These days there’s a trend sweeping the martial arts community…the ability to become an all-around  “complete” Martial Artist – some might call it MMA.  Although this notion may be new to some, it has actually been around since as far back as the ‘60’s.  Back then people used to say, “To become a complete Martial Artist, one must be able to punch and kick.”  Throughout the late sixties into the seventies, we saw karate people augmenting their particular style with boxing.  That was the original impetus in the development of PKA (Professional Karate Association), of which Bill Wallace was clearly the king.  PKA fighters were very exciting to watch – their hands looked like boxers’; plus they possessed (and effectively used) high kicks.

Back then they believed that kicking below the waist was far too dangerous to the legs.  Then, some years later, Thai boxing started to become popular; and people slowly began to develop an appreciation for leg kicks.  At this point, the new and improved definition of the “complete Martial Artist” was someone who could box well and who also studied muay Thai, thereby possessing powerful leg kicks.  For several years, the boxer/Thai boxer was the gold standard for the “complete” Martial Artist…that is, until the Gracies came to town. 

 
The Gracie Brothers first came to America in the mid-1980’s and slowly started to develop a reputation.  In the early 90’s, the Ultimate Fighting Championship came along; shortly thereafter, Gracie Jiu-jitsu became a household word.  By the time the UFC II and III came around, the running debate was over who was better, the standup fighters or the ground fighters.  As the years went by, more and more no-holds-barred tournaments started cropping up, and eventually the definition of a “complete” Martial Artist began to evolve.  This new standard was a hybrid form of Martial Arts known as MMA where the student learned the standup and ground fight.  Although I agree that the definition of the “complete” fighter, or the “complete” Martial Artist has evolved;  there is still something important that is missing…weapons training!

 

According to the most recent government study of violent attacks, around 80% of street altercations involve weapons of some type (this statistic does not include guns).  The very second a fight breaks out, it is a visceral response to grab something – including pool balls, beer bottles, ashtrays, cue sticks, etc.  Anyone who lives in Los Angeles or on the East Coast knows that every gang kid alive carries some kind of makeshift weapon.  You can’t go anywhere in the Midwest and not see some good old boy with a buck knife.  How many times have we heard of someone in a fender bender, and the first thing the guy does on the side of the road is get out of the car, go to the trunk and pull out a flash light or tire iron.  With this in mind, please allow me to me illustrate my definition of the complete Martial Artist: Someone who can kick and box, and is also proficient in trapping (i.e. head butts, knees, and elbows); this person must be able to ground fight as well; they should be well-versed in all weapons; and must be well trained in two-on-one, three-on-one, four-on-one, biting, eye gouging, etc.  These are the principles that Bruce Lee espoused in the Tao of Jeet Kune Do; in fact this has been our precise curriculum at Progressive Martial Arts and our preceding academies, going back as far as 1986.  In conclusion, I believe adding the use of weapons to one’s existing game will not only make you a better all-around Martial Artist, but will also improve whatever your empty hand game is. 

        

It takes a courageous person to be open to a novel idea and eventually champion it. Anyone can follow the path that has already been laid, but not everyone has the bravery necessary to be a pioneer. Take Christopher Columbus for example. When everyone else said he and his boat would fall off the edge of the earth, he took the risk and proved everyone wrong. Imagine how we would all think today if he didn’t have the nerve to stick to what his instincts told him was right.

Where would you be right now if Gastão Gracie’s sons had refused to accept the martial arts information delivered to them by Mitsuyo Maeda. Not only would there probably be a big hole in your life, you wouldn’t even have this magazine in your hands to ask such a question! In both of the above examples, the authority of common thought was questioned, an evaluation took place, and the people added their own ideals to it and grew themselves and their legacy. How often, however, do you just blindly go with the flow and believe what someone else told you just because that is the way things have always been done? I would like to say that I never do this, but the following example showed me again that Ralph Waldo Emerson was right: “Every man in some way is your superior.”

Every week after working on my standup in judo, I would always be one of the last athletes to leave. I would finish training hard, lie on the floor and then change to get ready to leave. When I would be heading out, I would see a past nationally ranked judoka named Barry Friedberg doing stretches on a funny block in silence in the back corner of the dojo.

