Mastery is a process, a long process. It’s about turning the wheel a couple of degrees and making sustainable changes that, over time, lead to permanent transformation. Hindsight is always 20/20 and from my perspective it is clear where we failed to give the UBBT the relevance it deserved.
Journalling. I believe it is as simple as that. If our journalling is not consistent, public, and most importantly defining our journey, then our journey brings no relevance back to the UBBT. “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
Under our watch a lot of trees were chopped down but I am thinking many were not heard. There should be a story behind all that clear cutting and I wish I would have contributed to a clearer story being told. The Ultimate Black Belt Test is the single most powerful transformation tool I have come across. The UBBT process is reclaiming what it means to be a martial artist and it is defining the relevance of our craft.
The UBBT will continue to resonate in my school through my student team enrolled in our I Ho Chuan program. Our current Year of the Dragon team just turned a major corner in their journey and our Year of the Snake team is already tooling up and preparing for their February start. There may not be a UBBT 10 in the immediate future, but the ripples continue on.
“The Ultimate Black Belt Test is a hero's journey—exodus, epiphany, and return—and passing it requires a physical, mental, and spiritual transformation that will make people stand up and take notice.” - Tom Callos
1 comment:
The quote you posted by Tom Callos is true in every way. I don't think you could say it better than he did either. When I did this a few years back everyone I met seemed to notice something different was going on and took an interest in what I was doing. It does change you in multiple ways and it's sad that it is ending. I'm glad we can still benefit from the program even if it is not officially the UBBT.
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