If you practice the martial arts, the color of the belt around your waist is used to signify your grade, level or ranking within the style. Colored belts, however, were never part of the ancient martial arts tradition. According to martial art folklore, a student was given a white belt to match his uniform and hold up his pants. After many years of training, the belt became stained with dirt, blood and sweat to the point where it turned black.

The American public has long assumed that a black belt is a sign of expertise or mastery in the martial arts. In reality, all a black belt means is that a student has learned the basic techniques and principles of a specific martial art. It doesn't mean that they are a master or possess magical powers.

Becoming a black belt really means that you have learned the basic principles of a style.

I am writing on this topic to inspire you. Everyone has some type of natural talent. Some people are well aware of their natural talents and do all they can to cultivate them. Some aren't and even go so far as saying that they have nothing to offer the world. I have taught martial arts instructor for close to 30 years and I can tell you this is not so.

What is it about a man like Bruce Lee that has made him a martial arts legend? While the fancy stunts of Jackie Chan and Jet Li provide us with heart stopping entertainment, most of these feats employ the use of trick photography, strings and trampolines. What is so intriguing about Bruce Lee is that the man was real and so were his martial arts. Regardless of who comes and goes at the box office, there will never be another Bruce Lee.

Learning to manipulate Chi and have it do what you want, when you want, and how you want it is not something that happens overnight. Many people learn that Chi is the secret behind most martial arts.

The amazing things that can be performed by martial arts masters are through belief they can obtain this ability easily and then they too can do the amazing things done by martial arts masters.

We Americans love affiliations and endorsements; The Good Housekeeping Seal, Better Business Bureau etc. They lend credibility to a business or product. They assure us that our chosen product or service has received some type of validation from a higher authority.

Martial arts are no different. Look at most generic articles entitled "how to choose a good martial arts school.

Knowing Chi is only the first step in being able to utilize it and manipulate it. It is one of the things that are rarely taught in most martial arts.

This is because it is something that takes years to develop and practice. It is more difficult than simply training your body to be able to accomplish the movements, forms and katas.

Therefore in order to be able to use this energy, you must be able to feel and recognize it.

In the old days, we used to say "make sure you learn how to fight standing up first, and then learn what to do on the ground." Today, the proponents of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tell us that 90-95% of all fights end up on the ground, so because of this, martial art students should focus on ground fighting.

As a martial arts instructor and proprietor of a large dojo, I meet many prospective students interested in ground fighting, because of the popularity of mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

When I opened my first martial arts school, a lot of barroom brawlers and street fighters came through my door. Some grew up in environments where they had to fight to survive while others just liked looking for trouble.

I wasn't necessarily targeting them in my marketing plan. Most of them were there to challenge me or one of my students to a fight.

One of the goals of a good martial arts curriculum is progress. Regardless of the style you have chosen to study, all of them begin with the fundamentals and can take you to the level of mastery. Success however depends on two things: commitment on your part and a skilled instructor who not only teaches you the art, but also challenges you.

To some, progression in the martial arts is about earning another belt or stripe.