I have been training Genbukan Ninpo Taijutsu under Zeb Glover for almost 10 years and last year had the great honour of testing for my Shodan or first level Black Belt in front of Grand Master, Shoto Tanemura Soke.
At the beginning of my journey with Ninpo, at the age of 17, getting my black belt felt like an incredible feat, something far off but also something that would make me in someway special. As the years progressed and the good times and bad passed and the bruises accumulated, the idea of becoming a black belt started to change. The more I progressed and enjoyed learning, the more important just making the next training session felt. At times this small aim was hard, fitting training in with a busy life in the modern world can be a real challenge, but what I have noticed is that the more I put into my training, the more I get out. This may seem obvious in the sense of learning and developing a skill but it applies at a more subtle level too. On the days where dragging my sorry 'behind' to the Dojo for a couple of hours of exercise (not to mention receiving throws and locks) seems like a huge endeavour, so the feeling of accomplishment increases after the class. In this way one learns the benefit of hard work.
With this in mind I hope you can understand that when the time came to take my Shodan test, the physical side of the test was not some huge event for me. The lessons learned over the last 8 and a bit years (at the time) had taught me to deal with each challenge as it comes and never to over or underestimate its importance. It is, what it is and when its right in front of you, its time to get on with it.
Max, my training partner (and great friend) and I both performed well and passed our tests.
That is not the end of the story.
What I was not expecting was the incredible sense of gratitude towards Zeb my teacher and Tanemura Soke for their investment in time and for sharing this beautiful art with me and the world.
The first time I put on my black belt I didn’t feel the swell of pride and the sense of invincibility the 17 year old Karl was expecting. I felt a huge sense of responsibility and honour at being deemed worthy to begin my career as a martial artist.
Begin?
Genbukan Ninpo is a traditional Japanese martial art. This means shodan is a beginner!
I have trained for 10 years and have conditioned myself mentally and physically to begin learning a TRUE martial art. Now I am ready for the training to begin in earnest.
The highest level in Ninpo is 10th Dan or Grandmaster (Soke) and there is only one of these at a time, I know I will never achieve this rank, but does that mean I have nothing to aim for?
The lesson I have learnt is this...
It doesn’t matter what you can achieve in 9 years or 90, it's what you do today.
I'm going training later, how about you?
Ninpo Ikkan
Karl Stone
(Ninpo Shodan)
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