Split: Why did/do you want your KSW black belt??????

[Silentmonk]

ok weird question, just curious as to peoples motivation towards achieving a black belt in Kuk Sool Won. This isn't a KSW is rubbish thread, i just wondered why people are following the path. Examples of what i mean are, some people need to gain confidence, so was it a lack of confidence that drew you to wanting to achieve it. Some people were not that athletically gifted at school and want to prove that they can do something physical to themselves. Some people are bullied come looking for self protection. etc etc Ok think i've got across what i'm trying to ask. Afterall everyones belt means something different to them. Some it will be a measure of skill, some measure of time and effort, and some a measure of internal discipline. Yes i realise you could argue all of these are achieved i just wondered which is the primary one people were striving for. Besides we needed a new thread. :D

[AirNick]

For me it was purely for the love of the art. As you know monkey, it's not a hardman thing with me. I originally joined because I saw a demo at my school and thought it looked cool then I got hooked really, there was always something even cooler to learn in the future to keep me interested and it's still the same, I want Woon Hahk Hyung! Hehe

[KSW_Martley]

I originally joined because I saw a demo at my school and thought it looked cool then I got hooked really, there was always something even cooler to learn in the future to keep me interested

Basically the same here for me. I just quit kickboxing and was looking for another martial art to study, I was on the brink of starting Tae Kwon Do. However I obviously believe now that I was lucky I got to see that demo. Another important aspect for me wanting to go blackbelt and beyond is to be able to defend myself and others if necessary. :D

[Kwajman]

Its just a step in the journey of learning the martial arts. While its an achievement, its no different than my gold or red belt....

[TXKukSoolBB]

I had been a competitive athlete my entire life...and at 29 I was bored with running 5 and 10K's. Kuk Sool Won was the most comprehensive MA that was close to my house. KSW offered me the opportunity to train as an athlete and compete. After a few seperated shoulders... tournament medals...and a blackbelt, it has now become more about internal development for me. I still love to compete...but the MA's have become a lot more valuable than that. I am very excited to see where this path is going to continue to take me. It is somewhat of a paradox...as I age and my physical skills begin to taper off...I am becoming a better person overall!

[coc716]

ok weird question, just curious as to peoples motivation towards achieving a black belt in Kuk Sool Won.

Not a weird question at all. In fact, it's neat to learn this about other people.

I've always wanted to study some sort of martial art. Why? It's cool. :) But practically speaking, I need some sort of physical activity. A lot of physical exercise (e.g. running, weight lifting) to me is mindless thus it's boring and I lose interest. Martial arts works for me because it's not only physical but mental and can have spiritual/philosophical aspects as well (so good for mind, body, and soul). Plus, learning how to defend myself and others isn't a bad thing. If someone wants to harm me or my family, I want to ensure I can stomp a mudhole through him. :) I chose Kuk Sool Won because, of all the things available to me it had exactly what I wanted. I don't regret selecting this art as the one to study, and have thoroughly enjoyed my journey in it.

So why do I want my black belt (I'm currently Dahn Bo)? Well, it's a nice milestone. I know black belt is really a beginning, not an end, but still it's a significant milestone. And tho black belt isn't an end, isn't a finish, isn't a completion, it's still something I wish to achieve because I've had a few significant things in my life that I got "this close" to achieving and didn't for some reason or other. I got "this close" to Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts' highest rank), and didn't get it. I got "this close" to earning a Masters Degree, and didn't. If I could go back in time and change things, I'd certainly finish those two things. And there have been other little things here and there in my life that I started but didn't finish and am unhappy that I didn't finish. So I look at my black belt along those lines. Those things weren't ends, but they were significant milestones that took a lot of time, work, and so on to get to. And to get "that close" and then not achieve it for whatever reason... I sometimes still kick myself for it. So I refuse to do the same with black belt. It's been one of the more intensive and difficult things in my life to work on, and one of the most rewarding that's resulted in so many good things, growth, and improvement in my life. There is nothing that will stop me from achieving black belt. I want to break my cycle of getting "this close".

And of course, once I achieve black belt (Jo Kyo Nim), I fully intend to continue studying. It's when all the cool stuff starts. ;)

[psbn matt]

i wanted a black belt, because black looks good!

