Week 13: Walk Like a Black Belt

Week 13 of 16 · Test Cycle 2. This lesson is part of The Black Belt Mindset, the character curriculum every new Mile High Karate student begins with, by Grand Master Stephen Oliver and Grand Master Jeff Smith. Every week stands alone, so a student can start with any lesson.

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

Muhammad Ali

On this page: Read the chapter · Workbook lesson · For instructors: Mat Chat

Read: Walk Like a Black Belt

You can spot a Black Belt from across a room. I don’t mean the belt. I mean the way they walk in.

Their head is up. Their shoulders are back. They look people in the eye. When they say hello, you can hear them. They don’t shout. They don’t mumble. They just carry themselves like someone who knows where they are going.

That is what this lesson is about. We call it Positive Self-Projection. That is a big phrase for a simple idea. Projection means sending something out. Self-projection is what you send out to other people about yourself.

Everybody projects something. The question is what.

Five A.M. on Capitol Hill

Let me tell you about my teacher, Grand Master Jhoon Rhee.

He came to America from Korea in 1956. He did not have money. He did not have famous friends. In 1962, he opened his first school in Washington, D.C.

A few years later, in 1965, he started teaching karate to members of the United States Congress. These were some of the most powerful people in the country. Class was at 5:00 in the morning, three days a week. He did it as a volunteer.

Think about that. A man who came here with almost nothing was teaching lawmakers how to kick, punch and stand tall. Over the years, hundreds of members of Congress trained with him.

How does someone do that? A big part of it is self-projection. Grand Master Rhee walked into a room like he belonged there. He stood straight. He looked people in the eye. He spoke clearly and kindly. People wanted to follow him.

He did not get that confidence from being rich or famous. He built it, one class at a time. So can you.

Your Body Talks

Before you ever open your mouth, your body is already talking.

Try this right now. Slump your shoulders. Look at the floor. Let your arms hang. How do you feel? Small? Tired? A little sad?

Now stand up tall. Pull your shoulders back. Lift your chin. Look straight ahead. How do you feel now? Stronger, right?

Here is the cool part. Your body does not just show how you feel. It can change how you feel. When you stand like a confident person, you start to feel like one.

At Mile High Karate, we stand at attention at the start of class. Feet together. Hands at your sides. Eyes forward. That is not just a rule. It is practice for how to carry yourself everywhere.

See It First

Every Black Belt I know did the same thing long before they earned the belt. They saw it first.

They pictured themselves walking onto the stage at the Black Belt Extravaganza. They pictured the belt being tied around their waist. They pictured their family clapping. They saw it so many times that by the time it happened, it felt like they had been there before.

That is called visualization. It means making a clear picture in your mind of something before you do it.

Here is how it works with self-projection. Close your eyes. Picture yourself walking into class like a Black Belt. Head up. Strong steps. A clear “Yes, sir!” when your instructor calls your name. See it like a movie. Now open your eyes and go do it.

Your mind practices the picture. Then your body follows the picture. The more clearly you see it, the more naturally you do it.

The Four Laws of Concentration

In class, we teach the Four Laws of Concentration. You have probably heard your instructor say them:

1. Focus your eyes. Look at the person who is speaking.
2. Focus your ears. Listen to every word.
3. Focus your mind. Think about what they are saying, not about something else.
4. Focus your body. Stand still and ready.

These four laws help you learn karate. But they also help you project confidence everywhere you go.

When a teacher at school sees a student with focused eyes, ears, mind and body, what does the teacher think? This kid is serious. This kid is ready.

When a boss at work sees an adult listening that way in a meeting, what does the boss think? Same thing.

Eyes, Voice, Hand

When you meet someone new, three things matter most.

Your eyes. Look at the person. Not at your shoes. Not at your phone. Eye contact says, “I see you, and I’m not afraid.”

Your voice. Speak loud enough to be heard. A clear “Yes, sir” or “Yes, ma’am” in class is practice. So is a strong kiai (pronounced KEE-eye), the shout we use when we strike. If you can kiai in front of the whole class, you can say your name clearly to a new friend.

Your handshake. Firm, not crushing. Look them in the eye while you shake. Say their name back to them. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Lopez.”

Picture a girl on her first day at a new school. She walks in looking at the floor. Nobody talks to her. Now picture the same girl walking in with her head up. She smiles. She says, “Hi, I’m Maya.” Which Maya do you think makes a friend by lunch?

Self-Projection Keeps You Safe

Here is something many people don’t know. The way you carry yourself can help keep you safe.

At Mile High Karate, we teach the ABCs of conflict avoidance:

• A — Avoid dangerous situations.
• B — Breathe and stay calm.
• C — Communicate with confidence.

That last one is self-projection. People who want to cause trouble usually look for someone who seems scared or unsure. A person who stands tall, looks alert and speaks clearly is much less likely to be picked on.

You don’t have to fight to be strong. Most of the time, a Black Belt never has to throw a punch. Their confidence does the work.

Confident, Not Cocky

There is a difference between being confident and being cocky.

