Why I Deserve a Black Belt
By: Travis Allen Bratton, 1st Dan

Aikido, for me, is not only an art of self-defense but a form of release.  I have always wanted to study martial arts.  I am thankful that I have finally gotten that chance.  Over the course of the last year I have learned more than I would have thought possible.  Actually, I continue to learn on a weekly basis and it seems that I will learn even more as I continue in my journey with aikido.  In the following essay I am going to explain why I think I deserve this black belt. 

This is going to sound a little corny, but ever since I was a little boy martial arts have always intrigued me.  My mother allowed me to take taekwondo classes when I was smaller, but of course, that wasn’t enough.  I mean, it was fun, but I knew that I wanted to learn more.  I can remember running around the house and pretending to be fighting people.  Ha ha!  I think all boys do that.  I always felt that it was just me though.  I was special!  I wanted to be a Martial Artist!  I think I even beat up my step-brother once.  I know that is not the reason to learn martial arts, but at the time I was sure that I could win.  Ha ha!  I was always watching movies with some sort of martial art in them.  I dreamed of being just like Bruce Lee.  He has always been my idol.  In other words, I have known since I was young that I would be doing some type of martial art.  It is something that I feel like I can do, and do well. 

I think that I was first introduced to aikido in my late teens.  I had never really thought about the art before.  I attended classes in Conway for about a month, but due to high cost, it didn’t work out.  When I met Melissa, martial arts were just a distant memory.  I had been in the military for a couple years, and yes I did learn some combat arts, but it is not the same to me.  When I found out that Melissa’s dad taught aikido, I was so thrilled.  I knew that I wanted to be a part of the art.  I want to be honest that in the past I have tried other sports, but it has always seemed that they weren’t for me.  This the first time that any sport has seemed to fit me just right!  I always wanted to know just how it felt to part of something that made me feel important, and now I am.  It has been a true blessing.  It feels good to know that this is a sport that doesn’t have to end, because there is no off season. 

I think now, I am going to discuss a little bit more about the art I have come to love.  Aikido is like earth, fire and water.  Earth would be like taking control, Water like movement, and fire would be attacking.  Aikido originated in Japan by the O sensei. I am not sure just when the art became well known in America, but I am glad it did.  Aikido, in a sense, can be utilized as a form of self-defense, but there is much more to it than just that.  The key of the art is movement and utilizing the opponent’s momentum against them.  Unlike many other martial arts, you would probably never see any type of tournament that involved this art, because the artist would just stand there looking at each other until the other made a move first.  Now, there are such things as demonstrations which can be very interesting to watch.  I get a great joy out of the art.

The last year of classes has been an awesome experience.  I have learned that there is so much more to the art than just fighting.  It teaches respect, discipline, control, obedience, and movement.  I learned as a white belt that simply just moving out of the way is the best way to avoid contact. I learned so much during my white belt stage.  Pain, oh man, the pain was defiantly a wakeup call.  I never thought about there being a correct way to fall, but there is.  I also learned that there are a lot of ways to get thrown around!  During the time I received my yellow belt I begun to realize that I had created a foundation. As a result of the experience, I began to develop and grow as an orange belt.  My blue belt was an accomplishment and I knew that I needed to continue in my journey.  The transition from intermediate to advanced student was quite a change.  I don’t think that I truly grasped the danger of the art until I reached my red belt.  I realized that I could really hurt someone if I am not careful.  I learned that with control and wisdom I could temper my skills.  It’s funny how, just when you think that you figured things out, you realize that there is more.  When I reached my red-black belt I decided that I didn’t just want to earn my black belt.  I decided that I wanted to utilize my knowledge to teach others.  I found great pleasure in being able to show the other students how wonderful the art of Aikido is.  Aikido is the art of peace, not war.  I believe that in order to teach, the teacher must love what they teach.  In this case, I do.  I feel like I am a dedicated student and I will continue to be a dedicated student, long after I reach my black belt.  There will always be something to learn and a great teacher keeps on learning.  I believe that it is in my destiny to become an aikido sensei.  I have always thought this would be something that I would love, and over the last year, my dream has become so much more vivid.  It has been recently that I learned that this dream was a little harder than I originally thought.  Kids! Or should I say Teens, can be hard to deal with at times.  I will be honest that I am a little impatient. Through this experience with the younger crowed, it has taught me to be more patient with different people.  We do not all learn in the same way or at the same pace.  It is important for the younger students to get the most out of the class, and in order to do that, they have to have a lot more one on one time with their instructor.  Come to think of it, without the little ones, who would we pass our knowledge on to?  I believe that if I continue to grow as a student and as a person this task will not be as difficult as it is right now.  I have learned that respect for your peers and instructor is the key to unlocking the door to higher learning.  I truly know in my heart that this art is something that I will be a part of for a long time to come and I hope that I will be able to make an impact on others in the art as I have received throughout my learning process.  I can’t reiterate enough that I think this is what would truly be good for me.  To teach the art!  I have always thought about it, but for some reason I am just now really feeling that it could be possible.  It still amazes me how much I continue to learn about people and the art of Aikido.  It just seems to keep growing.  I know that it will take time to be able to be good enough to actually teach others the art, but I am willing and ready to work hard for my dream of being an aikido sensei.  I know that I am well on my way and I can say that with the utmost pride and honor. 

In closing, I want to express how much this black belt means to me.  I know that with the honor of the black belt I will be able to transform day by day into the man of patience, control, and perseverance.   You know I am going to say that with or without the black belt I will become that man.  I think that everyone has something inside of them that makes them who they are.  I am a lot of things, A man of God, a husband, a father, a brother, and last but definitely not least, a Martial Artist.  This is why I believe that I deserve a black belt.  I look forward to my future career as an aikidoist.

I hope that I have honored you as a student and that I continue to honor you.