There
are many inspirational martial arts stories
- some are old and some are new. Yet these
tales of inspiration all have one thing
in common: They speak about human greatness,
spirit, dignity, humbleness, victory, trust,
fulfillment, honesty, achievement, vision,
loyalty, truth, spirituality and sharing.
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Side
note: Before you continue reading, make
sure you have a serious look
at all the free stuff inside
'The
Martial Arts Vault'!
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Truly
inspirational martial arts stories are not
simply about someone who is good (or great) about
something , who has a name, or
who has achieved some sort of success -
money, fame or victories.
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Sure,
it is great to read about that too! It can
be inspiring to learn about how the
great fighters have trained to achieve their
moments of glory - what they have gone through
to become number one. It is nice getting
to know all the talented and successful
people who have made their mark in the "Martial
Arts Hall of Fame"!
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The
truly inspirational martial arts people
and events:
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What
is really inspirational though, is
to read about those who have suffered great
losses, and then came back to achieve something;
Those who fought against greater odds, and
then won; People who have achieved something
that few or no one believed they were capable
of; People who have inspired, guided and
helped others to achieve greatness
of some sort; The true stayers and winners
- those who never gave up, and finally succeeded;
Those who supported their own or other peoples
belief through hardship and suffering. The
stuff that legends are made of...
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Those
are the things that I personally wish to
read and learn about more than anything
else! And inspirational martial arts stories
like these, as well as inspiring people
from the budo communities around the globe is
what you will find on these pages.
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I
am absolutely confident that there
are literally thousands of such stories
just waiting to be found - tales of true
fighting heroes! If you happen to know about
someone or something that you feel more
people should know about - please don't
hesitate, but send us your
inspirational martial
arts stories
here!
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So
without further ado - here are some people
and events that have amazed, moved and inspired me
as well as many others.
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From: http://www.silive.com
(July 14, 2008):
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New
York -- 7-year-old John Belcastro
from Long Island was hooked
the moment he was introduced to karate.
"It was instantaneous; it was amazing,"
his mother said. |
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John, who suffers from autism, has been taking one-on-one karate lessons at Calla Karate in West Brighton
for the last 14 months.
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"I never would have thought of karate. I didn't think he could be focused
enough to follow the directions," John's mother said. "When you
give them the resources, it's amazing what they can do," she added. |
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Read
the rest of the story on
Silive.com
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From: blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/07/martial_arts_build_life_skills.html
(July , 2008):
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Michigan -- 11-year-old Keenan Miller from Grand Rapids
gets ready for his twice weekly taekwondo class. |
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His set routine is a way to create order in a world that can
be
challenging for an autistic child to process. |
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It took the kid a couple of months to get used to martial arts. His parents
saw him struggling at first with simple tasks. Now, his instructor said, he's considering the
boy
for what they call a student leadership position. He adds that this is something he didn't think
would be
possible. |
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Read
the rest of the story on
Mlive.com
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Disability won't stop Connor: |
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From: http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk
(July 3, 2008):
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UK -- Seven-year-old
Connor Kemp form Newmarket has suffered from a form of cerebral palsy since birth. However,
this has not been stoping him
from taking up karate.
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After he
began attending lessons seven
weeks ago with his younger brother Jack, some moves
have been adapted so that the
wheelchair bound child
can join in with the class.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Newmarketjournal.co.uk
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Seniors staying fit with karate: |
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From: http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=30511
(July 3, 2008):
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Missouri -- "I'm over 60," is all Arlene Creech will
tell about her age. But
she's
not shy to explain why she took up martial arts. "I needed to lose some weight and I also needed an outlet and this
keeps you flexible," she said. "They work at your own pace."
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At the taekwondo (sic.) training center,
classes geared toward senior citizens are being offered. The
senior students say
the
sport keeps them active.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Ozarksfirst.com
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Giving Asberger's a karate chop: |
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From: http://www.postcrescent.com
(June 28, 2008):
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Wisconsin -- Young Scott Schultz, who suffers from Asberger's Syndrome was
recently awarded his black belt
in karate after 5 years of continues
effort.
