I am officially a First-Degree Black Belt

It’s official. I’m a first-degree black belt in Muay Thai.

On Saturday, I received my black belt. I have been giddy with excitement ever since. Finally, I have a slimming belt to wear during my Muay Thai training!

Ok, that’s not why I’m excited. (Well, not the only reason.)

I started taking Muay Thai classes in July of 2007 – more than 5 years ago. It was a way for me to cross train and build stamina while I was studying for my TCRG (my Irish Dance Teacher’s certification exam.)  A lot has changed since then. I’ve stopped dancing. I’ve been through several major injuries. Most notably, Muay Thai moved from being a support activity to my passion.

When I started, I didn’t particularly care about the stripes on my belt or moving up in the belt rank. It was just a workout after all. Somewhere along the way, I realized that the stripes mattered, though. Each one was an indicator of a small bit of mastery. Each one was earned by doing things I never thought I’d be able to do. By the time I reached my brown belt, I knew I didn’t want to stop until I’d made it all the way to black belt.

Then I got injured and delayed over and over again. I often wondered if I could make it. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.

But it was. I made it. And, damn, does it feel good.

Next goal? Second-degree.