Last month we had the pleasure of hosting Professor Pedro Sauer here at The Academy for an all day seminar. Jiu jitsu students from all over the state came to learn from Professor Sauer.

Among those students were students from The Academy that had the opportunity to test for their next belt rank. These are students who care deeply about being a martial artist and becoming a black belt. The dedication and focus that these students have shown throughout the years has inspired this topic of “the black belt way of life.” What does that mean and why is it important?

The black belt way of life is not just about dedication and discipline, it’s about your character off the mat too. Black belts shouldn’t just be masters of their art, but they should be humble, kind, willing to help others who aren’t as skilled or as experienced, they put the needs of others in front of their own. They are leaders who take on challenge with pleasure, and seek to make jiu-jitsu fun and accessible to all people.

Sometimes we forget that martial arts is not just for the strong, but for the weak. It’s because of martial arts that those who seem weak, frail, insecure, or uncoordinated become strong, determined, and confident. Becoming a black belt is about encouraging those who need it the most. We all have stories of feeling insecure or nervous when we first started training, but there was probably someone who was a higher rank that took time to be patient with you, to teach you what they know, to help you work through certain moves and techniques. Right?

As you continue on your journey of becoming a black belt (it doesn’t matter whether you do Muay Thai or BJJ) think about what kind of black belt you want to be… Think about why becoming a black belt is important on and off the mat.

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking that becoming a black belt isn’t one of your goals, ask yourself how come? Are you afraid of the commitment and the discipline it takes? aRe you nervous about the testing? What’s holding you back?

Achieving a black belt should be a goal of yours if it’s not already because the skills and tools that you learn, the experiences you gain are priceless and unique to this form of martial arts. As coaches, the time, money, blood, sweat, and memories that we’ve gained have made us better people in more way than we could have ever imagined. We believe that no other sport can make a more well rounded human being that the martial arts. Physically and mentally – martial artists learn to master and control their bodies and mind in ways that most people never learn how to do in their lifetime.

Sometimes life gets busy and maybe it takes us away from training and testing regularly. We want to remind you that training and testing regularly is critical to your progress as a martial artist and we strongly urge you to make testing a priority. Training prepares you for testing and testing is a way for you and us (as your coaches) to measure your progress towards becoming a black belt.

So whether becoming a black belt is a definite goal of your or you’re still on the fence about it, we want to challenge you to think about your own definition of a black belt and what it means to you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by continuing your training here so keep up the great work!

Until next time,

Your Academy Coaches