Four weeks to go before my 2nd degree Hapkido black belt test. That's only twenty days left of practice (Monday-Friday's). Right now I don't feel ready or perhaps as ready as I should be. I'm hoping that as the weeks fly by I will have learned enough new techniques to feel comfortable in myself.
The thought of gaining my 2nd degree belt has been keeping me going on a certain level for a while now. Pushing me to keep exercising, trying to improve myself and attempting to keep some form of discipline. I know that as long as I train hard enough I will pass the test but I feel that I am coming to the end of something rather than the beginning. Perhaps I will feel differently after the test. Lately I have considered learning another martial art concurrently.
Lately I have been preoccupied by a few things and not been training as hard as I should be. I need to redouble my efforts. One thing that will help is the temperature changing. Summer is coming to a close and it's much cooler at night than in previous weeks. Training now is now a pleasure instead of the torture of a few weeks ago.
Why is a 2nd degree black belt so important? It's not super important but there is a need and desire for me to come out of Korea with something (other than money) to show I haven't wasted my free time. For some that would be a bunch of part-time friends they have acquired on Facebook. For others it might be a good command of the Korean language. For me, getting a 2nd hapkido black belt will show to myself that I have committed myself to some form of improvement.
Black belts are relatively easy to get here, it just takes some time and a limited amount of dedication. However a 2nd degree black belt is about self improvement, honing things you have learned and devoting time to something you enjoy. In other words I am sacrificing something but it will all be worthwhile. Besides, the 2nd Dan belt looks cool.
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