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A black belt was once an awesome status. It not only signified a lifetime devoted to hard training and perfection of technique and character, it also carried with it an awesome responsibly.

Students, and the public, emulate black belts. They do not separate the black belt from the person, so, if they see a black belt outside the school, they see the person as a black belt, not as a regular person. Many times, black belts are watched outside the school without being aware they are being watched. This means black belts must exemplify the virtues of their martial art at all times, inside or outside the school. One false move at an unsuspected moment that is witnessed by an emulator may affect the person's entire life negatively. 

During his trial in 399 BC for being disrespectful by not keeping his opinions to himself, the Greek philosopher Socrates said he led "an examined life,” that everything he said or did was scrutinized because of his position in society. However, Socrates also said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Being a black belt means you will be living an examined life, but, if you are up to the challenge, it will be worthwhile. If a person is unwilling or unable to perform as a black belt or to accept and uphold the awesome responsibilities of a black belt, then the person should neither be awarded a black belt, accept the black belt, or be allowed to keep the black belt.

All certificates or diplomas that are awarded for achievement have certain requirements that must be met before they may be awarded. If you cannot meet the requirements, then you do not get the award. You may not have attained the skills needed to meet the requirements, you may not be old enough, or too old, to meet the requirements, or you may not be mentally, physically, or emotionally able to meet the requirements. For an award to retain its prominence in society, it must enforce its requirements strictly. Any deviation from the requirements will weaken the status of the award. Giving the award just because the people tried very hard to meet its requirements, but, due to their age or mental, physical, and emotional abilities they could not meet the requirements, or giving the award as honorary award, lessens the status of the award, until at some point, it become meaningless This is true of black belt requirements and the black belt’s status.

Although I sing all the time, I still cannot sing. No matter how much I sing, no one would ever consider me a singer. Should I be considered singer just because I try so hard to become a singer? Should a person be awarded a black belt just because he or she tries so hard to become one?

As a young sailor, I wanted to be a chief. When I could meet all the requirements of a chief, I became a chief. Now that I am older and retired from the Navy, I am a retired chief. When I was a child, I wanted to be black belt when I grew up. As an adult, I became a black belt. At some point in life, just as I now am a retired Navy chief, I will have to say that I am a retired or inactive black belt. Thus is the progression of life.

At some point, a person is too young to meet all the mental, physical, and emotional requirements of a black belt and to accept all the responsibilities of a black belt. As a society, we have set 18 years of age as the legal age of adulthood, the age at which a person has the maturity make adult decisions. This should also be the minimum age for a black belt.

Some people, due to their mental, physical, and emotional abilities cannot meet all the requirements of a black belt or carry out all the responsibilities of a black belt. These people should not be awarded a black belt

At some point, a person is too old to meet all the physical requirements of a black belt and to carry out all the responsibilities of a black belt. This point is different for each person, depending on their mental, physical, and emotional status. When this point is reached, the person should not be awarded a black belt.

At some point, a person is too old to maintain all the physical requirements of a black belt. This point is different for each person, depending on their mental, physical, and emotional status. What happens now? This is a touchy subject for many people. Once you earn a college degree in say, accounting, you are always are a college graduate, even if you have never worked in accounting and have basically forgotten all you learned about accounting. So it may be said that, “Once a black belt, always a black belt.” However, since a black belt may be awarded by any organization, school, or instructor who wants to award one, and since black belts, along with valid appearing authentication, may be purchased on the Internet, any black belt is only worth the reputation of the person who claims to be a black belt. Once that person cannot behave as a black belt, whether the person is 20 years of age or 80, he or she should no longer be considered a black belt. An older black belt may no longer able to physically perform as a black belt, but still be able to behave as a black belt, have the integrity of a black belt, and perform all the other duties of a black belt, such as pass their martial art down to other generations, help make their martial art known around the world, or act as the wise patriarch or matriarch of the art.

Being a black belt is similar to being considered a “good” person. You are considered a good person for only as long as you do good.

In 2007, a local television station had a young up-and-coming newsman, Tolly Carr, working for them. He appeared to be a clear-cut all-American guy who had a bright future ahead of him in broadcasting. Then late one night, after drinking too much, he drove his pickup truck around a barricade on a street that was closed for repairs. After reaching 50 mph on a normally 35 mph street, he lost control of the truck, jumped the curb, jumped a wall, and careered into a young man getting ready to enter his home, killing the man. From the very start Carr was repentant. He refused bail and accepted without argument anything that the justice system did to him. At trial, he plead guilty and said he would accept any sentence awarded him without appeal. Even thought his whole life was in shambles, he said he was wrong, that he caused a man to die, and that he accepted full responsibility for the death. Here is a good man who made a terrible decision to drive one night, but who is willing to do the honorable thing and take his punishment, How many of today's black belts do you think would to the honorable thing in this case, and how many do you think would try to use every legal, or even illegal, loophole possible to avoid taking responsibility for their bad decisions?

References

• Tatum, L. (1999). The Qualities and Characteristics of Rank. [Online]. Link Unavailable.
• Tobin, R. (1994). Insights for Instructors. Sixth Dan Thesis. December 1994.

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