The Black Belt Journey

It all starts with the first step. At Master P’s, we follow a philosophy of a student’s “Personal Best” when they begin – and continue – their journey to Black Belt.

Your “Personal Best” means that whatever capabilities a student may have at their start, the Instructors at Master P’s will tailor their experience based on their ability. That way, Tae Kwon Do at Master P’s is more inclusive and about to graduate students of all abilities. We want to make it possible for populations that may have been left out of the Black Belt conversation in the past to know that the moment they come to the Dojang (Tae Kwon Do center) for the first time, they have a realistic opportunity to earn black belt. It’s why we have graduates that have:

• ADHD
• Down Syndrome
• Social Anxiety
• Physical Handicap

It doesn’t matter who a person is when they start. What matters is that they are continuing to move forward, receiving the benefits and skills that TKD offers. Eventually, with commitment, everyone can achieve the rank of black belt.

Once you’ve started, the next step is taking where you are now and working on your knowledge, discipline, physical abilities, and more, until you can move down the line and achieve new belt ranks. Each new belt helps you see your progress in real time, and know that you’re working towards something.

While students memorize the same curriculum, the Black Belt Journey is still very personal, and the Instructors at Master P’s help each student to actualize their personal abilities.

When you or your child starts, you’ll begin with a white belt. That is the universal belt for new students. There are then many belts that you’ll obtain along the way:

• Split Yellow Belt
• Yellow Belt
• Green Stripe Belt
• Green Belt
• Blue Stripe Belt
• Blue Belt
• Red Stripe Belt
• Red Belt
• Black Stripe Belt
• Double Black Stripe Belt

Throughout those stages, you’ll begin to learn all the different techniques and skills needed to eventually earn your black belt. These include various technical requirements like Forms, Self-Defense, Sparring, and Board Breaking, each of which you’ll be asked to perform over time.

Perhaps just as importantly, you’ll be learning life skills. You’ll be learning self-control, motivation, teamwork, self-care, focus, and other critically valuable techniques. These skills are a part of the process of someday achieving a black belt. Not all of them will be measurable, but they will all eventually help learn you to the ultimate goal of becoming a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

The entire process from white belt to black belt is estimated to take about 3 years, an average of 300+ classes and hundreds of hours or training to accomplish the goal. It is not “easy” but it is also not out of anyone’s reach, and the personal challenges required to meet that goal make achieving blackbelt all the more meaningful. Commit, train, and grow as an individual and as a martial artist, and you will eventually get there.

The youngest student to achieve Black Belt under Master P was 7 years old and the oldest was 75 years old. There is no one size fits all for Black Belts. They come in all body types, ages, and abilities. As long as a student is willing to work hard for a sustained period and doesn’t give up, they can achieve the rank of Black Belt.

The Black Belt Journey is just that – a journey. It is an opportunity to continue to learn and grow both individually and within the martial arts world. Once you’ve achieved black belt, you have reached a milestone that you can be proud of; one that cements your ability to reach your goals.

But you don’t have to stop.

There are a total of 9 Degrees of Black Belt in the World Tae Kwon Do organization, more than enough for a lifetime of learning. The rank of “Master” is earned when a student achieves the level or “Dan” of 4th Degree Black Belt. Continue onwards, and continue to grow in your abilities and reach new goals in the process.