Go Dani, Go Dani! Sweetwater Rose and a Black Belt Level of Focus in the Entertainment Industry

See Dani's band, Sweetwater Rose here. 

Ultimate Black Belt Test graduate Dani Carroll - Kooyman simply excelled in the UBBT process (ask any participant, it isn't easy). In fact, we owe the UBBT "Student Program" to Dani's test. 

Here's the story: Dani's trained all year and now she's up to perform in the UBBT graduation (Sacramento) --and in front of a rather impressive judging panel of black belts. She gets up and starts going full-out on a LONG ol' form (kata) --when all of a sudden, her husband jumps in and starts doing it with her (they met on the UBBT), then one of her classmates jumps in too ---and me? I'm thinking, "So, when is it 'OK' just to jump out from the sidelines into someone else's black belt test?" I mean, it JUST ISN'T DONE!

But, of course, being the stoic master teacher I have been trained to be, I hardly batted an eye...but after what seemed like an hour (it's a really long form) I realized that I liked what had happened. I liked it that her team felt like such a part of her black belt test that they felt they had the right to go up on the floor and do it with her. 

While this was a huge break in tradition and/or any kind of black belt testing I had ever seen or been involved with, I wondered if every black belt tester in the world might, like Dani did, engage others in their black belt training program --and if they could make others feel like they were "that" involved. After her test I started planning a student program so that instructors could actively engage their students in their own tests. 

Thank you Dani! 

So Dani's doing the REAL tough black belt test now...she's trying to make in in the entertainment industry (and she's getting there!), check out her band, Sweetwater Rose at this link.

We all love you Dani, good luck (we're listening!).