Training for 2nd Degree Black Belt




                     The time is around fall of 1995. I was training at in Lakewood, Ohio under a Master who served as the Martial Arts Instructor in the U.S. Army in Korea at least that was what I was told.


                        I was working on 3rd shift for a Multi International Corporation as a Computer Operator and getting out on the Internet with a 56k modem PC 8086 Dos based system. I was reading about Middle age and Irish History since I was curious about my roots.



                         One day my Master called me into his office and asked me if I wanted to try for a 2nd degree Black belt. I was kind of surprised and did not think about it I lacked confidence but My master encouraged me to give it a shot so I said okay.


                        I started my training in 2nd Degree Black Belt forms, self defense and employed some wrestling moves I learned in High School when I had to take a course coupled with Hapkido and lock joint moves this was to come in handy for the second Degree Black belt test. This was not only about the Physical but the inner self of a person. I would bicycle for 60 minutes in a health spa at level five or Six and worked on endurance of my legs weight training wise. I would train at the  Lakewood Korean Martial Arts school about two-three times a week. About one week before the test, I dislocated a finger and had it pulled back into place painful but done. The test turned out to be the toughest in my life this happened in October 1996. The test called for 12 hours of meditation Midnight to noon, no eating for three days and the test would begin the next day during the fasting. The thing I can recall about this test was the fighting I had to fight two separate opponents my legs were wobbly so that was how My Master would know who fasted and who did not on top of that I basically had a broken finger. My matches went okay because of the knowledge using wrestling and Hapkido my legs were wobbly so trying to kick was out of the question taking the person to the ground was the only option in this case. I won all my matches as a result of these tactics. I was required to break five separate boards in 10 seconds and I used my hand with the broken finger for the final break and you guessed it pain and the Master having to pull it back in place I was just about in tears. My final event called for front snap kicks right and left at the same time I went into a heavy meditation and started to visualize the break and I executed and broke both boards at the same time and to my understanding it was never done in the studio so when people discount the power of the mind don't believe them they have no idea what they are talking about. I was so heavy into my meditation people had to snap me out of it. My Master asked me if I wanted a new Black belt but, I replied my blood spilled on the black belt I have on me I cannot. When one who has spilled their own blood on a black belt it is the embodiment of one's soul and spirit and is very sacred it is like a rite of passage which very few people can understand or comprehend very few people have touched my black belt.


           I allowed my wife and only wife 20 years to touch it in 1998 when she arrived from Russia to here in the United States because I went to Baptist Churches in South Carolina and Ohio and it says when two become married they become one in Christ so this is a biblical principle that honors my wife as well as honoring black belt principles that are sacred.


Barry L. Crouse

09/06/2017



                     

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