This year I have been lucky enough to be invited to attend a special orange belt group once a month on a Saturday morning with the Chief Instructor. It's been such a privilege to be invited to this class as Master Rob really starts to break down how the techniques of the Orange Belt grade really flow together.
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson said "Evil is the force that believes its knowledge is complete." In this class everyone has been training close to 10 years if not more and I get the real sense that no one at the class feels like their knowledge is complete and especially not after Master Rob begins to unveil how all the pieces fit together, the depth of knowledge Rob has on a seemingly simple technique is unfathomable.
That's what I love about Arakan; its vast depth, not just that its rich in a verity of strikes, kicks, manipulations, foot work and you name it, even weapons, but that the simplest technique has such a beautifully rich depth of subtle intricacies that Master Rob demonstrates and patiently motivates and inspires us to incorporate into our expression of Arakan.
As myself and all the other students are working on deepening our understanding of Orange Belt every Tuesday and Saturday, it's humbling and very pleasing to me when my instructor Andrew Serpell talks of what he does in his private lesson with Master Rob before he teaches me on a Tuesday morning, super pumped and excited about how much his Green belt training is vastly different to what I'm learning in Orange. Serpz tries to explain something I can't even comprehend, let alone when my other instructor Josh Grimsey talks of his Blue Belt training, it is on a whole other level again!
The resilience, commitment and discipline my instructors demonstrate to me is what I consider to be true strength. It's the strength of their character that shines through and it comes out when they are teaching and training and it’s that what truly inspires me to continue to learn and grow. Not just for amazing new techniques or gradings or belts, but the inner strength of personality and character it takes to be committed and consistent to get so far into their training and to still be so excited. It's that open hearted passion and love to share Arakan is why it's such a privilege to be at the special Saturday morning Orange Belt classes when Master Rob teaches from the heart and shares to us his knowledge on only a fragment of the whole art that is Arakan Martial Art®.
Tom Wilson, Student 8 years
