How to Become a Black Belt in Martial Arts
Becoming a black belt in a martial art will be a dream come true. In order to do this, you must have discipline and a great deal of commitment. The black belt itself means nothing if you have not devoted yourself to the art in which you earned it. There are no short cuts to a black belt. You must be willing to put in the work and the years to attain it.
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Instructions
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Make a commitment. Becoming a black belt requires years of dedicated study. If you are not prepared for this, you will quit when you are far short of your goal. If becoming a black belt is your objective, you must be eager to do what it takes to get it.
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Choose your art. There are many different martial arts. Decide which one appeals to you. Tae Kwon Do and Karate involve routines of rigid strikes and kicks. Judo is all about throws. Hapkido and Aikido also concentrate on joint locks. Jiu Jitsu concentrates on grappling. Kung Fu is very fluid and artistic. Pick wisely since changing martial arts means starting over.
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Be very selective about your school. Many martial arts schools are only in it for the money. It is a business, and they squeeze cash out of your for everything from promotion exams to the belts themselves. If you feel like a school cares more about getting your money than training you as a martial artist, go somewhere else. Be sure you go to an established school with a long history of legitimate instruction. This is a long term relationship. You don't want the school going out of business and shutting down before you earn your Black Belt.
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Prepare yourself for the long haul. Do not start training in a martial art thinking that you will learn what you need to know then quit. Martial arts training is a lifelong commitment. Training for a black belt will take you about 5 years at a legitimate martial arts school. In traditional martial arts training, that's when you start to become a serious student.
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Follow through. Martial arts training is not something you start and stop. If you have classes three days a week then be there three days a week. Always show up on time. Always volunteer to help. Always do your best. Exhibit leadership from the first day, and you will be on the fast track to earning your black belt.
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Tips & Warnings
When you are shopping for a martial arts school, take a look at their current Black Belts. If you see a bunch of out of shape people who don't seem to know what they are doing wearing Black Belts, the school probably isn't very good.
Be very wary of martial arts school that guarantee you will earn a black belt in a certain period of time. That's like guaranteeing you will be a lawyer without first taking the bar exam. There are no guarantees in martial arts.
