If a student does not recognize the difference between wearing a Black Belt and being a Black Belt, then that student has a long way to go in even considering that he might one day achieve that grade.

A Black Belt is not someone who can do fancy tricks. A good black belt in Ju-Jitsu is much, much more than that. A black belt is the sum of many different aspects. A black belt is someone who has patiently devoted many hours to the mastering of the way. Someone who has great enthusiasm for training thus producing a confidence in himself which is neither misplaced nor inappropriate. Someone who has taken the time and has made that extra effort to understand the whys of self-discipline.

Someone who has developed a sense of etiquette and loyalty to his dojo. Someone who has made sacrifices to achieve his ambitions and finally someone who understands that giving is as important as taking in the learning of Ju-Jitsu.

There are three conventional ways to get a black belt, no matter what Martial Art you practice, in our case; Ju-Jitsu. By far the easiest, is to run down to the shop and buy one. You might deceive some people and hope to get away with it, but you are only fooling yourself and your fellow students.

The second way to get a black belt, requires a bit of work, but not so much. That is joining a Ju-Jitsu club with a very poor standard of teaching and wearing a belt that is bestowed upon you and which will in the long run be worthless.

The third method is to seek a high standard class, with a good and reliable teacher with high credentials world-wide. This teacher will guide his students little by little, technique by technique, lesson by lesson, where training itself becomes a challenge.

The teacher who teaches from books and is undisciplined is certainly not a martial artist. Anybody can learn the various techniques, but that only makes him a good athlete. The martial artist needs discipline and has to be totally dedicated.