Purpose / Objective

The American Federation of Martial Arts (A.F.M.A.), Endeavors to Transcend Differences

BY MICHAEL NASH Edited by Lonnie Jones

The American Federation of Martial Arts referred as A.F.M.A. was formed to provide guidance towards Human Development and Personal Growth. The development of inner strength of the human being in three essential areas is what the Federation can offer new students. A.F.M.A. Martial Arts students will be challenged to develop their physical, mental and spiritual strength. The A.F.M.A. sensei's have an impressive track record, and they have dedicated their life to the liftment of humanity through martial arts training. A.F.M.A. is the culmination of a noble vision of Hanshi Adolfo Ennever. It is true that students who train hard will learn to defend themselves, but students are taught by A.F.M.A. Sensei's that to subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill. Similarly, true Martial Arts, as taught by the Master Teacher, Gichin Funakoshi, places weight upon spiritual rather than physical matters. He states: " True Karate-Do is this: That in daily life, one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humanity; and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice."

Martial Arts training can help you succeed in many other areas of your life. For this reason, many have adopted the sport as a way of life. Because it helps the individual to view the world from the point of view of introspection, it has the ability to build up the inner strength of not only a single individual struck by tragedy, but more importantly, through that individual, to restore hope to an entire nation. The A.F.M.A. Martial Arts attitude, which translates into the desire to improve oneself, is contagious; it works like a domino effect as students feed off of one another's energy. As with most sports, the Martial Arts is able to build confidence, patience, perseverance, and character in the individual. The A.F.M.A. Martial Arts Instructors play a tremendous role in that development, but much of it also depends upon the will of the student. If the skill and spirit of the teacher is strong, this will inspire students to develop a strong desire to succeed. It is important to know that people take up the Martial Arts for different reasons. Therefore, success depends upon the goals an individual student sets for himself and how he goes about reaching them.

Not only can the Martial Arts training help the individual to become mentally sharper, physically and spiritually strong, it also encourages a team spirit among human being, All of those who train together as A.F.M.A. Martial Arts members ( an ethnically diverse group) are taught to accentuate that which we have in common, our humanness and our individual desires to improve some aspect or aspects of our life. Of course, this varies from person to person. In this spirit, as each person strives individually to reach his/her full potential, as a group, during our workouts, we draw energy from one another so as to maximize our chances of building our inner strength and developing our fighting art. As in other sports, a certain degree of competitiveness is encouraged during practice sessions to assist students in measuring their own progress and in developing a "give it all you've got attitude" .Competition is also used as a way to help students to understand where their weakness lies and how to improve upon them. Camaraderie has been made possible through the personality of all the A.F.M.A. Sensei's. These instructors possess a unique blend of being firm and human in their teaching style. Through their sincerity, wisdom, patience, outgoing personality, upbeat sense of humor, and tolerance for all people, they have done much to motivate their students and to reach them in some very special ways. These qualities have allowed A.F.M.A. to attract new people on a consistent basis. This, in my judgment, is the sign of great teachers.

A.F.M.A. instructors teach that the Martial Arts is also about having fun, learning how to release anxiety and frustration, and learning to be free, peaceful, and sure of yourself. Further, the Martial Arts is about self-examination, self-actualization, and positive reaffirmation. It is about developing within the individual, and thus the family, the community, and the nation, all of the things necessary for a healthy people hood.

We are taught that a chain is only as strong as its strongest link, and that strength should be measured by the extent of one's character and skill . Thus, because the philosophical approach of A.F.M.A.. The members of A.F.M.A. are an ethnically, religiously, and materially diverse group, we oft-times have discovered and reinforced together the very things that make us all simply human beings striving for human excellence. The exchanging of ideas, the sharing, the struggling, the laughter, the pain and the triumph has the cornerstone of this Federation, which has been quite successful in transcending differences among people, and in educating its students about the importance of respecting the sacred beliefs of others. This, in my judgment, is one of its strongest qualities. For those who are curious about the Martial Arts, but know little about it, I challenge you to challenge yourself to satisfy your curiosity by getting some information about it. Take charge of your own life, and be counted among those who are actively involved in making a difference in the lives of others through the Martial Arts training. For those who understand, the need to improve human and inter cultural relations in this day and age is our ultimate challenge. We need reputable institutions created by honorable men and women that are designed to meet this challenge. I assure you that the cultural diversity, camaraderie, and high caliber of instruction, which one will witness from visiting an A.F.M.A. school, will endeavor to meet to meet this challenge, and undoubtedly have a revolutionary mission with a first -rate model for human Development and Personal Growth.