Earning Your Black Belt

Good morning!
Let’s just say, well, I am excited…
I was working on some revisions of the Notebook this morning and wanted to share one of my favorite pages:  Tips on Earning Your Black belt

• Learn your forms well!  As you advance in rank remember to practice the forms you learned for the previous belt as well as the new one you are learning.
• Learn the names of each fundamental move for each form.
• Don’t ignore details, like thumb in for a reverse knife hand strike, or tuck your fist completely into your side.
• Practice, Practice, Practice!
• Don’t just write stuff in your notebook.  REVIEW it often.
• Include new drills you learn in your notebook and review them by practicing.
• Get our there and compete.  Stepping into the ring, win or lose, makes you better.
• Learn to move in an “L” stance knife hand guarding block:  Start with the correct foot and arm position, looking at the angles of each.  Study it well.  Feel it by tightening and loosening the muscles, and by moving into and out of the position until you hit it every time.  This sequence should help you to concentrate and remember the position.
• Add some cross training, like running, to your fitness routine…it will help you build stamina for sparring.
• Work with those in lower ranks to help them, it will help you learn the forms better.
• When doing any or all of the above and especially during class, begin to see yourself as a black belt.
• You have to want this!  You can’t just expect it because you show up to class a lot and think you deserve it.

 Lots of greattests!!