Wednesday, June 6, 2001
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Wednesday, June 6, 2001 |
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Local students earn their Black Belts By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Recently, Martial Arts America - East/West Karate Studios, presented black belts to 27 students. Mark Dumas, owner and chief instructor of the schools in Fayetteville and Peachtree City, noted that although the students passed their final four-hour tests May 19, they were also required to pass three physically exhausting preliminary tests three months prior to the final. The preliminaries and final black belt test covered areas of endurance, forms, techniques, power kicking, combination drills, self defense, one-steps and sparring. Each student passed unanimously, judged by a panel of black belt instructors. "It would have been very easy for any normal person to give up and throw in the towel," said Dumas, noting that the students' mental make-up played an important role in the process. "That option never entered in the minds of these students. In the four years and more leading up to this goal, they have all learned confidence, determination, discipline and perseverance." |
