What is the meaning of Post Black Belt?

Introduction

Hello, I am Quartz, the developer and operator of the Post Black Belt app. Post Black Belt is an app created to help Jiu-Jitsu practitioners record their training and improve their techniques. In this article, I will introduce a brief behind-the-scenes story of how this app was planned and its current direction.

Recently, communication through video media like YouTube and Instagram has become mainstream, but I want to share stories about the app through a blog, utilizing my main profession as a developer. In the future, I plan to cover various topics including the app, Jiu-Jitsu, and development in the blog tab, so I ask for your continued interest.

The Beginning of Post Black Belt

Let's Just Do What I Want!

Firstly, this app is a solo development project where I am responsible for everything from planning to development and all processes in between. In fact, the initial purpose of developing the app was quite different from what it is now. In August 2022, after graduating from graduate school and transitioning into a career as a developer, I made a big resolution to "do only what I want during this period!" The first app I created as a developer during this time was Post Black Belt.

During the last four months of 2022, I lived a life of repeating only two things: Jiu-Jitsu and development, as I worked on the app. From waking up in the morning until dinner, I would develop - in the evening, I practiced Jiu-Jitsu - and from night till dawn, I would develop again. Looking back, it seems like a grueling schedule, but at the time, I found the life of being able to practice Jiu-Jitsu (twice a day!) so enjoyable that I consider it one of the happiest periods of my life.

What Kind of App Should I Create?

When planning the app, I was a white belt with two stripes in Jiu-Jitsu, passionately in love with it, but I struggled with memorizing techniques and retaining them over the long term. After nearly a year of practicing Jiu-Jitsu, the two main inefficiencies I felt in Jiu-Jitsu training were as follows.

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1. Despite training three times a week, I quickly forget the techniques taught in previous classes and even struggle to remember the names of the techniques. 2. I want to apply the techniques I see in videos (e.g., YouTube, Instagram) over the weekend when I go to the dojo, but it's difficult to record the details or categorize them by technique.

To solve these problems, I considered solutions like a Jiu-Jitsu technique classification service and a technique video recording service, but I thought they were not suitable considering my understanding of Jiu-Jitsu and development. Therefore, I ultimately decided to develop a mobile app training diary for Jiu-Jitsu, inspired by training diaries I had seen in comic books and movies.

The initial design of the app is similar in structure to the current version, but there are quite a few differences in the main color, detailed features, etc. The main feature, the monthly calendar, was referenced from Google, Naver, and Samsung calendars, and for the exercise record, I heavily referred to RunDay, a running record app that I frequently used. The main colors of purple and sky blue were my favorite colors at the time (😄).

Will Other Practitioners Also Find It Useful?

After launching the app in January 2023, for a month, I felt great satisfaction just using the app alone. The act of recording what I learned in writing was a big help to me, and I was quite content as I successfully transitioned my career to a front-end engineer based on this app. However, one thing that was a bit disappointing was that few people in my dojo felt the need for a Jiu-Jitsu diary app, and I started to wonder, “Will other Jiu-Jitsu practitioners also empathize with the problems and solutions I have defined?”

The simplest marketing method I thought of was to create an Instagram account and send cold followings. Surprisingly, many people actually signed up for the app, and I even had the amazing experience of them promoting the app on Instagram on my behalf for the first time. Now, there are many users who use the app better than I do, some who beautifully decorate the monthly calendar and upload it, or even record their personal workouts other than Jiu-Jitsu. The current Post Black Belt is evolving based on user feedback, and positive reviews and support are a great source of strength for me.

The Meaning of Post Black Belt

Now, let's get to the main point and explain the meaning behind the app's name. Black Belt is a symbolic image that comes to mind when one thinks of “Jiu-Jitsu”, even for those who are not practitioners. Most Jiu-Jitsu practitioners aim for the black belt, embarking on a long journey that averages around 10 years.

Then, what does "Post" mean? "Post" is a Latin prefix meaning "after" The name of the app is inspired by two idiomatic expressions:

In sports, "Post + [name of a top athlete]" is often used to refer to a rookie athlete who is expected to dominate their field, following in the footsteps of the named athlete.
In academia, a Post Doctor (or Postdoctoral Researcher) refers to a researcher who works after completing their Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees.

In other words, Post Black Belt represents the idea that all users of this app have the potential to be “future black belts”, and it embodies the commitment to accompany them on the “average 10-year journey and beyond, from white to black belt”.

In the initial planning of the app, I wanted to use the name “조만간 Black Belt”. Personally, I believe the word “조만간(早晩間)” encapsulates the essence of the product I am creating. While commonly interpreted as “soon”, the word actually combines the characters for “early (조 早)”, “late (만 晩)”, and “between (간 間)”, implying “sometime between sooner or later”. The journey to a black belt can vary for each individual and situation, but the ultimate goal of Post Black Belt is to support and cheer for the users’ eventual achievement of their black belt.

Post Black Belt and the Present

As of November 2023, 11 months since the launch of the app, Post Black Belt has achieved 1,500 users and a cumulative 18,000 diaries, significantly aiding many in their Jiu-Jitsu training. Efforts have been made to incorporate user feedback through store reviews, Instagram interactions, and surveys, leading to the introduction of various new features such as additional diary categories, push notifications, and belts for young colored belt practitioners.

During this period, not only the app but also my own Jiu-Jitsu journey has grown, culminating in my promotion to a blue belt at the end of July. While I still have much to learn, I believe that as my Jiu-Jitsu skills grow, the app will also continue to evolve in a positive direction. Post Black Belt is more than just a Jiu-Jitsu diary app; it's constantly experimenting to provide more substantial assistance in users' training. As I've just moved beyond the white belt stage, I'm excited for the upcoming changes and updates to the Post Black Belt app as it leaps to the next level. Your continued interest and anticipation are greatly appreciated.