Is this thing on?

So many Martial Artists become complacent after reaching their Black Belt. I have seen it hundreds of times. They lose their drive to push themselves forward, they hide behind excuses like “it doesnt matter what belt I wear I am the same inside” etc…

Yeah, fair enough, as a Black Belt we know that the belt around out waist is not necessarily a true reflection on what we know, what we do, who we are….

So then, what can you do to test yourself? Forget what others think, say or do, how about the ultimate personal challenge…?

That is the goal of the test devised by legendary Martial Arts guru Tom Callos and his instructor, the legendary Ernie Reyes.

Take a look at the test requirements on the site: http://www.ultimateblackbelttest.com.

First time I read it I thought it was a wind up, the requirements seemed unsurmountable, then one by one I saw a group of the worlds finest black belts were signing up for it… some of them have been pivotal in my own martial arts career, people I have looked up to in awe on many occasions. These are the type of people who are prepared to push themselves this far, it is that that makes them who they are.

So, what am I going to do about it… given my current state of fitness I am not going to be able to apply for the test this year as it starts in a few weeks time so instead I have set myself the goal that I will do this test next year. In the meantime I am going to define my own mini-version for the 12 months leading up to it.

Need to actually define some goals and some time-scales. As soon as I do, I’ll post them here then I’ll have to stick to them wont I!

written by RiK