THE FIRST STEP

 by Phillip Starr

So you've received your first-grade black belt. You're thrilled and proud as well you should be. After all, you made it! But...is this the end of it? Are you an “expert” now?

Some time ago, I lost count of all the first-grade black belts I've known who, after having strapped that coveted piece of black cloth around their waists, closed the book on traveling the martial path. Such a pity!

In the West we tend to place great emphasis and meaning upon the acquisition of the black belt but in the East, it's not regarded as such a big deal. There are, after all, 10 “dan” grades, with 10^th being held as that of perfection (or as perfect as is humanly possible achieve). So as my iaido teacher is fond of saying, “A shodan (first grade black belt) is only 10% of perfect, a nidan (second grade) is just 20% of perfect...” And he's right.

I've always regarded a shodan as an advanced beginner; a student who, in preparation for a long trip, has just finished packing his/her bags. The adventure is about to begin! Why would anyone spend so much time meticulously packing their bags only to forget about the trip and crawl into bed to take a nap? And yet, this is exactly what the vast majority of those who receive their shodans do!

They miss the point of all their previous training, which was intended to prepare them physically, mentally, and spiritually for learning the TRUE art.