Week 4: See the Black Belt in the Mirror

Week 4 of 16 · Test Cycle 1. 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.

“Always remember that your success begins inside you: If you can’t see it first, no one else ever will.”

Chuck Norris

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

Read: See the Black Belt in the Mirror

Every year since 1990, Mile High Karate has held a big night called the Black Belt Extravaganza. I have been at every single one.

Here is what happens. A few weeks after our new Black Belts pass their test in the mountains, they walk out on stage. Their families are in the seats. The lights are bright. Each new Black Belt is called by name. Then they receive the belt they worked years to earn.

There are demonstrations, too. Forms. Board breaks. Weapons. Team routines set to music. It is quite a show.

But the most important people in that room might not be on the stage at all. They might be the white belts sitting in the audience.

We invite students of every rank to come. Why? Because a white belt who watches a new Black Belt walk across that stage sees something powerful. They see where the path leads. And many of them start to think, “That could be me.”

That thought is the beginning of a positive self-image. And seeing it in your mind, before it happens, is a Black Belt skill called visualization.

What Is Self-Image?

Your self-image is the picture you carry in your head of who you are.

Everyone has one. Some people see themselves as strong. Some see themselves as shy. Some see themselves as “the kid who always messes up.” Some see themselves as “the one who never gives up.”

Here is the important part. You tend to act like the picture in your head.

If you see yourself as someone who quits, you will find reasons to quit. If you see yourself as someone who finishes, you will find ways to finish.

That means your self-image is one of the most powerful things you own. And the good news is, you can change it.

Your Picture Is Not Finished

When you walk into Mile High Karate for the first time, you are a white belt. You might feel clumsy. You might not know your left foot from your right in a stance. That is normal. Every Black Belt started right there.

A positive self-image does not mean pretending you are already a Black Belt. It means seeing yourself as someone who is becoming one.

Think of it like a drawing. On day one, your picture is just a light pencil sketch. Every class adds a line. Every practice adds a little color. One day, you look at the picture and realize it is finished, and it looks like a Black Belt.

But the sketch has to start in your mind first.

Imagine a girl named Ava. She is seven and very quiet. On her first day, she whispers when she kihaps. Every week, her instructor says, “Bigger voice, Ava. Black Belts are loud!” Little by little, Ava starts to see herself as someone with a strong voice. Months later, her kihap is the loudest in the room.

Now imagine a man named Ray. He is 50. He thinks of himself as “out of shape.” After a few months of class, he catches himself taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Without noticing, his picture of himself has changed. He now sees himself as someone who trains.

See It Before You Do It

Champions practice in their heads, not just with their bodies.

Before a big form, a Black Belt closes their eyes and runs the whole thing in their mind. Every block. Every kick. Every kihap. They see it done right. That is called pre-playing.

After a good performance, they play it back in their mind, so they remember how it felt. That is called re-playing.

Your brain treats a clear, strong picture almost like real practice. So when you see yourself doing it right, again and again, your body starts to follow.

Try it now. Close your eyes. See yourself wearing your Black Belt. See your instructor tying it around your waist. Hear your family clapping. How are you standing? How do you feel?

Open your eyes. That person is real. You just haven’t met them yet. Every class gets you closer.

A Picture That Lasts

In the fall of 1983, just after I opened the first Mile High Karate school in Lakewood, Colorado, someone took a photo of me doing a flying side kick.

That photo became a line drawing. The drawing got passed around and used in many places over the years. I still smile when I see it.

But here is the funny thing. The kick in that picture was not luck. It was years of training, starting when I was a kid in Tulsa. I had to see myself as a martial artist long before I looked like one in a photograph.

The picture in your head always comes first. The picture on the wall comes later.

The Mirror Test

Here is a simple test. Stand in front of a mirror. Look yourself in the eye. Now say, “I am becoming a Black Belt.”

Did you smile? Did you look away? Did it feel silly?

That is okay. The first time feels strange for almost everyone. Do it again tomorrow. And the next day. After a while, you will not look away. You will stand a little taller. You will believe it a little more.

That is your self-image getting stronger, one look at a time.

