A Note from Your Sensei: It's Time to Get Your Accreditation

“Sweep the leg.” If your idea of a master is a growling Sensei John Kreese, then you should read on to understand the true meaning of the word “master.”

I was reading a book about beginners’ karate and it dawned on me the similarities between mastering the ancient martial art and the endeavor of seeking one’s APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) as a PR pro. We all start as white belts, standing in rows, indistinguishable from one another in our crisp white gis. (A “gi” is the pajama-like two piece pant and jacket that’s tied together by a long cloth belt. Beginners at the tenth “kyu” wear white belts to denote they are the lowest rank. The darker the belt, the more advanced your skills. In some dojos the sensei may wear a black gi with a black belt. The very rare ninth- or tenth-degree “dan” may wear a red belt, depending on the dojo.)

Dojo Kun Example

(Training Hall Rules)

Seek Perfection of Character

Be Faithful

Endeavor

Respect Others

Refrain from Violent Behavior

When we enroll in karate at a dojo, we agree to a “Dojo Kun,” much like PRSA’s Code of Ethics. As anyone who watched Ralph Macchio in 1984’s The Karate Kid knows, Karate aims to finish what someone else starts. I am guilty of letting this classic movie about “white versus black and good versus evil” color my young perspective on the world. (That was almost 30 years ago, people!). As I mentioned before, much of the parable fits well within my experiences of public relations and crisis communications. Author Carol Nevius explains:

Karate as we know it today took shape in Okinawa, one of Japan’s smaller islands. Because there were two long periods in which weapons were banned, the Okinawans developed self-defense and fighting techniques using only karate. Wearing their nightclothes, the basis for today’s gi, or training uniform, they practiced secretly at night. Over many years’ time, the belts changed color to indicate rank, and they earned the honored Japanese title of sensei, which means “one who has gone before, teacher, or master.”

As “one who has gone before,” and before I stray too far from the point of this public relations essay, I want you to ask yourself if you’re a nameless white belt, or if you’re a tenth-degree “sandan” red belt? The only way to know is to test yourself, the way a karate student would execute “kata” movements for the sensei to advance to the next level.

April is APR Month! For more information on seeking your accreditation, give me a call at 803-794-4851 or e-mail me at pennycothran@outlook.com. I am happy to pause for a moment from my board breaking to speak to you in non-martial arts terms about the importance of seeking your APR.

Penny Delaney Cothran, APR is the SCPRSA APR Co-Chair for the statewide chapter. She is a freelance writer and PR pro in Columbia, SC. She blogged about seeking her accreditation in 2011.