the first time to understand the meaning of dedication.

At Tom’s suggestion I started the junior class at Grovehill in 1984 and found what I believe to be my vocation. I now teach professionally, mostly to children in schools and clubs. The children I teach have often found something in which they can excel as individuals. After much struggling mentally and spiritually and physically the changes in the youngsters self esteem and confidence ranges from surprising to miraculous. People with special needs appear to benefit immensely.

Karate is unique. It constantly challenges and shapes you, making you come face to face with your own weaknesses and insecurities, you only have two choices, to overcome them or give in. Every time you overcome them you become stronger and more positive. This is not only a great personal realization and benefit; it is also a valuable gift to share with others.

Karate is a jewel of many facets, encompassing self defence, fitness, artistic expression, social bonding, improved flexibility, strength, posture, correct breathing, stress relief and peace of mind. From a purely physical point of view Karate is the most efficient system