14 years ago...
14 years ago I had the first stirrings of an idea that has since become the Offroadliving concept.
Back then I had the idea of developing a personal black belt system.
I'd practiced karate for year and gone from a white to brown belt. I found it interesting but I very quickly realized that being a black belt didn't make anyone a better fighter. Some of the sensais could definitely fight very well, but for a lot of people they saw the black belt and got scared, they fought the belt, not the ability of the fighter in front of them.
I'd boxed since I was 14, so the idea of fighting and being hit wasn't alien to me, I'd also been very lucky that over the previous 8 years I'd had very capable clients who were versed in very different styles of fighting. So from my first day I just dealt with what was in front of me. I didn't care what color the belt was I just fought the technique in front of me.
Then it hit me. A black belt is meant to be an absolute, but what's the point if a white belt could actually be better?
So my idea was this. Develop a framework where each person could create their own black belt path.
Ideally each path could be completed in 10 steps over 12 months. Each year an individual would aim their mountain top and try to complete each journey in a year.
After a year you'd have hit your 1st Dan black belt, a black belt in you. After 2 years a second Dan black belt in you, and so on. Years ago I once read that we over estimate what we can achieve in a year but completely underestimate what we can achieve in 10.
Now imagine that if you could stay on track through 10 iterations, what you could have achieved. Each year you've looked at a new peak on your personal mountain range, you've gone offroad, you climbed to the top and made a new dream a reality, each year, year on year.
More to follow...
Back then I had the idea of developing a personal black belt system.
I'd practiced karate for year and gone from a white to brown belt. I found it interesting but I very quickly realized that being a black belt didn't make anyone a better fighter. Some of the sensais could definitely fight very well, but for a lot of people they saw the black belt and got scared, they fought the belt, not the ability of the fighter in front of them.
I'd boxed since I was 14, so the idea of fighting and being hit wasn't alien to me, I'd also been very lucky that over the previous 8 years I'd had very capable clients who were versed in very different styles of fighting. So from my first day I just dealt with what was in front of me. I didn't care what color the belt was I just fought the technique in front of me.
Then it hit me. A black belt is meant to be an absolute, but what's the point if a white belt could actually be better?
So my idea was this. Develop a framework where each person could create their own black belt path.
Ideally each path could be completed in 10 steps over 12 months. Each year an individual would aim their mountain top and try to complete each journey in a year.
After a year you'd have hit your 1st Dan black belt, a black belt in you. After 2 years a second Dan black belt in you, and so on. Years ago I once read that we over estimate what we can achieve in a year but completely underestimate what we can achieve in 10.
Now imagine that if you could stay on track through 10 iterations, what you could have achieved. Each year you've looked at a new peak on your personal mountain range, you've gone offroad, you climbed to the top and made a new dream a reality, each year, year on year.
More to follow...
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