Are You Still a Black Belt?

Recently, my wife and I had a discussion about black belt status which came down to one question, "Are you still a black belt?"

I've decided that to answer that question, (the answer will be different for every person) one must define what it means to still be a black belt.

If earning a black belt, and being a black belt means that once upon a time in my life I met all the requirements to pass my black belt test. Then anyone who ever passed that test is still a black belt. That is kind of like being a high school graduate. Even if you've forgotten the quadratic equation and the location of the first battle in the civil war, they don't take away your high school diploma.

Personally, and this only counts for me, still being a black belt means that today, I could still pass the test I took to get mine, it means that not only have I maintained my knowledge and abilities, I have increased them. For me, to keep calling myself a black belt, I have to earn it every day.