I have learned many things since receiving my Amerikick Black Belt. Some of them I learned right away and others it took me years to realize. These things include the importance of confidence, responsibility, and the joy that I get from helping out.
The first thing that I have learned since receiving my Black Belt is the importance of confidence. This first really started when I joined adult class with Sensei John. He always is pushing you to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Part of that is having the confidence to do anything. Another way that he has shown me the importance of confidence is reminding me that messing up is fine. He reminds you that you are in an environment to learn, so this is the place to mess up. It really does not matter if you mess up because if you did not mess up then why are you here.
Another thing that I have learned is that learning never stops. Every class I should be able to learn something new about the curriculum. In my previous essay I wrote about how I knew that receiving my black belt was not the end, but I did not understand the level that I would be learning would be the same as before. A question that Sensei John always asks is “Did you learn something new?” The answer is always yes.
The third thing that I learned since receiving my Black Belt is responsibility. As I grow older my parents can not organize all of my events and things that I need to get done. I have to be able to do all of that on my own. I have to be able to figure out when I am going to classes and when I am helping out. I also have to make sure that everyone understands when I am going. Lastly I have to make sure that I have someone who is able to drive me. If not one of my parents then I have to call a different family member to see if they are able to drive me.
The next thing I learned is about perseverance and determination. This is about pushing myself to go to class and to practice even if I do not want to. Even if I am so tired and do not want to practice my katas I still should because it will make me that much better. I should also practice the same way as I would when I am not tired. This also factors into how much do I want the thing that I am working towards and I have learned that the answer should be I want it more than anything else. If I do not, why am I doing it.
The last thing that I learned since receiving my Black Belt is that I have a joy for teaching and helping with children. I always had an idea that I would want to be a teacher, but I never really knew until I started helping out. Through helping out I have now learned that I want to become a teacher. Helping out also ties back to responsibility. I have to be at the dojo when I say that I can be, and if I can not be then I have to inform Sensei Sherry of that I can not be there.
I have learned so many different things since receiving my Amerikick Black Belt. Some things I learned include learning never stops and perseverance.