Jae Nam Training Academy Journal

The idea of the samurai warrior was one of the things that really peaked my interest in the martial arts. I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 7 Virtues of Bushido (The moral code of the samurai) and see how it relates the idea we learn about in our martial arts today. The first virtue is Loyalty and Duty. 

A martial artist must learn to apply their skills to other aspects of their lives in order to truly develop their best selves. This application does not only refer to physical skills but mental as well. 

This week I talk about how black belts contribute the heritage of the martial arts. 

Black belts share the common bond of accomplishing something that takes up a big portion of their lives. They all have at least some idea of the sacrifices they've made to earn that prestigious rank. This week I give my thoughts about fraternity as it is described in our black belt manual.

Continuing with the qualities of a black belt should have, I talk about Leadership and Respect this week. If you ask most people what qualities they think a black belt in the martial arts should have I'm willing to bet leadership and respect would come up in a majority of the responses. 

Quick note: Next week I will be on vacation so there will be no podcast. I'll be back it it August 11th.

This week I continue my discussion about the qualities a black belt should have. Black belts have a lot of responsibilities due to the skills they've gained through their years of martial arts training. One of them is to be able to clearly differentiate truth from untruth and justice from injustice.   

This week I continue to talk about the qualities Black Belts should embody by talking about contribution. A student of the martial arts spends many years working towards their goals but they are not alone in their journey. Once they reach Black Belt they are expected to start giving back to the art that has given them so much. 

This week I talk about Loyalty and what it means to a black belt. Martial artists often have this concept of being loyal to their instructor , art and studio. Listen this week as I give my thoughts on why. 

I continue working through the qualities of black belts this week by talking about professionalism. Every black belt, whether you instructor at your studio or not should be a embodying the qualities of a professional martial artist. 

Throughout one's life there will be many achievements that you can be proud of. The martial arts is no different. Earning a black belt is a tremendous achievement you should celebrate. This week I talk about that achievement and also provide some of my thoughts about our recent belt test.