Our second Black Belt test as Cutting Edge Kempo couldn’t have gone much better.

A true test.

These three young men deserve all the accolades they worked so very hard for. Three people. Five hours of non stop movement. A two mile run. Every technique in the system. Right handed, left handed, Mushin (no mind), grappling, weapon defense, sparring and Kata…we did it all. Each and every one of these young men put their all into this exam, as well they should. Nothing short of one hundred percent would have been acceptable, and each had their moment to shine as they excelled at their strongest attributes and powered through to overcome their weakest. These three men emerged victorious, and should be proud of their dedication.

Warriors. Every one.

Words do no justice in explaining how very proud I am to hold the honor of being your instructor and brother in the arts. Each and every one of you have survived, thrived, and will continue to excel, not only on the mat, but in the real world as well. Your respect for the arts and others, the discipline you have shown, and the indomitable spirit that it takes to reach this level of training with us is commendable, especially in a world where our art has been brutalized by others through the adoption of the “It’s just too hard” mentality of society today. We stand strong in the face of adversity. We will be the last bastion of real world life lessons. We will never fold to those that would take the easy road, for that is not how real life works. Reality is hard. Life is full of loss and failure. What defines you is how you learn from those losses and failures. How you overcome and grow.

How you RISE.

Let it be known, I have proudly promoted the following people in the art of Kempo on November 12, 2017;

Congratulations to:

Shodan Andrew Gansrow (1st degree)- Time in training = 8 Years

Nidan Peter Poliey (2nd degree)- Time in training = 20 Years!!! – Time from Shodan to Nidan = 2.5 Years (Time from candidate to Shodan 11 YEARS! Way to stick it out sir!)

Nidan Joseph Nuzzi (2nd degree) – Time in training = 11 Years – Time from Shodan to Nidan = 2 Years

When you see them, give them a big hug and congratulate your brothers, there is no doubt they earned it. I could not have asked for more out of you three.

A special thank you to Sandan Josh and Sandan Matt for helping me to proctor this exam, your input was invaluable. And now you all know the routine. Heal your bodies, get a day’s rest and then…

Get back on the mat.