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He repotedly took up the martial art at a church in New London when he was 10
years old. He found
his abilities began to improve after some
years - eventually becoming one of the top students.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Postcrescent.com
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Mick - doing karate at 70: |
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From: http://www.eveningstar.co.uk
(June 26, 2008):
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UK -- At the ripe age of 70, granddad Mick Young
says he is feeling almost like a "karate kid".
The sporty senior took up the
martial art 26 years ago to encourage his son
to get fit.
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The Ipswich man has achieved his third dan
karate black belt and he now teaches youngsters at the community center.
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The gentleman, who says he played football until he
was 64, added he won't pack it in
the karate now. "I think I'd stiffen up and I want to stay
flexible. It is a good sport for older people," he states. |
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Read
the rest of the story on
Eveningstar.co.uk
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The one place where she can focus: |
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From: http://wcco.com/health/suzie.seever.tae.2.754859.html
(June 23, 2008):
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Minnesota -- "This is one place where I can just focus, I can forget about
everything, (...)"
Suzie
Seever says about her taekwondo training.
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The 41-year-old woman has had to undergo a double-lung and kidney transplant over the past
eight years because of cystic fibrosis.
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In the
future, Seever says she
wants to become a taekwondo instructor.
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Read
the rest of the story on
wcco.com
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A great stress release, she says: |
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From: http://www.mlive.com
(May 30, 2008):
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Michigan -- 71-year-old Karen Du Page, of Jackson,
is a fourth-degree black belt
judo instructor. |
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The Jackson senior practices at least twice a week.
She is using a knee brace
following a knee replacement
three years ago. |
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She thought
she was signing up for a yoga
class, but ended up doing judo :-)
That was 35 years ago.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Mlive.com
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From: www.innerwestweekly.com.au/article/2008/05/28/2389_sports.html
(May 28, 2008):
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Australia -- A married black belt couple have been teaching karate to blind and visually-impaired people
since 2001
in the Inner West. |
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Now,
the couple - Miklos
and Nora Farago - have won a Vision
Australia's Making a Difference
Awards for their work.
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As well
as improving participants' fitness
levels, the karate training improves
awareness of spatial concepts
and posture.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Innerwestweekly.com.au
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She has
demonstrated age is no barrier: |
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From: http://www.newsshopper.co.uk
(May 22, 2008):
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UK -- 68-year-old Sheila Thurlow took up karate training 20 years ago and claimed her first black belt at the age
of 53. She recently passed the physical examination in Sidcup
for the fourth Dan black belt in shotokan karate. |
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The veteran
has
demonstrated age is no barrier and provides inspiration to other pensioners and
even younger adults.
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Mrs
Thurlow continues teaching at her own dojo in Bexleyheath
as well as to train in both karate and kobudo at her son's school.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Newsshopper.co.uk
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From: http://wfmz.com/view/?id=260738
(May 2, 2008):
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You probably don't want to be on the receiving end of her
karate
chop. 73-year-old Jeannie O'Connor is a second degree black belt. |
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The
Oklahoma grandmother took up
the sport to spend time with
her grandson. By the time she's
85, she says she'll earn her
fifth degree black belt.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Wfmz.com
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Karate gives him a sense of self-esteem and self-worth: |
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From: http://timesfreepress.com
(April 7, 2008):
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12-year-old
Brandon couldn't stand
on one foot without losing his
balance and falling when he
took up karate. Today - four
years later - the child
diagnosed with autism will
compete in his third consecutive
National Karate-Do Federation
national championship.
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The
boy began studying the
martial art at the recommendation
of his therapist. Brandon's
mother, said the boy was
frustrated easily and had difficulty
socializing. She added she
was initially skeptical of seeing
any results, but changes to
Brandon's behavior were immediate
and positive.
