Red Belt Potholes

No doubt on your karate journey thus far you have experienced times when you are not improving. To have achieved your Red belt, it’s undeniable that you would have experienced this feeling at some point (perhaps multiple times). And unlike those who may have quit on their journey by now, you worked through it. For that, congratulations!

But now here you are again and perhaps this time the feeling is stronger than it has been in the past.

One reason why this feeling strengthens beyond red belt is because there is a greater time period between gradings. In the past you may have used a grading as a short-term carrot to keep you persisting. Equally, in the past (for example Blue belt) your instructor required less of you in terms of your kata. At Red belt however, you need to have ironed out all the bugs in your Bassai-dai, as well as developed smoother, faster and more explosive movements. Brown belt, the prestige of the grade, the new techniques and kata in stall is a powerful lure, but you just don’t know if you can get there.