How to Build a Positive Self-Image

1. Picture the person you want to be. Close your eyes. See yourself moving with power. Standing tall. Speaking with confidence. Wearing a Black Belt. Do this often.

2. Act the part, a little at a time. Black Belts stand up straight, look people in the eye, and say “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am.” You can do those things today, as a white belt.

3. Collect proof. Every time you do something brave or strong, remember it. Write it down. That is proof you are becoming the person in your picture.

4. Erase the old labels. If someone once called you “clumsy” or “lazy,” you do not have to keep that label. You are allowed to draw a new picture.

5. Spend time with people who see the best in you. Good instructors and good friends help you see who you can become.

How a Black Belt Does It

1. Sees the finish line in the mind. Tonight, picture your Black Belt for 30 seconds before you fall asleep.
2. Pre-plays before it counts. Before a form or a test, run it in your mind first.
3. Stands and moves like a Black Belt. Good posture. Eyes up. A strong voice.
4. Talks about themselves with respect. No “I’m so dumb.” Instead: “I’m learning.”
5. Keeps a list of wins. Proof that the picture is coming true.

Remember

• Your self-image is the picture of yourself you carry in your head.
• You tend to act like the picture you hold.
• Champions pre-play and re-play in their minds.
• Every class adds a line to your picture.
• See it first in your mind. Then you will see it in the mirror.

Workbook Lesson: Week 4

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-image: the picture in your mind of who you are
• Visualization: seeing something clearly in your mind before it happens
• Kihap: the loud shout made with a strong move
• Label: a word used to describe a person, like “shy”
• Extravaganza: a big, exciting show or celebration

2. Fill in the Blank

1. You tend to act like the in your head.
2. Every class adds a to your picture.
3. Each year, new Black Belts receive their belts on stage at the Black Belt .

3. Think About It

1. Why does Mile High Karate invite white belts to watch the Black Belt Extravaganza?
2. What is pre-playing? When could you use it this week?
3. Has anyone ever given you a label you did not like? What new word would you like to describe you?
4. Teens & Adults: What belief about yourself did you form years ago that may no longer be true? What proof from training says otherwise?

5. Activity: Pre-Play My Form

Close your eyes and run your newest form in your mind, from the first bow to the last bow. Then write down each move you saw, in order. Circle the one move you want to see most clearly next time.

7. My Self-Talk

Write a sentence about the person you are becoming. Start with: “I am becoming someone who…”

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 4 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 explain what visualization and pre-playing are, show how a Black Belt stands, and picture themselves receiving their Black Belt.

Prepare:

• Clear floor space so the class can switch from a “white belt on day one” stance to a Black Belt stance.
• Copies of the Visualization Worksheet (“Make a Definite Commitment”) to send home.
• Recruit a Black Belt or Leadership Team helper to model the Black Belt stance and lead the first line of the Black Belt Walk.

The Mat Chat (3–4 minutes)

Hook (0:00–0:30). [Speak slowly and quietly.] Students, close your eyes. Keep them closed. See yourself on stage at the Black Belt Extravaganza. The lights are bright. Your family is in the seats. Your name is called. You walk forward, and your instructor ties a Black Belt around your waist. Hear the clapping. How are you standing? How do you feel? Now open your eyes. That person is real. You just haven’t met them yet.

Teach (0:30–1:30). What you just did is this week’s Black Belt Success Skill: Visualization. Visualization means seeing something clearly in your mind before it happens. Our key word is SEE. Champions don’t just practice with their bodies. They practice in their minds. Before a big form, a Black Belt runs the whole thing in their head first. That’s called pre-playing. After a great performance, they play it back. That’s re-playing. Your brain treats a clear picture almost like real practice. You also carry a picture in your head of who you are. It’s called your self-image, and you tend to act like that picture. If it says “I always mess up,” you’ll find ways to mess up. If it says “I’m a Black Belt in training,” you’ll stand, train and talk like one. At Mile High Karate we say: self-motivation arrives through visualization.