A cocky person brags. They interrupt. They make fun of people who are still learning. Deep down, they are usually not that sure of themselves.

A confident person does not need to brag. They let their actions speak. They help the white belt who is struggling. They say “thank you” and “please.” They are strong and kind.

At Mile High Karate, we want you to be confident. Never cocky.

Practice Makes Confidence

Some people think you are either born confident or you are not. That is not true. Confidence is a skill. You practice it, just like a side kick.

Every time you stand at attention, you practice. Every time you answer “Yes, sir!” in a strong voice, you practice. Every time you step onto the mat at a tournament, even when your stomach is full of butterflies, you practice.

Here is a secret: almost everybody gets nervous. Black Belts get nervous too. The difference is that they have practiced standing tall while they are nervous. After a while, the butterflies don’t stop them anymore.

So the next time you feel shy, don’t wait to feel brave. Stand like a Black Belt first. The brave feeling usually catches up.

How a Black Belt Does It

1. Stand tall today. Before you walk into school, work or class today, stop for three seconds. Head up, shoulders back, eyes forward.
2. Picture it first. Each night, spend one minute picturing yourself walking in like a Black Belt.
3. Use the Four Laws. Focus your eyes, ears, mind and body whenever someone speaks to you.
4. Eyes, voice, hand. Greet people with eye contact, a clear voice and a firm handshake.
5. Be strong and kind. Confidence never means putting someone else down.

Remember

• Self-projection is what you send out to the world about yourself.
• See it first. Your mind practices the picture, and your body follows it.
• Your body can change how you feel. Stand tall, and you feel stronger.
• Focus your eyes, ears, mind and body.
• Be confident, never cocky. Strong people don’t need to make others small.

Workbook Lesson: Week 13

Print the full workbook below, or answer these on paper. Young students can have a parent help them read and write.

1. Words to Know

• Self-projection: what the way you stand, look and speak tells others about you
• Visualization: making a clear picture in your mind of something before you do it
• Confident: sure of yourself in a calm, quiet way
• Cocky: bragging or acting better than others
• Posture: the way you hold your body when you stand, sit or walk

2. Fill in the Blank

1. The Four Laws of Concentration are focus your eyes, your ears, your mind and your .
2. In the ABCs, the C stands for communicate with .
3. Your mind practices the picture. Then your body follows the .

3. Think About It

1. How do you feel when you slump? How do you feel when you stand tall?
2. Close your eyes and picture your Black Belt day. What do you see? Who is there?
3. Grand Master Smith said his opponent was “a pretty good person.” Why is it strong to say something nice about someone you compete against?
4. Teens & Adults: Where in your life (school, work, meetings) could better posture, eye contact or voice make a difference? What will you picture before that moment?

5. Activity: Draw a Black Belt Walking In

Draw yourself walking into a room like a Black Belt. Show your head up, shoulders back and a smile. Label your eyes, voice and posture.

7. My Self-Talk

Write an “I am” sentence about how you carry yourself. Example: I am standing tall and looking people in the eye.

8. Live the Creed

Say the Student Creed out loud every day this week. Then write about one time this week you showed Courage.

For Instructors: Week 13 Mat Chat

A 3–4 minute line-up lesson built on the Hook, Teach, Story, Ask, Commit formula, with a discussion guide for every age on the mat.

Objective: By the end of this Mat Chat, students will be able to picture their Black Belt walk with eyes closed and then demonstrate it, walking and greeting a partner with head up, eye contact, a clear voice and a firm handshake.

Prepare:

• Recruit a Black Belt or Leadership Team helper to model a slumped walk-in and a confident walk-in on cue.
• Have the camera ready and a Black Belt available for this week’s new Black Belt photos and target-date shout-outs.
• Clear a lane across the mat for the Picture It, Then Walk It drill.

The Mat Chat (3–4 minutes)

Hook (0:00–0:30). [Stand at attention, chin up, eyes forward.] Students, eyes on me. Quick question. Can you spot a Black Belt from across the room, even if you can’t see the belt? (Yes!) How? (The way they walk in!) That’s right. Head up. Shoulders back. Eyes forward. When they say hello, you can hear them. They don’t shout. They don’t mumble. Everybody sends a message before they say a single word. The question is, what message are you sending?

Teach (0:30–1:30). That message has a name: self-projection. It’s what you send out to the world about yourself. Try this. Slump your shoulders and look at the floor. How do you feel? (Small! Tired!) Now stand tall, chin up, eyes forward. How about now? (Strong!) Your body doesn’t just show how you feel. It changes how you feel. Our Black Belt Success Skill is Visualization. That means making a clear picture in your mind before you do it. Our key word is PICTURE. Every Black Belt pictured their Black Belt day long before it happened: walking onto the stage at the Black Belt Extravaganza, the belt tied around their waist, their family clapping. Your mind practices the picture. Then your body follows the picture. So give your mind a winning one. And remember: confident, never cocky. Confident people don’t need to make anyone else feel small.

