"Giri"

Ahh, the famous (or is it infamous) "black belt." The pinnacle, the goal, the dream, right?? Well, it depends on your perspective. When I lived and worked in Japan, I found out a very hard lesson. The Japanese, at least my teachers, would issue rank when a student demonstrated, in their opinion, sufficient skill. Now, to the westerner receiving that rank, the thought process was something along the lines of, "Yes, I did it! I am now a black belt." When receiving rank, to the westerner, it is acknowledged credit for hard work done. It is a reward.

But is that the only perspective? Or more precisely, was that the intent of my Japanese sensei (teacher)? In Japan, I discovered that it was not.

When a rank is bestowed upon a student, it is given with an unmentioned request &/or requirement. You see, the teacher, most of the time, gives out the rank before the student has demonstrated the skill necessary for it. The thought process is that you will feel the obligation to your teacher to strive to become all that that rank represents. Even though now, you do not have what it takes for that rank. Basically, the teacher is recognizing that you have the potential to get there and hopes that by giving you the rank, it will trigger that extra motivation within you to strive for it.


In Japanese this concept is called "giri" and is sometimes translated as the "moral obligation" that people have between each other (such as parent to child, boss to worker, and in this case, master to student). For our example above, the most basic definition I can give is a debt of gratitude and a self-sacrificing pursuit of an ideal - e.g. what the rank represents. It is a bond between master and student beyond mere recognition and actually beyond the actual belt itself. It is reciprocal as well.

Now, what does all of this have to do with insurance, right? Well, having lived and worked within Japanese culture in the 1990s, this concept of giri is the foundation of my relationship with my clients. I am not just a salesman to them. I am their insurance advisor. And I have the moral obligation to make sure that they know and understand their individual protection plans. I feel this giri when I start working for each client. It is a feeling and a relationship beyond that of just hiring me to get you a policy. It is a relationship that I feel compelled to do my very best. My mission is to educate and empower each of my clients so that they fully understand what their protection plan is and how it can be used. Again, it all comes back to Shugo.

Ninpo ik kan, my friends...

David L. Holzer
Insurance Advisor & Martial Arts Guide