7/30/2007
The workshop held This past Friday at Renzo Gracie Academy was packed to the hilt with new and old students. Everyone was in good spirits and there was a forthcoming positive energy in the air as Master Renzo took the reigns of class leading the workshop with some very insightful new techniques. The big surprise came at the end of the workshops though, where many deserving students were awarded belt upgrades. The pinnacle of the night ended with the giving away of a total of eight new black belts. Usually with the award of a new belt Master Renzo ceremoniously hits the student over the back with the new belt but he held back this action respectfully joking: “You never hit a black belt!” After receiving the Black Belt each student was required to make a speech before all as they graciously tied the belt around their waist. Every speech came from the heart of each student and touched all in the room. The following is taken from some of the speeches…
“Looking back it has been a long journey.”
“If I died tomorrow I could look back on my life and this would be the pinnacle.”
“This is not the end. This is a stepping stone to many greater things.”
“It’s been a long hard road.”
“If I was hugging his (Renzo’s) leg …it was only because it was on my side of the bed.”(Pete Lawson joked in response to a story told by Renzo)
At the end, of course, everyone gave many thanks to Master Renzo.
The workshop held This past Friday at Renzo Gracie Academy was packed to the hilt with new and old students. Everyone was in good spirits and there was a forthcoming positive energy in the air as Master Renzo took the reigns of class leading the workshop with some very insightful new techniques. The big surprise came at the end of the workshops though, where many deserving students were awarded belt upgrades. The pinnacle of the night ended with the giving away of a total of eight new black belts. Usually with the award of a new belt Master Renzo ceremoniously hits the student over the back with the new belt but he held back this action respectfully joking: “You never hit a black belt!” After receiving the Black Belt each student was required to make a speech before all as they graciously tied the belt around their waist. Every speech came from the heart of each student and touched all in the room. The following is taken from some of the speeches…
“Looking back it has been a long journey.”
“If I died tomorrow I could look back on my life and this would be the pinnacle.”
“This is not the end. This is a stepping stone to many greater things.”
“It’s been a long hard road.”
“If I was hugging his (Renzo’s) leg …it was only because it was on my side of the bed.”(Pete Lawson joked in response to a story told by Renzo)
At the end, of course, everyone gave many thanks to Master Renzo.
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