The True meaning of Mastery

You can work your ass off 25 hours a day, 8 days a week for 4 years and i still do not believe that a person can be called a "master" its simply not enough time for a human being. You can eat, sleep and live what ever art you do. But I honestly do not believe that one can be called a master his art in such a short time(anything less than 4 yrs), much less master the art itself. Like i said, the Black Belt is supposed to the be holy grail of holy grails that each and every martial artist hopes to attain in his life. If a Kid can reach what was once the pinnacle of MAs, that does not speak well of truely deserving and skilled black belters. If we really want to see MAs enjoy the respect it had prior to the outbreak of MCdojos, then alot of legit schools need to buck up.Mastery is supposed to mean a high/the highest level attainable in a given subject.MARTIAL ARTS.So what if the kid can perform every kata to the inch? So what if his kicks have lightning Bolts flying out of them? So what if his punch can fell trees?The kid has only covered the Martial aspect of his art! A kid is highly unlikely to have developed the Social skills, brain capacity and wisdom to fully understand, appriciate and comprehend the Spritiual and ART aspect of his Martial Art. The Wisdom to understand that its not only about the fighting, its not only about the skill one posseses. A kid could probably recite his/her art's motto/rules/goals better than she can the pledge. But that doesn't mean they understand what they just said.
True mastery lies in knowing and putting into practise both aspects of MARTIAL ARTS. Yes that takes something like 20 years, but that is the true meaning of mastery. Understanding and applying every concept you learn. That was the time taken by many of our ancestors took to being true black belts. Nowadays too many look for quick graftification. Learning is not a quick and easy process, it never was and never will be. Mastery requires many many years of hard work, sweat, blood and sacrifice. No 9yr old i know of has that type of discipline. Much less the power to do it in 3 years.
The TRUE meaning of the Black belt, is a White belt by the years of training, Years of Sweat, toil and blood that is dirtied. Every speck of dust represents one step you took toward mastery. Yes that is one F%^&ing dirty belt, but that is one black belt well earned, earned to the true meaning of mastery.