[davefly76]

not really sure why this has been deleted from this thread but here goes

put simply, it was the next step.

i didn't start kuk sool because i want to fight or be the best in the world, it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

i've always been fairly active playing football (or soccer, whatever that is! ) or doing athletics, i was a mean sprinter but one day some friends were going to try out this martial art, i went with them and i've been hooked ever since.

my goal was always the next belt colour and i never really thought "i really want to get to black belt" getting there was more of a natural progression than a goal.

now that i have reached that goal (and second dahn), my next one is to reach 3rd degree although if i'm honest i'm not sure how much further i'll go after that. 4th is a possiblilty but master level is a whole new ball game.

[KickChick]

not really sure why this has been deleted from this thread but here goes


I probably just missed your post as I was splitting up the posts to this thread.... sorry, but thanks for reposting! :)

[Silentmonk]

not really sure why this has been deleted from this thread but here goes


Sorry dave my fault i asked for the whole thread to be deleted,was getting fed up with having to justify myself before. And it was just going nowhere at least here it can do the thing i intended it to. That is let everybody know who shares common goals and objectives within their own art.

I'm really annoyed Nadine has gone too. :cry:

And I was scared :D

[davefly76]

own art.

I'm really annoyed Nadine has gone too. :cry:




ha ha this nadine thing is becoming a bit obsessive. are you sure you're not stalking her? :D

[Grippereeno]

I did shotakan karate for about 7 years without reaching blackbelt (i got to first kyu, one rank below) The instructor at the time wouldnt let me take my black belt which was mainly my own fault as i was young and didnt really train as much as i should have (once a week) due to me not liking the style of the teaching at the time. I decided to get back to practicing a MA and i guess a reason to want to get to black belt is to show my myself i could reach first dan level and hopefully if i trained hard could be a good bb at that. Seein the other bb's practicin forms etc at our club makes me wanna get there more as they look well good... Plus i agree with Matt Black looks the best..

[KSW_KJN]

I started for a girl. :) I was dating a girl at the time I started Kuk Sool and we were both interested in joining a martial art. After looking around I became fascinated with KSW, so we started taking the art. I was fortunate to have a school near me with KJN Chun Duk Lee as the school master. He amazed me with both his mastery of the art and his greatness of spirit. I decided that if I could become half the man he was, I would be ok. So it has become a personal goal of mine to try to come close to that greatness. I have faltered along the way and left training for a while, but a black belt and dedication to the art has become a passion. The rest is simply stops along the path.

Kinda mushy, I know, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for KSW.

[Unknown Entity]

My reason for getting my black belt was not just one reason. My main reason was to discover myself and to help me understand myself better. Defeating an opponent is easy but to defeat yourself is something else.

Other reasons include learning self-defence as well as getting a source of guidance which when I started, my life seriously lacked.

As my journey through Kuk Sool continues I constantly find new goals and meanings in everything.

Personally I think most of us are trying to get to the same destination, just that we're all taking different paths.

[Silentmonk]

ha ha this nadine thing is becoming a bit obsessive. are you sure you're not stalking her? :D

Well actually yes but don't tell the press she doesn't want to go public just yet lol

Haha the old fatal charms of a girl hey Sir they do have a strange way of shaping destiny don't they. :D

[Silentmonk]

Personally I think most of us are trying to get to the same destination, just that we're all taking different paths.

Aha and from someone i don't think i have ever met, but maybe i have comes the true path that the question to begin with was set out to make people think about in the first place. (is that gramatically correct :rolleyes: )

Yes i would totally agree with that :D

[Wolf]

I wanted it because it was the required stepping stone for further knowledge of the art. That, and it is a requirement to teach. That's pretty much it.

[Silentmonk]

Ok so if teaching is a passing on of knowledge attained from study, what is it you want to teach these people???? thats not meant as a confrontational thing again but just a question. :)

[Wolf]

Everything i've learned and continue to learn :). I also hope to instill in them a respect for martial arts in general and an open mind about training and learning.

[Silentmonk]

Everything you have learned being more than just a load of techniques right. :) sorry the title of this thread is a little misleading i was just trying to get people to think on a surface level as to why they originally wanted one, and as to the reasons that they kept training and everything that they had learned from it. I just wasn't intelligent enough to think up a way of putting that. :)

[Wolf]

Yes, more than just a load of techniques :). I started KSW because I liked all that it had to offer and I viewed getting a blackbelt as just a necessary acheivement to continue on in the system. That's about it.

