The End of One Stage…

January 22, 2021

Published by Laura Barrera

The year 2020 was filled with many twists and turns that caused many of our beloved events to be postponed or cancelled. This meant that many did not get to participate in or be a part of their most favorite events that Region 20 loves to host. However, there was a group of students who were looking forward to one of the greatest achievements in Tang Soo Do that any practitioner dreams of… their Black Belt tests. These practitioners were preparing to test for their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree black belts long before the pandemic began. When the Stay At Home Order for California struck, Region 20 established ways for these practitioners to test in October with numerous safety precautions and following CDC guidelines. There were 3 groups that tested which resulted in 17 people testing for their black belts during the COVID-19 Pandemic. These practitioners tested socially distanced, outdoors, in full uniform, in the California heat, and over Zoom for these stripes that they poured their blood, sweat, and tears into. After accomplishing such a feat, they are rewarded with the thing they worked so hard for… their new ranks. As black belts, they “represent mastery, calmness, dignity, and sincerity. Black belt is the final stage of the previous life cycle. Thus we see that it is not only the end of one stage but, more importantly, the beginning of a path which leads up through the ranks of the higher black belts to true mastery” (World Tang Soo Do Association, 2015). Now with their ranks achieved, they now navigate the ranks of black belt and take their new places amongst the Region 20 Black Belts and Masters.