This Saturday is Picture Day at Owosso Martial Arts.
At first glance, that sounds pretty simple. Put on your dobok, straighten your belt, stand tall, smile—or maybe give the camera your best serious martial arts face—and take a picture.
But I think there is a little more to it than that.
A photograph captures a moment in time.
Years from now, the student standing in front of that camera may look completely different. Their belt may be a different color. Their technique will be sharper. Their kicks will be higher. They may be stronger, more confident, and more disciplined than they are today.
But that picture will always show where they were right now.
Every Belt Tells Part of the Story
One of the things I love about martial arts is that progress is visible.
We literally wear it around our waist.
A white belt represents someone brave enough to walk through the door and begin.
A yellow, orange, green, red, or blue belt represents countless classes, corrections, repetitions, frustrations, victories, and lessons learned along the way.
Eventually, for those who stay the course, that journey leads toward midnight blue and the beginning of an entirely new chapter.
Sometimes when we are in the middle of training, it is difficult to notice how far we have actually come.
We tend to focus on the next technique.
The next stripe.
The next test.
The next belt.
The next goal.
There is nothing wrong with looking forward. Goals give us direction.
But every once in a while, it is important to look backward too.
That is when you realize that the technique you struggle with today would have seemed impossible six months ago.
The student who once stood nervously in the back of the class may now be helping someone else.
The child who barely whispered their first ki-hap may now be one of the loudest voices in the dojang.
Progress has a funny way of sneaking up on us.
The Dobok Will Eventually Get Smaller
Parents understand this one especially well.
Kids grow fast.
Sometimes way too fast.
That dobok that looks a little oversized today will eventually become too small.
That belt tied around their waist will eventually be replaced.
Those little hands will get bigger.
Their faces will change.
Their personalities will grow.
And someday, you may look back at one of these pictures and wonder where the time went.
That is part of what makes these moments special.
We aren’t simply taking a karate picture.
We are documenting part of their childhood.
We are capturing a chapter of their martial arts journey.
Stand Proud of Where You Are
Picture Day is also a good reminder that you don’t need to wait until black belt to be proud of yourself.
Sometimes people think they will finally feel accomplished when they reach the next rank.
Then they reach it…and immediately start thinking about the next one.
Martial arts teaches us to constantly improve, but improvement should never prevent us from appreciating where we currently stand.
If you are a white belt, be proud that you started.
If you recently earned a new rank, be proud of the work it took to get there.
If you have been training for years, remember the beginner you once were.
And if training has been difficult lately, remember that simply continuing to show up says something about your character.
Your journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Stand tall.
Tie your belt correctly.
Straighten your dobok.
And be proud of the martial artist looking back at you.
Picture Day — Saturday, August 15
Our Owosso Martial Arts Picture Day will be held this Saturday, August 15th.
If you would like to participate, make sure you are registered ahead of time and come ready in your dobok.
Parents, I especially encourage you to take advantage of opportunities like this.
Belts change.
Students grow.
Years move faster than we expect.
But pictures have a wonderful way of freezing one small piece of the journey.
Someday that photograph may sit next to another one—maybe wearing a much darker belt.
And when that happens, I hope you can look at the two pictures together and say:
“Look how far you’ve come.”
I’ll see everyone in the dojang this week.
Keep training.
Keep growing.
And Saturday…
don’t forget to smile.
—or at least give us your best Tang Soo Do serious face.
Tang Soo!
Sa Bom Nim Thomas Bradford II
Owosso Martial Arts
Monday/ Tuesday: Ill Soo Sik/ Long Distance Sparring
Wednesday/ Thursday: Sparring and Endurance
Saturday: Picture Day, starts at 10 AM. Timeslot will be released no later then Friday.
