Throughout history, combat has been a way for man to show his dignity, braveness, strength and valor. In the martial arts tradition, the black belt is an honor given to someone who has spent countless hours perfecting himself both physically and mentally through his practice. The black belt is a symbol of greatness. Achieving this highest rank can sometimes turn against us. Ego can come rearing its ugly head. We might forget that our role as black belts is to be models and that we have to constantly examine ourselves so that we can keep ego in check. Not a single one of us is immune to it so we must be always aware. In my last competition, my first time at Worlds, I witnessed what chasing a medal can do to a man. My opponent forgot that the black belt tied around his waist was his symbol of greatness and not the medal that he was, apparently, willing to do anything for. At 1 minute and 40 seconds I submitted him with a choke to which he tapped three times. Naturally, I let go. As I look up, the referee is looking at us and he has no idea why we stopped. He didnt see the choke or the tap. My opponent quickly realizes that the ref missed it and jumps me. Im confused, then surprised, then angry, then very angry but I keep fighting. I have him in a choke again. Now, he grabs two of my fingers and nearly breaks them off in an amazing display of tecnique. At this point, Im out. I finished my fight but I was out when I understood what was going on. My friends and teammates tell me that I know I cant let go until the referee tells me to but I think that it is our responsibility as competitors and black belts to respect our practice and our peers and acknowledge voluntarily when we have lost. My opponent advanced to semifinals and I wished him the best. Finally, he got that medal that he was so desperate for. He had his eyes on the prize and lost sight of himself. Now, that medal will forever be a symbol of his dishonesty and my lack of a medal is a symbol of my growth. Maybe our paths will cross again. Maybe well be different people when they do. But this time, I was the better man and no one can take that away from me. youtu.be/B8kZEQlyDWg?list=UUUsg1oeWINzKbJhvrwywurQ
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:33:25 +0000