From: phantom@gagme.chi.il.us (Leif Ericksen)
Subject: Black Belt time
Followup-To: phantom@gagme.chi.il.us
Summary: An array of thoughts, and insights personal and others 
Originator: phantom@gagme
Organization: Gagme Public Access UNIX, Chicago, Illinois.
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 08:36:05 GMT

			TRY SOFTER

A young boy traveled across Japan to the school of a famous martial artist. 
When he arrived at the dojo  he was givien an audience by the sensei.
	"What do you wish of me?"  the master asked.
	"I wish to be your studentand become the finest karateka in the land"
the boy replied.  "How long must I study?"
	"Ten years at least," the master answered.
	"Ten years is a long time," said the boy.
	"What if I studied twice as hard as all your other students?"
	"Twenty years," replied the master.
	"Twenty years! What if I practice day and night with all my effort?"
	"Thirty years," was the master's reply.
	"How is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that 
it will take longer?" the boy asked.
	"The answer is clear.  When one eye is fixed upon your destination, 
there is only one eye left with which to find the Way."

			- ANONYMOUS

	A little proverb from Zen in the Martial arts by Joe Hyams

	Personally I am a high purple belt in Shotokan Karate.  I have been
in the art for I belive Nine years.  I should technically have 2nd degree
Black Belt by now for time alone! or Third... BUT I DO NOT CARE THE BELT IS
NOT WHAT MATTERS IT IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT COUNTS.

	Personally I started at a local community house and after I was there
for awhile I left because you could not effectively train there where to
many children ( under 10 for the class.. there was really no adult class )
SO I started commuting vi the 'L' train from Winnetka to Chicago Belmont and
Clark to train under Sensei Shojiro Sugiyama.  While I was there we had one or
two tests, the first one as I remeber it came up just as I started classes 
there, so I could not take it.  The next test came up and Sensei Sugiyama
kept changeing the format one day he would say this is going to be test, the
next class he said NO this will be test.  SO I did not feel ready for the
test because it was confusing since hte format kept changing.  AS it is
everybody passed the test including the person that screwed up on the test,
as Sensei changed the format of the test hte day of the test.

	I then went to college.  Western Illinois University, and said
I have a Green belt with sensei Sugiyama!  Sensei Ed Kurass said GOOD he is
my old instructor.  YES! I was told that that is why I lokked you up.
( that was the FIRST day of school )  A few months passed in class we took
the test and he said, OK I belive you are a green belt SO you get to keep it
and get three stripes? ( HUGH, i never had striped before OH WELL I WILL 
deal with it ) the next test about a year latter I got my purple belt.

	I then after another test I did not feel ready for I left WIU
for a better school, DePaul.  I then joined Illinois Shotokan and took
a rank exam and was given High Purple.  I got that three years ago ( exams
are about once maybe twice a year.  BIG CLUB ) do to time constraints because
of school and the SUCH I never felt ready to take the Brown Belt exam.
like the one comming up this Dec.  I might not take...  BUT I will start
training more often now that I am out of school and most likely will take
the exams regularly and have the Black Belt SOON!!  BUT IT IS NO BIGGIE
after all KARATE IS A WAY OF LIFE and the belts are found in the art to
appease the wester culture, true Karate had White, Brown, and Black belts.
I know instructors that follow that tradition and there students deal with it.

	Currently my Instructor is sesei Cieplik (sp?) and he is great
4th DAN and a 1st DAN in Iaido ( swords, and it means roughly way of death )
and he is a great taction! AND he will let you test if you are not ready
BUT BUT UNDER PROTEST, he will say either you had a bad night or will
have a good night then BUT I do not think you are ready.  OR if you are
older I dont want to let you test and pass just on the fact that you are  
a little older, and are given an exception due ot age.  OR he will
ask you if you are testing and if you say NO he may ask you to do your KATA
and end up saying DO ME A FAVOR AND TEST! ( and you better because you are 
ready!! ) JUST dont go up to him and ask can I test because you are showing
YOU ARE NOT READY!

	'NUFF of the genral BS...
OVER ALL FORGET ABOUT time to get a black belt it is irrelevent, just go
plug away... OVER ALL you can figure 3 - 4 years is the genral time frame!


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Leif Ericksen
phantom@gagme.chi.il.us

 You may train for a long time, but if you mereley move your hands and feet
and jump up and down like a puppet, learning karate is not very different from
learning a dance.  You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you
will have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-do
					- Gichin Funakoshi
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-- 
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Leif Ericksen
phantom gagme.chi.il.us

	Christopher Columbus is a lie, he borrowed a Norwegian MAP!  Then he
stole all the credit for the discovery of America.  But since he could not read
Norwegian he messed up and ended up down around the Behamahs instead of up 
around Newfoudland and New England.
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