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  • 9 months ago
The Black Hawks Martial Arts Academy held their graduation ceremony on Wednesday evening to honour their athletes moving up the ranks. The ceremony, which was attended by Former President Anthony Carmona took place at the Aranguez North Secondary School.
Transcript
00:00In a dojo, there is order, rank and decorum.
00:05At Blackhawks Martial Arts Academy, these athletes found benefit in paying tribute to
00:09the status quo.
00:11Coming from different backgrounds, they were honored for more than just their discipline
00:15to the practice of martial arts, but also their duty as law-abiding citizens.
00:20In keeping with the standards of their schools and guidelines set forward by their parents
00:24and leaders, Professor Christopher Francis led the charge.
00:28The students who have done the National Martial Arts Exams, who have crossed the hurdle of
00:36being disciplined, stop fighting in school, stop gambling, stop disrespecting, disruptive,
00:43and so on, they would have been a year, two years in transition and would have done a
00:47psychosocial intervention.
00:49So those students would have done tremendously well and made those changes.
00:53So they moved on to the Yellow Belts, the Orange Belts, the Green Belts, the Brown Belts
00:56and so on.
00:57And we are proud to present them today, not only with belts, but they're getting awards
01:01like trophies for outstanding, you know, being a good citizen and so on.
01:05He has decorated the hall at Oranguez North Secondary School with influential figures,
01:10both local and foreign.
01:12It's perhaps inspiration for them to follow in their footsteps, although a martial artist
01:17tends to gain pleasure in finding his own path.
01:20If you look at when those children would have started our program to where they are now,
01:24I mean, it's like 160 degrees turn around, their parents have to be much more proud than
01:29me who would have done the work, because you bring now children back into a home who would
01:33have been settled, well disciplined, well mannered and so on, best accomplishments anybody
01:38could want.
01:39There were a few names that came to mind as he sought to recognize the efforts of those
01:44under his wing and to acknowledge their growth in the discipline.
01:48They can defend themselves for one reason, but the point for them learning martial arts
01:52is not the importance.
01:53The importance of them using the martial arts to better themselves in life.
01:57So they look forward to their career, those who want to go into meds, those who want to
02:00go into agriculture, those who want to go in to be a vet, those who want to go in to
02:05do mathematics and so on, doing law, that's what they want to do, and this martial arts
02:09would have an avenue in helping them to do that.
02:12Francis says he has been doing martial arts for over 60 years, and a certificate or a
02:17belt is only just a sign of transformation and a promise of greater things to come.
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