After over a year and a half of training and getting to know Barry, I finally asked him what he was doing each week while everyone else had left. He stated that when he was young, he heard Muhammad Ali state that stretching after every workout was a key to his longevity. Barry took this to heart and concocted a routine to perform after every judo session. I asked to watch him and perform it with him, and he obliged. After I finished, I was more relaxed and felt looser. It was then that I was shocked to be told by Barry, “Welcome to yoga.”

Yoga? I don’t do yoga!” Instantly I had thoughts of women stretching themselves into horrific positions, men performing crazy breathing activities and a room full of weirdoes chanting “Om”! At first, I rejected the thought that I was doing yoga. After challenging myself to find out more about it before I jumped to any other conclusions, I found not only would this research changed how I thought, it would help me to grow my training.

Yoga is a practice that is said to have existed anywhere from 2500 to 5000 years. Today, with the popularization of yoga, there are many different styles, but on deeper study, I found that they are founded in the same poses and concepts. Yoga, to the practitioner is not just stretching out for a workout or after exercise, it is the connection of the mind and body through exercise, meditation and breathing techniques. I thought that yoga was only for the flexible or the weak, but I have found neither to be true.

I used to think that the workout was over after the training was done. Now if I were in a spelling bee, I might spell the word recovery wrong because I now believe it has many more than 2 R’s in it. To me the 5 R’s are Review, Relax, Realign, Rehydrate and Replentish. With the use of the modified yoga vinyasa (sequence of postures) above, you can achieve most of the R’s above (hydrating and getting proper nutrients can be performed quickly before the sequence to hit them all).

My version is similar to the Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskara with some exercises omitted and others added. The key is to perform the drills with the following 5 rules:

 

1 Monitor your breathing to reoxygenate your system. Inhale with deep breathing to a full pause, and then exhale smoothly to a full pause. Learning to control your breathing is a key concept in yoga called Pranayama.

 

2 Each posture or asana below should be performed for 3-5 full breaths.

 

3 Follow the poses in order below and perform each to the best of your ability, but never into a range of pain. Perform equally on each side. The key is to relax and slowly build up your flexibility.

 

4 Focus your mind on the position and how it is helping your body to realign the tightened tissues that have been affected by the previous training session.

 

5 Use this time to mentally review the previous training session and what new movements you have learned and what progress or lack thereof you have made.

 

The warrior sequence

 

I took the following 8 poses that I felt would best counteract the tightening that takes place with combat arts like Jiu-Jitsu, judo, wrestling, and boxing. Since the head, chest, forearms, abdominals and hips are constantly flexed during training, I chose the following exercises to rebalance the body. Follow the pictures above, with Vinicius Draculino, and you should be able to complete the poses. There are other yoga positions that work other areas as well as more challenging exercises for balance and strength. Although I did not include them here, they could be something else for you to pioneer your own path.

 

As I said in the introduction of this article, a pioneer courageously takes information, evaluates it and adapts it to fit his or her own needs. I hope you take this information, evaluate it, absorb what is useful and blaze your own path toward what you think is right. You may not be proving something like the earth is not flat, but you will be taking your game to the next level. It may be hard at first to stay disciplined, but remember, there is never a traffic jam on the extra mile. Now get to work!

 

1 Mountain pose - Tadasana

 

2 Sky reach - Urdhva Hastasana

 

3 Cobra - Bhujangasana

 

4 Boat - Navasana

 

5 Lunge - Ardha Mandalasana

 

6 Prayer twist - Namaskar Parsvakonasana

 

7 Revolving warrior - Parivrtta Virabhadra Konasana

 

8 Warrior I - Virabhadrasana

 

 

* Martin Rooney is director of the Parisi Speed School and conditioning coach for Team Renzo Gracie. He has trained fighters for the ADCC, UFC, and Pride. His “Training for Warriors” book and DVD are at www.parisischool.com . Also check out the Training for warriors website.

