3/2: THAT PIECE OF TAPE
This week we had our quarterly belt tests and promoted close to 100 students. Many of them received new belts, and 3 adult students received their blue belts. Every promotion is an accomplishment to be celebrated, whether it is a new belt that is received, or that little piece of tape around the belt. It has been 4 years since I received my last promotion to black belt, and I will tell you that next little piece of tape for me has significant meaning as well.
It really annoys me when I see these random posts on line from people both inside and outside the Jiu-Jitsu community ragging on that little piece of tape. Those that don’t appreciate the significance do not understand the sacrifice that went into earning that little piece of tape, and most will NEVER understand it because they will never step on the mats and dedicate themselves to something as difficult as Jiu-Jitsu. The haters look at the piece of tape and see……a piece of tape. Those that earned that piece of tape see months of struggle, trials and challenges that are simply marked with a reminder around their waist of what they worked for over the past 3-6 months.
For the kids, that little piece of tape represents overcoming shyness, overcoming fear, building confidence, learning discipline, and working hard every single day they are in the gym. For the adult parents that are in the gym, that little piece of tape represents the sacrifices they have to make to be at the gym, the sacrifices that their family has to make when they are not at home because parents have goals and dreams to, the injuries that they have had to work past, the work schedule challenges that could easily keep them away, the tiredness they feel after a long day at work when they could have stayed on the couch that day and the humility of often times being smashed by a teenager that can’t even drive yet. For the single adults, it represents overcoming the fear of now knowing what you are walking into when you come in the gym the first time, it often represents a continued desire to maintain an athletic and possibly competitive lifestyle, it represents a development and knowledge that you are increasing your ability to defend yourself and those around you.
During the Junior Champs test, one of our newer students kept looking over at his dad, jumping up and down, flexing his biceps, and smiling ear to ear after he got his first stripe. I hope that’s how EVERYONE feels inside when that piece of tape is put around your belt. I know I felt that way. This world is constantly trying to drag us down. We couldn’t even celebrate for 2 days after the US men’s hockey team won the gold medal because of the political nonsense that seems to engulf everything. So, enjoy those pieces of tape and what they represent. They are battle scars and markers that let you know you are a better individual than you were 3 months prior. For those that don’t get it, just look at them and tell them……..you just don’t get it.
