TRUE MEANING OF BLACK BELT

There was a story about a student who had just finished his test for the black belt, and his sensei asked him, “Before I give you this belt, you must answer me this question.” He continued, “What is the meaning of a black belt?” The student answered, “The reward for all my hard work at the end.” The sensei was not happy. He asked the student to come back in a year.

A year passed, and the sensei again asked the same question, “What is the meaning of a black belt?” The student this time answered, “The black belt symbolizes the highest degree of achievement in the art.” Still, the sensei was not satisfied. Again, he asked the student to come back in a year.

Another year passed, the sensei repeats the question, “What is the meaning of a black belt?” “The black belt symbolizes the beginning of a never ending journey of discipline and hard work, and pursuit of perfecting the art,” the student said. The sensei, upon hearing the answer realized that his student finally understands.

The black belt was never meant to be a symbol for the end, but the beginning of an even deeper understanding of the art. That is the true meaning of the belt.