Story (1:30–2:30). Grand Master Jeff Smith became a world champion, but the picture in his head started small. He was only 14 years old when he started sparring with college men at a karate club in Kingsville, Texas. Back then, there was no safety gear. Today we wear pads and use control, so don’t try what he did! But think about how a 14-year-old had to see himself to step in with grown men. In his words: “So I was used to sparring big guys, and I wasn’t intimidated too much.” He didn’t see himself as “just a kid.” He saw himself as a fighter who belonged in that room. That picture grew. He won the PKA World Light Heavyweight title in 1974 and held it until 1980. Chuck Norris said it this way: “Always remember that your success begins inside you: If you can’t see it first, no one else ever will.”

Ask (2:30–3:15). Show me how a white belt stands on day one. [Let them slump, then switch.] Now show me how a Black Belt stands! (Chin up, shoulders back, eyes forward!) What do we call running your form in your mind before you do it? (Pre-playing!) Who can SEE themselves wearing a Black Belt? Hands up! Now turn to a partner and tell them one word that describes you as a Black Belt. Strong? Brave? A leader? Say it with a strong voice. Go!

Commit (3:15–3:45). Here’s your seven-day challenge: Black Belt Picture Week. Every night before bed, spend 30 seconds seeing yourself receive your Black Belt. See it, hear the clapping, feel the belt being tied. Then write down one piece of proof from that day that you’re becoming that person. Take home your Visualization Worksheet, write your Black Belt date, and draw your Black Belt self. See your Black Belt, and beyond. Who do you see in the mirror? (A future Black Belt!)

Discussion Guide

Aim: Help students practice seeing a clear picture of themselves as a Black Belt and understand that the picture they hold shapes how they act. Each student should name one Black Belt quality they will practice this week.

Little Dragons (ages 4–6)

1. Close your eyes. Can you see your Black Belt? What color is it? (Black!)
2. Show me your Black Belt stand! Show me your Black Belt kihap!

Kids (ages 7–12)

1. When could you pre-play something this week, at karate or at school?
2. What is one thing a Black Belt does that you could start doing today, as the rank you are now?
3. Grand Master Smith saw himself as someone who belonged. Where would you like to feel like you belong?

Teens and adults

1. What belief about yourself did you form years ago that may no longer be true? What proof from training says otherwise?
2. How could you use pre-playing before a test, a presentation at work or a hard conversation at home?
3. What label has someone given you that you are ready to erase, and what word would you put in its place?

Listen for:

• A clear picture with detail: what they see, hear and feel.
• Self-image is not pretending; it is seeing who you are becoming.
• Pre-playing before and re-playing after a performance.
• Collecting proof: small brave or strong actions that match the picture.

Follow-up questions:

• What would a Black Belt version of you do at home tomorrow morning?
• What piece of proof could you write down tonight?
• When you pre-play your form, which move do you want to see most clearly?

Into the Mat Drill

• Mat drill: Black Belt Walk: students walk across the mat one line at a time as if they already wear their Black Belt (chin up, shoulders back, eyes forward). Then everyone closes their eyes and pre-plays their form once in their mind before performing it for real. Ask: did it feel smoother?
• Leader role: A Black Belt or Leadership Team helper models the Black Belt stance during the Ask and leads the first line of the Black Belt Walk.
• Open next class: Open the next class by asking, “Hands up if you pictured your Black Belt every night. Who can share one piece of proof you wrote down?” and collect any returned Visualization Worksheets.

Black Belt and Beyond: Module 4: Visualization Worksheet

Checkpoint: Progress Update: about 1 month (8 classes) before graduation

• Hand out the Visualization Worksheet (“Make a Definite Commitment”): students write their Black Belt date and fill the thought bubbles with Black Belt qualities.
• Parents list how they see their child as a Black Belt; students may add a photo of their face on the figure.
• A returned worksheet earns an attitude stripe. Hold 1-month Progress Updates this week.

Adult and parent tip: Parents: fill in the “how I see my child as a Black Belt” section with specific words, and avoid labels like “shy” or “clumsy,” even as jokes. Adults: rehearse your next test requirement in your mind during your commute.

Teaching tip: Line the class up and have them stand like a white belt on day one, then “switch” and stand like a Black Belt. Point out how posture, eyes and voice change. Praise the Black Belt version all class.

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.