The challenges of being a white belt

Starting a martial art can be a very challenging experience. Depending on the style of martial arts, there can be a lot of material to learn at white belt level and at times, it can feel overwhelming and daunting. You are in a new environment, with people you probably don’t know. You are learning new skills and physically challenging your body in new and demanding ways. Everything is new and you can feel completely out of your comfort zone. I know I certainly did during my first few months as a white belt in Kuk Sool Won™. It was physically very hard for me and I felt outside of my comfort zone by how much there was to learn, particularly about the etiquette surrounding a traditional martial art. Fortunately, I had a very patient instructor who gently helped me through those challenging first few months.
 
I am now a Kuk Sool Won™ instructor and school owner and I regularly work with our new students. In the collective experience of myself and fellow school owner and 4th degree black belt, SBN Caroline, we have found that our new Kuk Sool students tend struggle with some or all of the following elements.
 

• Etiquette: As a traditional Korean martial art, Kuk Sool Won™ places a strong emphasis on etiquette. There are for example, rules of behaviour both inside and outside the dojang. We address each other in a respectful manner and we respect rank through the use of titles. Bowing is also part of the tradition of our martial art. These etiquette rules can feel uncomfortable and challenging at first. They take time to learn and new students may worry about making mistakes or getting the etiquette wrong.
• New material: Everything a white belt does will be new to that student. For example, they have to learn how to execute different types of kicks and hand strikes, which they may never have tried before. They also learn forms (called hyung in Kuk Sool Won™) and self-defense techniques, all of which will be new and challenging to them. It is like learning a new language. It can be very hard at the start. Even a new student who has trained in another style of martial arts will face challenges when they first start Kuk Sool, as there will be many physical and technical differences, which they need to adapt to and learn. As well, much of our terminology is in Korean, which takes time for new students to learn.
• Physical challenges: Martial arts requires us to develop strength, fitness, speed, coordination, balance and flexibility. This is martial arts specific and happens over years of training. While the Kuk Sool syllabus is designed to gradually condition the body, training at white belt level is still physically challenging and our bodies need time to become adjusted to it. It is common for new students to feel frustrated by the limitations of their bodies, particularly when they see what other students who have been training for a while can physically do.
• Memory: In our style of martial arts, new students learn a lot of material as white belts. They need to learn and remember a hyung (form) and a number of self-defence techniques. Our white belts can struggle with their memories, particularly for those who have not actively trained their memory skills for some time. Gradually their memories will improve, but remembering the syllabus can be particularly daunting in the early stages of training.
• New environment: Being in a new environment with new people can be nerve-wracking for some people. It can take time to feel comfortable with other students and instructors.

While it is not possible to remove these challenges, there are ways to make the first few months easier for new students and in my next blog I will focus on these. The key message for new students though, is this. It is completely normal to feel outside of your comfort zone when you first start. Your fellow students and instructors have all been there and experienced it. We understand and want to support you through the challenging first few months. Stick at it as the rewards of martial arts training are definitely worth it.
 
JKN Jane Hurst
First degree black belt and school owner
Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero
 
Copyright © 2018. Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero. All Rights Reserved.