The Spirit of a 10-Year-Old 

Our 10-year-old grandson just received his black belt — it took him five years of hard work and discipline. We could not have been prouder as he accepted the belt from his sensei and teacher. The smiles on both of their faces were priceless as they conveyed such happiness — a moment to share in such a great accomplishment.

There are five core principals of karate: “focus on character development beyond physical skill, seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavor or always try hard to do or achieve something, respect others, and refrain from violent behavior: emphasizing integrity, loyalty, effort, courtesy, and self-control as fundamental to a true martial artist’s life, both inside and outside the dojo”.  

When I looked at those five core principals of karate, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the spirit of a 10-year-old to continue learning to use those principals not only in his karate lessons, but beyond in the sports he plays, at school and at home. These will follow him through his adult life.  I will take a moment to brag about what a great kid he is, but believe me when I say he is still a typical boy, fighting with his brother and sister, and he is always hungry.

As towers, while we are not learning karate movements and receiving different belts of achievement, the core principals certainly can and should apply to all aspects of our lives at work, home and within our communities. A common belt progression is: White Belt: Beginner, Yellow Belt: First level after basics, Orange Belt: Growth, Green Belt: Developing skills, Blue Belt: Reaching higher, Purple Belt: Transition, Brown Belt: Advanced student, Black Belt (Shodan): Mastery of fundamentals, starting a new journey.

Which belt do you think you would be at right now?