Serving the Tennessee cities of: Oak Ridge Knoxville Clinton Oliver Springs Powell Karns Solway.
PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gracie Jiu Jitsu Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Kenpo Kenpo Karate Kempo Kempo Karate Shaolin Kempo KAJUKENBO Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Karate for Adults Karate for Kids Yoga
WE ARE ALSO KNOW AS: Tennessee Karate Lessons Tennessee Karate School for Adults Tennessee Karate School for Kids Oak Ridge Child Karate Oak Ridge Martial Arts for Children Tennessee Karate Oak Ridge Kid,s Karate Tennessee Karate for Child Self Defense for Women Martial Arts Oak Ridge Martial Arts Tennessee Cardio Kick Boxing Class Kick Boxing Knoxville Kick Boxing Tennessee Tae Kwon Do Oak Ridge Karate Knoxville kids children families Tennessee Self Defense In the state of Tennessee we teach: Taekwondo Karate Ju-jitsu / Jiu-jitsu Weapons Grappling Kickboxing Hapkido Kung Fu Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Escrima Kali Arnis Wushu Aikido Judo Kempo / Kenpo Yoga TaiChi Self Defense Training Practical Street Defense Women's Self Defense Stranger Danger Bully Busting Police Law Enforcement Security Military Hand to hand combat Gun Knife Club Escape School Workplace violence School violence Personal Training Executive Self Defense Bodyguard Boxing

Some of SiFu Bruce's more notable full time, part time, and seminar students have included: Barry VanOver - 6th degree Black Belt & VP of United Professionals, Senior Instructor Premier Martial Arts Patrick Cummiskey - Chief Instructor for Krav Maga - Country of Ireland Todd Renigar - 8th Degree Black Belt, and President of South East Karate Instructors of Chinese Kempo Roland Costanzo - 5th Degree Black Belt & VP of SATORI Academies of Martial Arts Mike Rash - 9th Degree Black Belt & President Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Lou Faralan - 6th Degree Black Belt - Senior Instructor of Kalahi Martial Arts Dennis Ocampo - Founder - STATS Defense System Mark Sheeley - 8th Degree Black Belt & Founder Kensho Ryu Kenpo Nick Chamberlain - 8th Degree Black Belt, and Chief Instructor Dallas Kenpo Tony DeLalla - 5th Degree Black Belt and Senior Instructor Elite Martial Arts Academy (Please note: Mr. DeLalla was awarded an honorary promotion recognizing his previous rank in martial arts. However, he never successfully completed the Black Belt Exam) Keith Gordon - 5th Degree Black Belt and Chief Instructor SD Kenpo 

 

        

I went to Blockbuster to rent a video, and take some time off.  As I was looking through the mass amounts of possibilities, I looked up to see a fully grown adult, dressed in a complete Tae Kwon Do Dobak (Gi) complete with a black belt bearing three stripes!

In my world, this is considered disrespectful, dumb, and yes – stupid!

 

Okay, some of you might ask why?  So, here are some things to think about:

 

1. Cleanliness – you train close to people when you are practicing.
2. Knowledge of martial arts is like a”treasure in the pocket” keeps it to yourself and don’t advertise like a billboard.  If you want others to learn about martial arts – set an example, and then tell them about training
3. Wearing your “colors” outside is just an invitation for …….
4. We are adults, therefore we don’t wear our sports clothes out to shop
5. It is traditional NOT to wear your Gi outside the dojo for everyday business

 

That said; I guess it is just a case of how much something means to you.  I also have to ask you:  Don’t you think that wearing your Gi, complete with belt, etc to the video renatl store is just plain stupid?





Serving the Tennessee cities of: Oak Ridge Knoxville Clinton Oliver Springs Powell Karns Solway.

PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gracie Jiu Jitsu Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Kenpo Kenpo Karate Kempo Kempo Karate Shaolin Kempo KAJUKENBO Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Karate for Adults Karate for Kids Yoga

WE ARE ALSO KNOW AS: Tennessee Karate Lessons Tennessee Karate School for Adults Tennessee Karate School for Kids Oak Ridge Child Karate Oak Ridge Martial Arts for Children Tennessee Karate Oak Ridge Kid,s Karate Tennessee Karate for Child Self Defense for Women Martial Arts Oak Ridge Martial Arts Tennessee Cardio Kick Boxing Class Kick Boxing Knoxville Kick Boxing Tennessee Tae Kwon Do Oak Ridge Karate Knoxville kids children families Tennessee Self Defense In the state of Tennessee we teach: Taekwondo Karate Ju-jitsu / Jiu-jitsu Weapons Grappling Kickboxing Hapkido Kung Fu Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Escrima Kali Arnis Wushu Aikido Judo Kempo / Kenpo Yoga TaiChi Self Defense Training Practical Street Defense Women's Self Defense Stranger Danger Bully Busting Police Law Enforcement Security Military Hand to hand combat Gun Knife Club Escape School Workplace violence School violence Personal Training Executive Self Defense Bodyguard Boxing