[Silentmonk]

thankyou paul :) i'm so glad this thread is back here everyone is so much nicer to each other. :)

[rex00]

I think mine is probally the sadest reason here but oh well no one here knows me so i started because of a cartoon i used to watch called Dragon ball Z and i wanted to kick ass like they did then i just got hooked and now i practise all the time :) and i want my black belt so i can start learning the more complicated things.

[KSW_Martley]

lol Dragon Ball Z was ace mate, I used to watch it too. :woo:

[Unknown Entity]

Aha and from someone i don't think i have ever met, but maybe i have comes the true path that the question to begin with was set out to make people think about in the first place. (is that gramatically correct :rolleyes: )

Yes i would totally agree with that :D

I think that we do know each other but maybe only in passing dear monk! If not then I am sure we will bump into each other along our journeys at some point. :D

[ember]

You mention confidence, proving physical ability, and self-protection. All of those are reasons for studying Kuk Sool, and similar to the reasons I started training in Kuk Sool, but I don't see them as reasons to earn one's black belt.

I think I've talked about why I chose Kuk Sool and why I continue to study it often enough in other forums.

For me, I want to earn my black belt for a mix of factors, some good and some that I would prefer not to admit to.

One is proving that I can reach that level of "completion" in a martial art.
--I tell myself that the only reason I didn't reach black belt in TKD is because I didn't return to the town where my dojang was. I know the reason I never got past white belt in Shotokan was because my heart wasn't in it (too in love with TKD). Regardless, Kuk Sool is the third art I've studied, and I don't have a black belt yet.

Another is, as others have posted, that it's the next step, the key to unlocking more cool material.

In Shotokan and TKD, getting my black belt seemed to be an end goal. You'll see debates in other forums about whether juniors could/should get black belts, probably because American culture (maybe even Western culture?) sees it as a big deal.

But in Kuk Sool, I soon realized that my goal was NOT 1st degree, it's somewhere around 4th. Obviously that'll take years of training, but I enjoy it. And I want that because I would like to learn so much of the neat stuff I see in demos.

ok weird question, just curious as to peoples motivation towards achieving a black belt in Kuk Sool Won.

[JKN-Taylor]

I think at first (ever since I was like 7), I was really driven to be a great martial artist. I eventually found Kuk Sool and realized how long and difficult that path to greatness is.

At first I thought 1st Degree was a huge stepping stone on that path. If I ever wanted to be my best, I knew I had to pass that. Now that I'm there, I realize that it's just barely the beginning(if that) of what I think I want to achieve.

[KSW_Martley]

Kuk Sool is the third art I've studied, and I don't have a black belt yet.

Same here. :Alien:

[ember]

Another old but good topic. Any newcomers care to add their reasons?

[Willow]

I will also add a vote to the 3rd art studied w/o a black belt yet. It started as one of those "lifetime goal" things, but somehow I have a feeling that even after I acheive a black belt I will continue to study as much as before. There's just so much to learn! :)

I find it attractive on many levels. Of course the stereotypical good exercise and self-defense aspects, but for other reasons as well. I've always enjoyed activites where I felt I was actively learning something and this certainly qualifies. I also find it calming and relaxing, most especially in a former job that included being around a lot of aggressive people. Because of my martial arts training I was more comfortable in approaching someone who was in a violent state of mind and able to talk them down, knowing I could defend myself if necessary. I also have found that most of the people I've trained with have been some of the most non-competitive, helpful people I've met in a "sports" environment, contrary to what many outside martial arts might think.

As for Kuk Sool specifically, I really enjoyed my time in Hapkido and when the time came to move to Texas I began searching for schools but found that they weren't as common. Then while reading about style descriptions I happened upon Kuk Sool. It had similar elements to Hapkido, along with other added elements that sounded interesting as well. I decided to try out a school when the time was right and it seemed like a pretty good fit. There's still some things I'm not as fond of (forms) and there are some things I'm looking forward to (weapons). And of course there were other factors as well (If I have to move again in-state there's more likely to be another KSW school where I can continue and not start all over again). The first few months have been fun and I can't wait to learn even more.

