Earning A New Belt
From a very young age, my father always told me that everything in this life is to be earned and one of the reasons why I respect the Martial Arts so much is that it teaches you this very important life lesson every time you step on the mat.
Now that your child has been training for a few months, they will have the opportunity to earn a new belt. This is a very exciting time in your child’s life and one that should be celebrated.
Belts and Stripes are just extrinsic rewards that help motivate students by allowing them to see their progress in a physical form.
My Instructor told me the story of how the belt ranks came to be (and while it is a very adorable story – it should be relegated to the status of myth.)
The story claims that early martial artists began their training with a white belt to help hold their Gi (Uniform) together. They trained in all weather conditions and outside so as their training went on, their belts began to get grass stains on them (turning them yellow and green). They never washed their belts, only their uniforms, so the belts maintained this color. Then eventually as the years went on, their belts turned brown from dirt and eventually black from all of the years of hard work.
While earning a belt is definitely a matter to celebrate, like life in general, it’s not the end goal – it’s the journey that truly matters.
Come join the journey with us right here in Tampa, Florida.
We specialize in Kids Martial Arts and teach the styles of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, and Muay Thai!