        

I came across this site on the INTERNET.  Funny, it even talks about a name change at this particular establishment.  It is a shame that this type of reputation relative to the martial arts is projected by certain "businesses.  Oh, by the way, there is only ONE trademarked "PMA" in the world - we are it - just take a look at the U.S. Trademark DataBase.  Everyone else is simply a knock off!

Bottom line - Do your research!  Here is the link for the actual page on the INTERNET for a better look  http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/169/RipOff0169286.htm



I hate to be identified with this type of person!






Serving the Tennessee cities of: Oak Ridge Knoxville Clinton Oliver Springs Powell Karns Solway.
PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gracie Jiu Jitsu Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Kenpo Kenpo Karate Kempo Kempo Karate Shaolin Kempo KAJUKENBO Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Karate for Adults Karate for Kids Yoga
WE ARE ALSO KNOW AS: Tennessee Karate Lessons Tennessee Karate School for Adults Tennessee Karate School for Kids Oak Ridge Child Karate Oak Ridge Martial Arts for Children Tennessee Karate Oak Ridge Kid,s Karate Tennessee Karate for Child Self Defense for Women Martial Arts Oak Ridge Martial Arts Tennessee Cardio Kick Boxing Class Kick Boxing Knoxville Kick Boxing Tennessee Tae Kwon Do Oak Ridge Karate Knoxville kids children families Tennessee Self Defense In the state of Tennessee we teach: Taekwondo Karate Ju-jitsu / Jiu-jitsu Weapons Grappling Kickboxing Hapkido Kung Fu Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Escrima Kali Arnis Wushu Aikido Judo Kempo / Kenpo Yoga TaiChi Self Defense Training Practical Street Defense Women's Self Defense Stranger Danger Bully Busting Police Law Enforcement Security Military Hand to hand combat Gun Knife Club Escape School Workplace violence School violence Personal Training Executive Self Defense Bodyguard Boxing

Some of SiFu Bruce's more notable full time, part time, and seminar students have included: Barry VanOver - 6th degree Black Belt & VP of United Professionals, Senior Instructor Premier Martial Arts Patrick Cummiskey - Chief Instructor for Krav Maga - Country of Ireland Todd Renigar - 8th Degree Black Belt, and President of South East Karate Instructors of Chinese Kempo Roland Costanzo - 5th Degree Black Belt & VP of SATORI Academies of Martial Arts Mike Rash - 9th Degree Black Belt & President Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Lou Faralan - 6th Degree Black Belt - Senior Instructor of Kalahi Martial Arts Dennis Ocampo - Founder - STATS Defense System Mark Sheeley - 8th Degree Black Belt & Founder Kensho Ryu Kenpo Nick Chamberlain - 8th Degree Black Belt, and Chief Instructor Dallas Kenpo Tony DeLalla - 5th Degree Black Belt and Senior Instructor Elite Martial Arts Academy (Please note: Mr. DeLalla was awarded an honorary promotion recognizing his previous rank in martial arts. However, he never successfully completed the Black Belt Exam) Keith Gordon - 5th Degree Black Belt and Chief Instructor SD Kenpo

        

I was recently notified that I was being inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hal of Fame!  THE UNITED STATES MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME.  Wow, what does it really mean?   

