There are certain moments in life that make you stop and think.
For me, one of those moments happened recently when I tied on a white belt.
Now, if you know me, that probably sounds a little strange.
I’ve been training in martial arts since 2000. I’ve earned multiple black belts, competed, spent years teaching, and have owned Impact Martial Arts for over twenty years. For most of my adult life, tying on a black belt has simply been part of my routine.
So why would I willingly go back to wearing a white belt?
Because I decided to start learning something completely new.
Walking into that first class was an interesting experience. Nobody expected me to know everything. Nobody looked at me as the instructor. I wasn’t there to teach. I was there to learn.
Honestly, it was refreshing.
Don’t get me wrong—I wasn’t starting over from scratch. Twenty-five years of martial arts experience doesn’t suddenly disappear because you change styles. Good balance, timing, discipline, and body awareness all carry over.
But this art has its own way of moving, its own principles, and its own way of solving problems. Suddenly, I wasn’t relying on what I already knew. I was listening carefully, asking questions, making mistakes, and trying techniques that felt completely unfamiliar.
In other words…
I was a beginner again.
And I loved it.
There’s something exciting about realizing that there is still so much to learn. Every class has reminded me that martial arts is far bigger than any one style or any one person.
Looking back, this really isn’t the first time I’ve been in this position.
When I started Kyokushin Karate, everything was new.
Years later, after earning my black belt, I began studying Combat Kenpo. Then came Shinko Jiu-Jitsu. Later I added Kickboxing. I found myself on the mats learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I picked up Kobudo along the way. Each time I stepped into something different, I discovered skills that challenged what I thought I already knew.
Each new style didn’t replace the previous one.
It added another piece to the puzzle.
Some people see earning a black belt as the finish line.
I’ve come to believe it’s just permission to keep learning.
In fact, I think one of the biggest dangers in martial arts is believing you’ve arrived. The moment we think we know enough, we stop growing. We quit asking questions. We become more interested in protecting what we know than discovering what we don’t.
I’ve met people with decades of experience who stopped learning years ago.
I’ve also met white belts who improve every single class because they’re hungry to learn.
The difference isn’t the color of the belt.
It’s the attitude of the person wearing it.
Putting that white belt back on reminded me why I fell in love with martial arts in the first place.
Not because I wanted to collect belts.
Not because I wanted another title.
But because I genuinely enjoy learning.
As instructors, we often tell our students that they should always have a “white belt mindset”—to stay humble, stay curious, and never stop improving.
Sometimes, the best way to remember that lesson…
…is to become the white belt again.
I hope I never reach the point where I think I’ve learned all there is to know.
Because if there is one thing 26 years of training has taught me, it’s this:
The greatest martial artists aren’t the ones who know the most.
They’re the ones who never stop learning.
-Sensei Brian