True wealth is not money. It is comfort, safety, peace, freedom and ease. These feelings are a natural by product of an open heart. They are a gift of grace. Once the heart is open wide, true wealth follows.
Grace is, among its other definitions “a sense of fitness or propriety,” and ” divine love and protection freely bestowed on humanity” …Grace is a tangible manifestation of gods love for you…All ways see yourself deserving of it, you acknowledge it, and give thanks for it..
The more you acknowledge grace, and say “thank you” for moments of grace, the more it will appear in you life….A good way to start this process is by saying to yourself: ” God loves me. I deserve Gods Love”.
Extreme Spirituality; by Tolly Burkan-Fire walking Master
American Shorei/Shorin Karatedo & American Freestyle Karate
BLACK BELT EXAM
Held
Friday – Sunday January 23-25, 2009
Denver N.C. Site & Crowder Mtn.
Congratulations to our New Black Belts (probation period 365 days). Thanks for staying with your Dreams…It makes us stronger..Much Respect!!
Jerry Nolen -Shodan-Probation Period (365 days)-PASSED
Matt Watson-Shodan-Probation (365 days) –PASSED
Hunter Foster- JR-2nd Black Belt–PASSED
Kaylan Callaway- JR- 2nd Black belt-PASSED
Brandon Vigue – JR- 2nd Black belt-PASSED
Final Phase of the Black Belt Exam will be January 1st 2010 when Hanshi Piddington comes to the east coast to Finish the exam…We will be Awarding Custom Black Belts and Certificate to all the Black Belts who have completed all the final requirements for Black Belt….
Hanshi McCall…Final thoughts on the Class of 2009 Black Belts:
At the end of the three day review, it was a test of will, faith and courage. The Brown Belts started as concerned and doubtful students and left as Black Belts with the “Heart of a Warrior” . The Black Belt panel of review which was without a doubt one of the best in the American Shorei/Shorin Karatedo and American freestyle Karate history made comments all weekend about the heart and the power and character of each candidate.
It is a sad time for me after a Black Belt exam. I always leave wondering if we did enough to change their will to win and their Tomoe Warrior character. Honor and Truth we speak, but will they live it, as things will never make us happy. Giving will make you happy and I always give with an open heart. I want every Black Belt to feel that I supplied the material to change the Tao (Way) in their life. My door is always open to my Black Belts. As long as I am breathing you have a person who you can talk with and share with for the rest of our time on this earth. We are all connected to a higher creator and God should always be first in your Heart. I take every Black Belt exam serious and only we can hope that we did give each candidate the skills to protect and guide them to greater goals in their life. It is always hard to let go…but we have to let go and let these New and Improved Black Belts stand on our shoulders and see new grounds to be covered in the Martial Arts World.
This is a new beginning and they still have much to learn, but like the Decision Stones taken from the Oceans shores were given at the Tea Ceremony, they will grow and be strong and make decision as big as the ocean with Gods help that will keep them strong in the Martial Arts.
For most of us grace appears uninvited and unacknowledged. But, you can greatly amplify the presence of grace in your life if you see yourself as deserving of it. You invite it in, you acknowledge it, and give thanks for it. To me grace is a tangible manifestation of God’s love for me. Always keep God in your Heart and work on spiritual clarity (sweating and fasting and praying)
All Black Belts can feel free to visit the Test site and feel the energy you left and mediate and remember the steps you took into Black Belt and your sweat and love of the Art that allowed you to complete this awesome Test.
I want to thank Shihan McClellan for his love of the Art and commitment to produce only the best Black Belts. Shihan has such character and lets no stone go un-turned. Thanks to Renshi Godfrey and Mr. Lingerfelt for never letting the candle go out in the Fort Mill school and for always being there to support our cause in our quest to make only the best Black Belts. Thanks to Benny Phifer for maintaining his commit to God and the Martial Arts. Thanks to Mr. Sharpe known as “Fire Keeper” for staying in the game as he is a great teacher. Thanks to Stacy Wright for her commitment to the art and helping to with the exam.Thanks to Sensei Ward for always being a shinning light for the students and his character training comes from the heart. Sensei Keever has shown he is a great leader and teacher with complete knowledge of all the material. If not for him and Mr. Ward the class of 2009 would not have been. They give so freely of their time to keep the Saturday Morning program alive and turning lemons into lemonade. Sensei Matt McCall stepped-up the 3 mile run this year and help keep the fire burning in the Art. Sensei Wright has raised his standards and helped get these new Black Belts to meet the standards. This year Mr. Hager show the elite Black belt group what it takes to be strong in the Lord and Karate. Mr. Joe Griffin always brings the Black Belts something new to challenge the heart and keep standards up with his vast knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu and reality Training. Shihan McClellan and Mr. Griffin are the inventors of the Mountain Challenge and it was an awesome event for 2009. We will never forget our first Mountain Challenge and beware of the next Mountain event as it will be even better.ve always loved karate and every day I think of God and my family and Master Funakoshi. He said “think of everyday as Karate Training”, and I do.
“Funakoshi was a man of Tao. He placed no emphasis on competitions, record breaking or championships. He placed emphasis on individual self perfection. He believe in the common decency and respect that one human being owed to another. He was the master of masters.
I am now a Master of Masters and it feels good that God gave me the heath, and family and courage to never give up on my students and the love of Karate.
There is a probation period after a Black Belt Exam to complete their final requirements and to work on self perfection. Learn to be Black Belts of high standards. Failure to complete the requirements (teaching commitments, etc) or to show no respect for their self or fellow black Belts will result in a re-test or Failure . Certificates will be awarded after the probation period along with Black Belts with your name in Kanju.
In closing People always ask me why our exams are so long and our thoughts are “we have high Standards for our Black Belt and each time we raise the Bar”
I am so blessed.
Much respect & that is all I have to say !
Hanshi McCall
JR Black Belts are now 2nd level Jr. Black Belts