I started my Black Belt Journey on a wing and a prayer. I had just returned to The Dojo after a 3-year hiatus, and had forgotten most forms and defenses and all the kata and pinons were jumbled in my mind. Kickboxing, which had always been intuitive to me, now seemed rusty and difficult. When my name showed up on the candidate list, I definitely did not feel ready; and I knew time commitment was going to be a challenge as the rest of my life was the busiest as it’s ever been. However, Dylan was adamant about going up this Spring; and I figured that if I had to drive him anyways— I may as well stay for bootcamp myself. So, I studied for the pre-test, figuring I could always bow out gracefully if I did horribly. I did past the pre-test; but I was definitely not happy at the level I was performing at. I’m sure my feeling was echoed by the Black Belt Kickboxing Instructors working with me, although they were ever encouraging and

patient.

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The Black Belt Bootcamp has become this fabled, and almost feared rite of passage that I’ve heard so much about over the years. Going in, I expected a lot of yelling and being pushed to the limit. There was some yelling; and we were pushed to be our best, but I was also grateful to have 2-3 dedicated hours each week to focus on getting more fit and conditioned. It is a gift to have a group of instructors volunteering to whip us into shape. What really struck me about

Bootcamp was how committed the Black Belts were to our success. So many Black Belts gave their Saturday mornings to instruct, mentor, and support us candidates. As the only kickboxing candidate, I got lots of individual attention, often with multiple instructors. While all that scrutiny could have been a bit intimidating, it also incentivized me to practice during the week, trying to perfect the techniques and correcting the many bad habits I had formed over the years.

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Another thing I did not expect was how quickly I was welcomed and embraced as part of the Black Belt community, even though I have yet to earn my stripes (or rather belt). Going to the Wednesday Black Belt class quickly became my favorite part of the week; as I was able to practice perfecting forms and techniques; and was challenged with new routines and constantly being tested on the breadth and depth of my knowledge. Rather than only memorizing it for the

test, I was now working to build muscle memory, under all possible situations and settings. Beyond helping us to perfect techniques, the Black Belt Instructors modeled what it means to be a Black Belt. I had always assumed that earning a black belt was a demonstration of personal achievement of commitment and perseverance, but the Instructors showed me every week that, more importantly, it is a shift from being a Student of martial arts to being a Instructor/Mentor to

elevate the Dojo community. Each week, Dawn, Steve, Lynn, Becky, John, and Colleen demonstrated different way of correcting and motivating me: with humor, encouragement and patience, but always underlined with the high expectations indicative of the belt that I am striving to earn.

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So, two weeks out from my black belt test, I’m thinking about continuing to perfect my technique, form, and curriculum; but I’m also thinking about how to become a mentor in the Dojo Community once I earn that black belt. I will step out of my comfort zone to proactively help newer students during classes; and strive to be part of the Black Belt Community that ensures that each person that comes onto the Mat feels welcome and supported on their martial art

journeys.