One of the first things is that the recognition by the USMAHOF is for my family, not just me.  This part of it is a big thing for me, since all of my family are Martial Artists, and that makes us somewhat unusual – in a good way!  My wife is a martial artist, my kids have all trained martial arts, and most of my cousins, some uncles, and many more in the family.   In addition to what most people recognize as Martial Arts, we also come from an uncountable number of generations of military members.  My grandfathers and their fathers served, I spent 22 years in the military, my wife served 6, and 2 of my sons also served

I recently put an old picture of my grandmother sitting in the bleachers with Grandmaster Ed Parker of Kenpo on our academy website.  This photo was taken over 25 years ago.  The fact that he is visiting with my grandmother pretty much shows the total involvement that my family has had in the martial arts for longer than I can remember.  We (the family) have fought full contact in just about anything imaginable, including kickboxing, MMA, boxing, and stick-fighting; as well as competed in Judo, Jiu Jitsu, and Karate.  One of my cousins was a major fight promoter, and some have been designated trainers for official agencies.  My oldest son was a great kickboxer, one of my sons was an outstanding wrestler, and one is amazing on the ground.  All are excellent in many other areas.  The best part of this, is that now, we can train each other – and I never get old!

 Many times, when people come into my academy; the first person they meet is one of my sons.  Sometimes the new potential student will want to know who will teach their classes.  They assume that the two young guys (ages 18 and 21) might not be experienced.  However what they don’t realize is that my kids have no idea what it is like not to train!  When other kids were playing with toddler toys, mine were playing martial arts on the mat.  

So, I have to say thanks to The United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame on behalf of my family, and I’m happy to see that the family is now “officially” recognized as an American Family of Martial Artists!


WWW.PMAOAKRIDGE.COM

Serving the Tennessee cities of: Oak Ridge Knoxville Clinton Oliver Springs Powell Karns Solway.

PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gracie Jiu Jitsu Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Kenpo Kenpo Karate Kempo Kempo Karate Shaolin Kempo KAJUKENBO Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Karate for Adults Karate for Kids Yoga

WE ARE ALSO KNOW AS: Tennessee Karate Lessons Tennessee Karate School for Adults Tennessee Karate School for Kids Oak Ridge Child Karate Oak Ridge Martial Arts for Children Tennessee Karate Oak Ridge Kid,s Karate Tennessee Karate for Child Self Defense for Women Martial Arts Oak Ridge Martial Arts Tennessee Cardio Kick Boxing Class Kick Boxing Knoxville Kick Boxing Tennessee Tae Kwon Do Oak Ridge Karate Knoxville kids children families Tennessee Self Defense

In the state of Tennessee we teach: Taekwondo Karate Ju-jitsu / Jiu-jitsu Weapons Grappling Kickboxing Hapkido Kung Fu Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Escrima Kali Arnis Wushu Aikido Judo Kempo / Kenpo Yoga TaiChi Self Defense Training Practical Street Defense Women's Self Defense Stranger Danger Bully Busting Police Law Enforcement Security Military Hand to hand combat Gun Knife Club Escape School Workplace violence School violence Personal Training Executive Self Defense Bodyguard Boxing

        

Everyone!  Martial Arts were created for everyone, the weak, the smaller person, men, women, Kids......everyone.  You shold be able to train and study in a safe, and friendly environment - one that has cooperative students, passionate instructors, and one that keeps your safety always as the top priority.

If you are going to work and people are asking you about your black eye or bandaged hands;  you are training at the wrong place.  You don't need to get hurt to learn self defense or get in shape.  Soreness is one thing, injury due to stupid training is another.  If you are attending an academy where it seems people take pride in always beating you, whether is sparring, Jiu Jitsu randori, etc..... you need to leave.

Remember, the quality of your training shouldn't be on whether you can beat your fellow studet, but whether you have personally improved from the day you began.  In my academy, I wnat to feel that my least talented student is capable of defending themself.  I don't care whether they win tournaments, beat students from another academy, or even those in their own academy.  That simply doesn't matter.  What does matter is retention, the fact that a student feels comfortable enough to continue training forever.

WWW.PMAOAKRIDGE.COM

Serving the Tennessee cities of: Oak Ridge Knoxville Clinton Oliver Springs Powell Karns Solway.

PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gracie Jiu Jitsu Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu Kenpo Kenpo Karate Kempo Kempo Karate Shaolin Kempo KAJUKENBO Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Karate for Adults Karate for Kids Yoga

WE ARE ALSO KNOW AS: Tennessee Karate Lessons Tennessee Karate School for Adults Tennessee Karate School for Kids Oak Ridge Child Karate Oak Ridge Martial Arts for Children Tennessee Karate Oak Ridge Kid,s Karate Tennessee Karate for Child Self Defense for Women Martial Arts Oak Ridge Martial Arts Tennessee Cardio Kick Boxing Class Kick Boxing Knoxville Kick Boxing Tennessee Tae Kwon Do Oak Ridge Karate Knoxville kids children families Tennessee Self Defense

In the state of Tennessee we teach: Taekwondo Karate Ju-jitsu / Jiu-jitsu Weapons Grappling Kickboxing Hapkido Kung Fu Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Escrima Kali Arnis Wushu Aikido Judo Kempo / Kenpo Yoga TaiChi Self Defense Training Practical Street Defense Women's Self Defense Stranger Danger Bully Busting Police Law Enforcement Security Military Hand to hand combat Gun Knife Club Escape School Workplace violence School violence Personal Training Executive Self Defense Bodyguard Boxing

        

I can't help but see on a day to day basis, how many pseudo tough guys the MMA craze has created.  It seems that if you begin training somewhere, start wearing MMA style clothing, and shave your head - you are now someone who counts for something.

When I began training in the 1970s, you were not allowed to wear any part of your Gi (uniform) outside the training facility, and most patches did not say the name of the academy, or any words pertaining to martial arts.  Instead, a symbol or logo was used that could also be used on T shirts without proclaiming anything offensive to another.  My teacher used to paraphrase a quote that said "the fist is like a treasure in the pocket,"  which simply means that it is hidden.

Jiu Jitsu has probably seen the most proliferation of pseudo toughs.  This is very funny (sadly so), because Jiu Jitsu is the gentle art, one that bases it's technique on not permanently injuring an attacker.  Yet, today. it seems a lot of Jiu Jitsu schools not only brag about how tough they are, but also practice the art of talking about everyone else, anywhere they can.  Unfortunately, the World Wide Web has assisted them in this endeavor.

Martial arts, of any type - should be for ordinary people - from all walks of life, all sizes, and regardless if one is athletic or weak.  What better purpose is there for Martial arts than to teach the weak to defend against the oppressive strong.  To teach smaller people to defend themselves.  To teach women and children to survive an attack from someone stronger.

Is there any greater slap in the face of Martial Arts than to view all other people training in Martial Arts as your opponent, or enemy?  Is there anything worse than walking around, bragging by appearance or attitude that you train. 

Some days, I feel like I am training my students to defend themselves against other Martial Artists rather than against the possibility of a criminal attack.  Its too bad the criminals don't walk around bragging in advance!

        

All I have to say is amazing.  I spent the weekend learning a few Yoga poses to help my Jiu Jitsu - it helped.  A lot of people at PMA don't know that Brittany is also a Yoga instructor with a lot of knowledge.  Since she is a Jiu Jitsu practitioner - the yoga fits what I needed to get that 1 inch of extra flexibilty.  My spider guard, X guard and Butterfly is better than when I first learned it!!!

No here's the deal - I am 52 years old, and need what ever edge I can get in "the game."  This helps the "edge. " 52 or 32, this stuff will help.   More to come!

        

We can debate all day long about what constitutes a tough guy, or what characteristics a tough guy (or tough woman if you like) displays.  Today however, I would like to take a little time to recognize one of the toughest guys that ever lived – Dr. Martin Luther King. 

I know a lot of my students don’t remember, or weren’t even alive when the Reverend King was around, but let me tell you a little of what I remember.  I remember watching Dr. King on the news, and seeing him face the adversity of attack dogs, fire hoses, and blows to the head….and this was from the police!  He also faced the death threats and violence of several organizations that opposed his teachings, and what his life stood for.  He never stopped, no matter what faced him.  He was in the lead position taking his people through a time of violence, murder and discrimination.  He was a man respected by presidents, but who at times could not eat in the same place as the average citizen because of the color of his skin.
 
Today, we think of those entering the arena of competition as tough guys, but what about Dr. King who marched through a world where death faced him every day, and finally caught up with him.   He is an example to everyone – a man of peace and gentleness, an honest man of integrity, but a man who despite any fear, displayed courage.
 Let us remember today, that no matter how many titles one receives, or how many victories in competition one achieves – only “tough guys” like Dr. Martin Luther King change the world.