WCK UK | Wing Chun Kuen United Kingdom Organisation

November Article – Sifu Keith Collyer

“WHEN DO I GET A BLACK BELT?”

This is a question i get asked fairly often from potential students after or during a trial session, and makes me smile to add the comment “how long is a piece of string?”

I then ask, why do you want a black belt?

So how hard it is to deserve to wear one? Do you realise that after the blood, sweat, tears, training when its raining, when its cold, when your not feeling all that good, doing extra training, seminars, traveling and pitching in, making your chosen art a way of life, being happy and contented with your own martial journey and not bothered or concerned by others, being happy and supporting of your fellow training partners when they have been promoted, helping those in class with less experience, being mature to never moan or belittle, to just get on with it and enjoy the “now”!

So you see, its not just about being good at techniques or forms, its more about your personality, mindset, what you have had to go through, to push past barriers, to keep going, to mature to becoming a much better more rounded individual with no ego only well earned confidence… Now that’s the traits of a real black belt, not something you get given after two years, for time is nothing, its what you have invested that counts.

A Black belt is nothing more than a dirty white belt, build on experience, perseverance, and to keep getting up when you get knocked down!

Sifu Keith Collyer
WCKUK Wing Chun Crawley | CROSS Krav Maga Academy