I get this question a lot, along with "how long have you been studying?" I always answer. "i'm a very very low rank." and "i haven't been studying nearly long enough." The questions usually stop after that.
I'm always surprised when I hear students or instructors announce their rank or when they will be tested/promoted.
It's that darn vertical space again.
A dear friend a long long time ago, made the following comment about that...
"There are those people that will ensure everyone knows what rank they are. Those that shout their rank from the roof tops, are not true martial artists. They are just playing at martial arts. It's more important for them, and their egos, for other people to know that they study martial arts."
"The people that really know martial arts, accept their rank, and promptly hide it away. The higher the rank, the more they will hide it away -- finding a way to be less obvious, more hidden -- not drawing attention to themselves in anyway. They will hide their faces and be as inconspicuous as possible. Those are the true masters."
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Excellent articles!
ReplyDeleteI read many of your "Where to start" links.
The question I am always asked is "Are you a black belt?" I answer them politely but do not elaborate.