Lessons From the Dojo: Learning the Art Does Not Earn You the Belt.
Every week, during class, our sensei likes to impart some wisdom for thought. These lessons typically apply in the dojo, but also can apply outside the dojo. This week he told us a story about a student who became upset when they were unable to perform a technique on another student, simply because the other student knew how to counter the technique. The enraged student is a high ranking student, but sensei talked to us about how it is not just how well you know the technique, but how you act, especially in the face of failure, that truly determines when you are ready to test and increase your rank. Testing is just a formality to obtaining your next rank, but it is the time you spend in practice that is the real test.
