In an article about the (bad) attitude that some martial arts practioners catch after earning their black belt, I'm reminded of the exhortation to maintain a beginner's mind. If we allow ourselves to become complacent, arrogant, rude, or any of the bad attitudes/habits that come with Black Belt Syndrome, then we are slipping away from the goal of humility and service that true masters of the martial arts strive for, attain and maintain.
Of course you don't have to have a black belt in order to suffer from this syndrome: Some of us aren't formally ranked in any system (does surviving a real fight count? How about several?) and some of us suffered from Black Belt Syndrome very early in our training progression (not me, of course...)
Being aware of Black Belt Syndrome is one way to avoid being that annoying, arrogant person. Perhaps a buddy system is in order, where a training partner agrees to keep you in check, and vice versa, when the bad attitudes start creeping into the dojo/field/race-course.
Bottom line, for every black belt, there's someone who can beat the crap out of them and go have a nice meal without thinking about it. Yes, that means you and me...
Furthermore, being a black belt doesn't mean you've mastered the art, rather, it's a beginning (Shodan, the first black belt rank, is 'first step' in Japanese). Even if you have mastered the technical parts of the art, such as stance, timing, etc. it doesn't necessarily mean you are anywhere near the mental and spiritual levels of a true master. This is a great point in the article that laments that some systems promote to high ranks based on solely technical achievements.
These lessons do not apply strictly to martial arts. Racing and other sports (should...) include training in attitude, sportsmanship, service to others and other 'soft skills' beyond the technical/formally measured aspects of the sport. If your splits are great but you're known as an arrogant schmuck by everyone around you, you have lots of work to do on yourself.
I don't want to be that guy, and no, it's not an excuse for lack of performance on race day, it's just a different set of goals and priorities.
Stay humble, stay smart and maybe you too will avoid the drama of the Black Belt Syndrome.
If you ever catch me being 'that guy' and remind me of this post, well then I owe you one!
Gal
See full article here:
http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=3869