[Ferran]

a) In part because I had to leave Ju Jitsu the week before getting brown, somewhere I'd always assumed I'd study until some dan or other.

b) For teaching. Did some months, that same year, as assistant instructor to kids and children and I learned as I've never learned (and, anyway, I liked it!)

c) For a certain 'coming of age'. If KJN is a PhD, then BB is going to college, knowing the basics enough to take on certain ideas, tackle certain questions and, in KSW, getting to know certain weapons (I'm fond of 'weird' weapons: fans, Sheng Biao, ... I'd also like to know --although I'm probably spoiled for life by Japanese swordwielding-- how does KSW handle long blades, specially when wielding double and straight-edged).

d) It'll probably take some weight out of my shoulders. As much as I might wish not to, I'm probably spoiled by the "BB-goal", so getting there should let me focus better on the road.

[intenseksw]

Just a few thoughts on what having a "black belt" means to me...

To me, a black belt indicates the wearer is competent in a style's basic technique- not that he is a "Master" or "expert", as many people assume. To me a black belt is only the beginning...a solid step into a much larger world. I love the Martial Arts and as such I am tempted to practice more than one style, in order to be "well rounded", and I think that it is well to do so. But recently, I read an article where Chiefmaster In Joo Suh described what it meant to him to be a Master...

The following taken from an article The Master MASTER

In Joo Suh Tells What It Takes To Be
A Great Martial Arts Leader
By Jane Hallander
Originally Published in Inside Kung-Fu, November 1986. -

Website posted article from San Antonio Martial Arts Center (http://www.geocities.com/mstr_suh/master.html)

"...while two decades of practice is necessary, it must be spent studying but one art, not a host of different styles. One who holds two or three black belts in different styles is only going to be able to scratch the true surface of any system. Suh compares practicing more than one style to a student simultaneously seeking three doctorates. Something has to give and it´s usually in the area of deep understanding."

"Nothing takes the place of experience," Suh said. "And only time and exposure can give experience."

What he is saying makes sense to me, however; as far as self defense goes...I wonder if in todays world one art is enough. If I was shooting to be an instructor and own a school, I'd probably stick with one style.

Personally, I don't want to wear a black belt just to have it. I don't want to get a black belt unless I absolutely deserve it. You've heard the term- “Not all black belts are created equally”...this is something I have observed in Kuk Sool Won as well as Tae Kwon Do (2 of the arts I have practiced). This is where the rubber meets the road. Any Martial art will only give you what you put into it. It’s all about having a good teacher and then applying the concepts, principles, techniques he/she gives you to the best of your ability while putting in enough 'sweat' time. How effective your style is for you depends on how much of yourself you give to it. This goes for your instructor as well. If the teaching is lousy, and the promotions easy...you will probably be a lousy black belt.

[hwarang cl]

I've thought on this for sometime now, and personally I don't think I ever had a choice, it was going to happen anyway. With MY instructors it's not a matter IF you get a BB/ or master it's WHEN. As long as you continue to pratice consistantly you will get it. I think the question in my head would be "why do you continue to train". I posted the answer to this on the poll thread.....

[mijorobert]

I had always wanted to do martial arts and both my dad and mom signed me up but never really followed through then one day i was at my uncle's and he said if i wanted to do martial arts and i said yeah so after looking around for one day we kinda stumbled across kuk sool.Seemed like fun and my uncle told me if i went till i got my blackbelt he would pay for it so i said yeah.

First day i was excited but after i found out i had to give up saturdays i thought i might give up.My uncle joined to and then after watching my first tournament it just grew on me.I guess after going for a while it wasnt even getting my blackbelt it was just doing something i liked to do.Once i heard i'd get my blackbelt i was proud because i went from this shy lil non athletic kid to tough out going teenager.And here i am today the only one still in my family who does kuk sool,already a blackbelt working on my 2nd degree in i think 6 months.

yeah i know really long but got over excited lol :D

[SIDEKICK2007]

KUK SOOL IS really crap most of it would not work for real

[kiseki]

when you become a blackbelt...

you get new techniques,
new forms,
new kicks,
and more practice time in the dojang

'nuf said

[Sgt_Major]

KUK SOOL IS really crap most of it would not work for real

stop trolling! 90% of your posts are trolling, stop it.

[SaBumNim]

Kuk Sool helps me to grow as an individual, that is one of many reasons why I continue to train. Though there was a bit of a break in there!

[Pride&Poise]

As some others have said, the black belt is just one of the milestones in my training. I'd be lying if I said I didn't view it as a more significant milestone than others up to this point. But it is still a milestone in a bigger, ongoing process.

The teaching aspect also means something to me. Not just so I can teach a specific thing or aspect, but because in general I enjoy helping others who sincerely want learn something.

