And it begins again...

Another very special black belt ceremony has come and gone, with tears, smiles and joy shared amongst an incredibly loving community. I am very proud of the accomplishments of the group of people who have completed a very long and arduous stage of their martial arts journey. And now the next stage begins...

The next one is filled with uncertainty; it starts with the question "Now what?". The simple answer is not an answer, but a question -- what do you want it to be?

That is one of the hardest, but most beautiful parts of this experience: it is unique, demanding and dependent on the motivation of the student. I have been really happy to see the last few groups who have gone through the black belt experience stay reasonably intact, and dedicated to growing as individuals while giving back to the community around them.

I am so looking forward to seeing how these guys do, and how they answer the questions posed to them.

Congratulations to all of them, and thank you to them as well. They have helped me learn a great deal about myself, and that is a debt that is very hard to repay.