what people say about us

Alan Burn age 17

I have wanted my black belt for a long time and I know it The fact that I have come and done it and proven that my weight didn t hold me back empowered me to make myself better I have become a person that is not afraid of challenge I have pushed past my injury and I have done it with the help of my friends my family I don t just mean my blood relatives I mean my karate family the ones who I have known for eleven years and who have coached me through all my obstacles I can gladly say Don Lord and Aidan Case are my brothers and Anna Merlino is my sister We have been through feats I couldn t dream of when I walked through the door of Integrity Martial Arts during the summer of 2004 I have done more than I can dream of because of my weight how I have been through all my life The stress and pain I have went through was a major trial I knew that I could do it My pain was always a major part of how I trained however I can now easily laugh at it and say that it means nothing while I m flying through a set of forms or a set of combinations I have been beat up shut up and held up to my words and I have done it through what I never thought I could do by becoming a black belt I have become a person who stands up to challenge laughs at pain and realizes his dreams I have told myself I would do it and actually did it I have become a person who happily lays his head down at night knowing he accomplished something he tried to do I can call my self a black belt and I can tell myself I did it I just can t believe I did even though I know I did it I waited for eleven years to prove my worth and I am more than a statistic that walked through the door and left a few years later I am a black belt and I am proud of it I have learned what the CDTS sheets marked family mean I have learned that pain is a warning and I ignore warnings every day on how to microwave a frozen pizza not that I eat one every day I have learned that people believe in me and people will go to the ends of the earth to help me I know pain I know suffering I know victory and I know true bliss I know how I can prove myself to myself and tell others confidently I know how to say something and follow through I can tell everyone I am a black belt and I can do it without laughing in the face of others because others are the aspirin that helped me beat this test My life is a tough one and everyone agrees that theirs is too What people don t know is even though everyone has a tough life there is some suffering and some gaining involved The world is more gray than it is black and white and take the gray where you can get it because it s the best you have Work for it don t expect it to come to you as if it s looking specifically for you