[Dubu]

I just enjoy the art, and the odds are that as long as I keep having fun I will eventually have put in the time and effort and developed the skill and determination required for bb.

I used to think about how great it would be to be a bb, but the more i think about my training the more important i feel the learning is rather than the knowing, and from there more important than knowing seems to be the passing on of knowledge.

[PopeCoyote]

I used to train in Shotokan before I came to Kuk Sool, and one of my Shotokan Sensei's favorite sayings was that the only thing a black belt means is that you've mastered the BASICS and now you're ready to BEGIN training. :) Always liked that phrase.

[KSW_KJN]

I used to train in Shotokan before I came to Kuk Sool, and one of my Shotokan Sensei's favorite sayings was that the only thing a black belt means is that you've mastered the BASICS and now you're ready to BEGIN training. :) Always liked that phrase.

Funny, but my master also stated the same thing. When I received my black belt, he told me, "Now, we start." :) Additionally in KSW, many of the techniques you learn throughout your training are revisited and typically extended as you advance through later belts.

[JoKyoNimJey]

The first time that I went with my instructor to visit his instructor, I noticed that they talked about their students (particularly the ones who stuck around to get their black belts) as if they were part of a family. I've kept that in my mind for quite some time. To me my black belt means that I have put forth the effort to make the aforementioned family a better one.

[JKN_TREV]

nicely put jey........

i suppose for me, ive always wanted to become a martial artist, so when i checked out kuk sool for the first time i was hooked, from the moment i joined and got my uniform i made a promise to myself that i would get my black belt no matter what! then after i took my first test in front of Kuk Sa Nim i realized there was more to getting a black belt than just being a badass, you become a part of the kuk sool family. As jey put it, when we first met our instructor's instructor, he told us that kuk sool isnt just a place for anybody, its a big family, and he said that we are welcome in his school anytime. That made me want that black belt even more, and to progress even further, hopefully to attain at least a 7th degree before i die.

So yeah, getting my blackbelt wasnt just a belt to me, its much much more.

[kiseki]

The first time that I went with my instructor to visit his instructor, I noticed that they talked about their students (particularly the ones who stuck around to get their black belts) as if they were part of a family. I've kept that in my mind for quite some time. To me my black belt means that I have put forth the effort to make the aforementioned family a better one.
Dude, that is one of the coolest things I've heard in a very long time. I want that out of KS, and it often makes me sad how hard it is to get my fellow students to do things with me outside of class, even if most of them are way outside my age bracket one way or the other.

[ember]

Dude, that is one of the coolest things I've heard in a very long time. I want that out of KS, and it often makes me sad how hard it is to get my fellow students to do things with me outside of class, even if most of them are way outside my age bracket one way or the other.

I guess I was too busy with grad school to see much of it at my dojang before going to Korea. But in Korea it was pretty good. By chance, several people from my father's hometown happened to be on the exact same bus as us, and we talked some on the trip.

The week after we got back, I went up to Indiana for what ended up being my grandfather's funeral, and I ended up in emergency surgery. They drove an hour and a half to visit me in the hospital on the day of their local bb testing. That really stuck with me.

[scotlfs]

The quick answer is "Self Reliance". However the complicated answer is well, more complicated than that. I can't really depend on myself to "Work out" without a regimented program of sorts, or at least something that demands I show up regularly. So its also for health, but that's also self reliance (hence the quick answer). I also practice yoga for health and as part of martial arts training, I also garden for self reliance and health, and I also hunt for the same reasons.

I want to Kick Ass. I don't mean I want to go around looking for a fight, it doens't mean I want to dive into trouble, but it does mean that if I am walking down the street with my wife and kids that we are able to protect outselves whther that be by fostering situational awareness and knowing to get out and away quickly, or being able to stand side by side with each other stop the harm from coming.

Martial Arts, beyond all the philosophy and athleticism provides one thing and one thing only in the grand scheme of survival, it gives you the opportunity to grow from meek to master of your immediate surroundings. It is the grand equalizer that prevents the average hooligan from taking advantage of you as an average meek person, there is always someone better that me and you as a fighter/protector/agressor, however the playing field is leveled, when one raises themself above meekness.