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Read
the rest of the story on Timesfreepress.com
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She is fighting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: |
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From: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
(March 13, 2008):
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14-year-old Jessica Maitland loves nothing more than a dust-up with a black
belt rival - but each day she has a fight of a different kind. |
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For five years the karate teenager from Carrbrook
has been battling ME (chronic fatigue syndrome). |
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It is estimated that about 25,000 children suffer from the
condition once nicknamed 'yuppie flu'. Its symptoms include poor concentration,
muscle pain and exhaustion. |
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Read
the rest of the story on
Manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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From: http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=53012
(February 29, 2008):
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Australia -- 41-year-old John Jarret had been clinging to debris for 30 hours in
the open ocean when a rescue helicopter picked him up and took him to hospital. Mr Jarrett feared his skipper would not be found alive.
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The fisherman was the second person found alive after the net of their prawn
trawler snagged about 3 a.m., capsizing and sinking the boat about 13km off the
coast of NSW.
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A second dan black belt in karate, Jarrett's crew mate, 39-year-old Michael Williams,
reportedly swam for 12 hours
to shore to raise the alarm. |
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Mr Williams' mother said that Mr Jarrett almost certainly owed his life to
her son. "Michael wasn't going to let them die," she
said. |
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Read
the rest of the story on
Turkishweekly.net
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Still gets his kicks at 75: |
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From: http://www.nj.com
(February 25, 2008):
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At 75, Tom Sulick Sr.'s has not stopped expanding the martial arts trophies
collection.
He recently added to it in fact, when on February 17 he won first place in forms for competitors
55 and older at a karate tournament. |
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When he served in Korea, Sulick had brief tae kwon do lessons in 1952.
His real start however was 1967. The Phillipsburg native became a black belt
in 1972.
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Sulick co-owned a karate school for several years in Dover, New
Jersey, and has been
inducted in several martial arts halls of fame. |
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Read
the rest of the story on
Nj.com
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Wheelchair-bound man earns yellow belt in karate: |
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From: http://www.parrysound.com/press/1202920474/
(February 13, 2008):
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Canada -- Patrick Christie practices his karate jabs and kicks along with the
rest of the students, working his way from
one end of the gym to the other. Where his fellow students use footwork, Mr.
Christie periodically breaks from his jabs to turn the wheels of his
wheelchair. |
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The
25-year-old Parry Sound, Ontario
man was born
with cerebral palsy. He has been in
either a stroller or a wheelchair his entire life and adapts the karate moves
to his unique situation. |
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His teacher has noticed an increase in his range
of motion. When he started he could barely move his legs. Also his arm movements are improving. Currently on a
waiting list for physiotherapy,
Mr. Christie says that although he'll still take the therapy once a spot opens
up, that karate is helping him.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Parrysound.com
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From: http://www.wtlv.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=103183
(January 25, 2008):
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Florida
-- Gus Egerer
is a fun-loving person with a huge heart. And while he says the folks at Cerebral Palsy
of Northeast Florida are his heroes
- they
call Gus their hero. |
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Gus is a black belt in karate, something he achieved after he lost his
arm. Now he teaches folks with disabilities how to defend themselves.
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Years after losing his arm in an acident, he severely hurt his back in a fall. Now he gets a
morphine-like painkiller through a pump implanted under his skin. Still, he
hurts just about every day. Still, he doesn't give
up. And he shares his will of steel with other disabled folks.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Wtlv.c
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Martial arts program helps autistic children: |
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From: http://www.gazette.net/stories/012308/germnew52158_32363.shtml
(January 23, 2008):
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Maryland -- When the she brought her 7-year-old autistic son Aydn to
the Gaithersburg karate class for the first time, his enthusiasm and engagement in the lessons
surprised both mother and child. |
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As she watched him go through drills with the five other autistic
children at the martial arts studio, she laughed to think she assumed Aydn
wouldn't take to it so quickly. And her son had hesitated, too.
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"He said, 'It's too dangerous; I don't want
to.' He doesn't
want to go home now." the Washington mother said.
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Read
the rest of the story on
Gazette.net
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Read
more inspirational martial
arts stories
here!
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