As a new student, it’s very important to be thinking about training to Black Belt NOW. You need to get acquainted with the school— learn all you can about the environment and the philosophy of the school. And, get acquainted with the process of classes and curriculum. Frankly, whether as an adult or child, every time you are in class you’re going to have a lot of fun but the most important thing is that this is a school, just like any other school. If you go to Harvard, it is important to determine early on whether you’re going to be going from midterm to midterm, or whether you’re going to follow through and get your Bachelor’s Degree or your Master’s Degree. As you enter a school, it’s very important to determine why you are there and what the outcome will be. At Ripple Effect Martial Arts, the program goal is to become a black belt. Black Belt is in many ways a metaphor for the outcome; the outcome is confidence and discipline and focus. The outcome is a high level of physical athletic skill, a high level of physical fitness, as well as having the ability to defend yourself if you ever need to.