Martial Arts builds Real Men and Real Women from mice. Practicing Martial Arts is Practicing to be a Real Man. I am however not detracting from those who do not, being kind and gentle are just as much part of being a Real Man or Real Woman as anything else. Not everyone is right for Martial Arts Practice, and there are plenty of other venues for self development. I however choose Martial Arts as part of my program that includes safe firearms practice, small scale farming, home repair, and general independence/self reliance as part of my continual growth as a Real Man.

That's my opinion...just remember, you asked :)

Scot

[scotlfs]

As it turns out, like many in this thread, this will be my third martial art. IsshinRyu when I was 15-17, Tae Kwon Do started a few years ago, and now Kuk Sool Won.

My two older sons attended Tae Kwon Do along with me, the older son attained a High Green Belt (5th Gup), and my younger son who started later got his High Yellow (7th Gup).

I am starting KSW first, then my older son, then my younger son. My youngest son who is now 3 is really excited to do it also, but I don't think Master Jeff Green will allow it. But boy he wants to. He's the sort for it too...

Maybe in the smaller classes, he'll allow my 3 year old to "practice" with us on occasion.

[KIWEST]

Well, I started KSW to get fit. Having tried the gym thing cycling running etc.
I didnt have the self discipline to do those things. Guess I needed someone else telling me what to do. I also started to encourage my 6 year old son.
When I got to yellow belt I started to think about opening a club (!) I actually asked my instructor what I had to do. He laughed (not surprisingly) and said, get to Black belt first. So I did.
That was about 11 years ago. Now I teach KSW for a living!

[Bahng Uh Ki]

I... asked my instructor [at yellow belt] what I had to do [to start a club]. He laughed (not surprisingly)... I'm glad you achieved your goal, even after he laughed at it.

I heard a funny story about a woman in Kuk Sool, who said that when she first started, she told her master she wanted one of the pretty unifroms with the red trim. Without skipping a beat, he said, "That might take awhile." She gets to wear silver, but I don't know if she is still working on the red.

[NO PAIN NO GAME]

After so many years of Karate, I decided I wanted a new challenge

I went to a local KSW demo, loved what I saw especially the weapons!, gave it a try and have loved it ever since!

[Gav123]

I started after 15 years of doing Karate, Kick Boxing and Muay Thai. Having trained Martial Arts for so long and having had a black belt for about 8 years it is nice to start at the beginning again with a new art. Motivation for black belt is a confidence thing as I hate performing(!) in front of people.

Eventually I would like to start my own school with a mix of all the martial arts I have done in the past, although this will probably only ever be a dream. Bills and commitments etc, I'm sure you all understand.

[KIWEST]

I had a simliar dream Gav123..see post 49 above. When I made the decision to go full-time at KSW I was in the middle of a divorce, had just bought a house and my wife to be (after the divorce!) was pregnant. There is ALWAYS a way if you want something enough.

[scotlfs]

KIWEST,
Now that's a lot of samsara, but you did it.

Scot

[KIWEST]

EVERYTHING is Samsara scotlfs. But, for the time being anyway, we have to live in it! But yes, I did it. So I suppose I must have done something right at sometime. (Previous life no doubt!)

[scotlfs]

True, it is all samsara, but to put it in a certain point of view (even if truly an innaccurate description of samsara). Some people seem to been drawn to more of it, some people go with the current, some people dive right on into the samsara pool, and some people seem to splash their samsara on everyone around them.

You seem to have done very well despite all the samsara around you.

[DoJe]

Did the education bit until late 20's, not really being big on physical as a child, then needed new challenges.
Learnt to fly late 30's which was different - so then what?
My 6 year old started KSW to improve his strength and coordination and I [and my wife] decided that the best way to support him was to join ourselves.
Now from my chronology you will have figured out that I was no spring chicken when I started - in fact I am proud to be the oldest member in my club - sneaking it over my instructor by 14 days ;-). This gives me great joy when I outstay the youngsters and an excuse when I don't - but don't think I have to play that card too often actually.
So progress towards BB will be more of a saunter for me than a gallop - but all the more enjoyable for that I suspect - afterall what is the point in dashing to an ever moving finishing post? To quote someone far wiser than I "a journey of a 1000 miles starts with just one step". Surely BB is just another one of those steps -albeit a very important one - but hey - I thought that about my Yellow Stripe ;-)

[Locoduck]

I started KSW because I joined the Police Force, I wanted to gain confidence, strength and learn how to defend myself even though they teach you that in the force...................Plus I really liked the Instructor and after 4 years down the line I married him! LOL