Story (1:30–2:30). Let me tell you about Grand Master Oliver’s teacher, Grand Master Jhoon Rhee. He came to America from Korea in 1956 with almost nothing. In 1962, he opened his first school in Washington, D.C. A few years later, in 1965, he started teaching karate to members of the United States Congress, some of the most powerful people in the country. Class was at five in the morning, three days a week, and he did it as a volunteer. Over the years, hundreds of members of Congress trained with him. How? He walked into every room like he belonged there. He stood straight. He looked people in the eye. He spoke clearly and kindly. He built that confidence one class at a time. Grand Master Smith shows it too. Before a world title rematch, a magazine asked if he would win. He said, “No question.” Then he called his opponent “a pretty good person.” Strong and kind. That’s real self-projection.

Ask (2:30–3:15). Quick check. The Four Laws of Concentration: focus your eyes, your ears, your mind and your… (body!) When you meet someone new, where do your eyes go? (On their eyes!) What’s the difference between confident and cocky? (Confident people don’t brag or put others down!) Now close your eyes. Picture yourself walking in on your Black Belt day. How are you standing? [Pause ten seconds.] Open your eyes. Hands up if you saw yourself standing tall. Turn to a partner and tell them one thing you saw.

Commit (3:15–3:45). Here’s your 7-day home challenge. Every day, greet one person with eye contact, a clear voice and a firm handshake, or a polite wave, and say their name. Then, before bed, close your eyes for one minute and picture your Black Belt walk. This week we also take your new photo with the Black Belts, and you’ll say your target date out loud. That’s not bragging. That’s telling the world where you’re going: Black Belt and beyond. How do you walk in? (Like a Black Belt!)

Discussion Guide

Aim: Help students connect what they picture in their minds with how they carry themselves, and see that confident posture, eye contact and voice are skills they can practice, not traits they are born with.

Little Dragons (ages 4–6)

1. Show me your Black Belt stand. Can you show me a sleepy, slumpy stand too? Which one feels stronger?
2. Can you look at your partner’s eyes and say “Hi!” in a big, clear voice?

Kids (ages 7–12)

1. When you closed your eyes and pictured your Black Belt day, what did you see? Who was there?
2. Picture a new kid walking into your classroom. What would make you want to say hi to them?
3. How could standing tall and looking alert help keep you safe on the playground or at the park?

Teens and adults

1. Where in your life (a class presentation, a job interview, a meeting) could better posture, eye contact or voice change how people respond to you?
2. What could you picture for 30 seconds before that moment so your body follows the picture?
3. Grand Master Smith said “No question” about winning, then called his opponent “a pretty good person.” Why is that combination harder, and stronger, than trash talk?

Listen for:

• Your body language sends a message before you speak, and it can change how you feel.
• Visualization means seeing it clearly in your mind first; then your body follows the picture.
• Eyes, voice, hand: eye contact, a clear voice and a firm handshake show confidence.
• Confident means strong and kind; cocky means bragging or putting others down.

Follow-up questions:

• What would that look like when you walk into school or work tomorrow morning?
• What do you usually picture before something scary, like a test or a tournament? What could you picture instead?
• Who is someone you know who walks in “like a Black Belt”? What exactly do they do?

Into the Mat Drill

• Mat drill: Picture It, Then Walk It: students close their eyes for 15 seconds and picture their Black Belt walk, then cross the mat one line at a time exactly as pictured (chin up, eyes forward). At the far side, each student shakes a partner’s hand with eye contact and says, “Hi, I’m ___, and I’m a future Black Belt.”
• Leader role: The Black Belt or Leadership Team helper models the slumped and the confident walk-in on cue, then waits at the far side of the mat to shake each student’s hand and give a quick posture tip.
• Open next class: Open next class by asking students to raise a hand if they greeted someone with eyes, voice and hand every day and pictured their Black Belt walk before bed, and have two volunteers share who they greeted and what they saw.

Black Belt and Beyond: Module 5 (revisited): Black Belts: Photos and Target Date

Checkpoint: Invite qualified (“A”) families to preview Leadership class

• Retake each student’s photo with the school’s Black Belts; post the cycle 1 and cycle 2 photos side by side.
• Have each student say their target date out loud for the camera (self-speak), in a strong voice.
• Send the photo home with a note inviting the family to talk about the goal beyond Black Belt and the upcoming Black Belt and Beyond conference.

Adult and parent tip: Parents: post the new photo where your child sees it every morning and have them say their date to you out loud. Adults: before an important meeting, take 30 seconds to picture it going well.

Teaching tip: Have students practice introducing themselves to a partner: eye contact, handshake, clear voice, “Nice to meet you.” Make it a quick drill, and praise the loudest clear voice.

Download the complete books (PDF): The Black Belt Mindset · The Workbook · The Instructor’s Manual

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Train at Mile High Karate Thornton, 3979 E 120th Ave, Thornton, CO 80233. Call (303) 280-1839, or see class schedules and enrollment at ThorntonMHK.com.