News & Events

Black Belt Graduation Ceremony
June 18, 2010

The LINXX Academy of Martial Arts recently hosted the Semi-Annual Black Belt Graduation Ceremony in honor of five junior black belts, three first-degree black belts, and three adult Muay Thai black belts. On Friday June 18, 2010, both LINXX Academy locations closed their doors in honor of the event.

The Black Belt Preparation Course is an intensive four-month phase of final training, screening, and testing that consists of a variety of physical fitness and training requirements. Students must attend four classes a week, which includes a minimum of one black belt candidate class. The physical fitness requirements are challenging; if a student is unable to meet one of the requirements, they are given one opportunity to re-test. If a student fails the re-test, regardless of how far they are in their present cycle, they are rolled back to the next cycle to start from the beginning. There are only three scheduled training cycles each year. Students who complete the comprehensive program are honored at a graduation ceremony, where they showcase their acquired martial arts skills and receive their black belts.

The 2010 black belt recipients were Brendan Alvarez, Barrett Ratclaff, Grant Minor, Paul Sanchez, Jeremy Loughheed, Jaxon Dick, Zachary Parker, Michael Orwig, Charles McCallister, Brandon Pearce, and Jared Fanning.

The Master of Ceremonies for this year’s event was Mr. Frank Cucci, Sr., founder of LINXX Academy. Mr. Cucci began by recognizing the hard work and dedication required of both students and parents to reach such an esteemed rank. He commented that martial arts was a powerful influence in the lives of students and he thanked the families for giving LINXX Academy the privilege of training their children.

“Beyond the obvious benefits of self-defense, physical fitness, and self-confidence, the martial arts lifestyle helps to develop a person’s moral values and ethics,” stated Mr. Cucci.

The first exhibition was Krabi-kabrong, the weapon-based martial art from Thailand that has been connected to the beginnings of the art of Muay Thai. Armed with swords, LINXX instructors Daniel Brooks and Evan Taylor confronted each other on stage with a clash of metal. Sparks flew and a realistic battle took place on stage, setting the tone for the rest of the demonstrations. Instructors then took the stage to showcase the practical art of Muay Thai. After familiarizing the audience about how training for each discipline may be utilized, candidates took the floor to demonstrate combinations they learned during their cycle.

Mike Paulson, General Manager of Linxx’s Academy’s Redmill location, and Scott Turner, LINXX instructor, engaged the audience in one of the most impressive displays of the day. After demonstrating a few basic grappling techniques, Paulson and Turner proceeded to show the tremendous athleticism required for great ground work. Paulson is currently a purple belt and Turner holds a black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The execution of each hold and maneuver was so clean, it awed the entire assembly. The seemingly effortless roll was accentuated by the experience level of both grapplers, providing a memorable example of the skillful discipline.

Another highlight of the evening was the skit performed by LINXX staff. Along with Dan Brooks, Evan Taylor, and Jacob Turpin; Kyle Windley produced a hilarious show about how a little bit of bad training can be a dangerous thing. Brooks’ raucous entry on stage as “Bruce Leeroy” established the troupe’s presence and purpose. “Leeroy” introduced himself to a band of ardent new students as a 58th degree black belt in karate from the school of Cobra Kai. Laughter resonated throughout the auditorium as his demonstration about how to defend against nunchucks quickly proved to be a liability to the students and Mr. Leeroy himself.

The event culminated with the presentation of the black belts to each candidate. As everyone applauded, the students walked proudly across the stage to accept their new belts and awards. After the presentation, the distinguished disciples of the martial arts took center stage for one final bow to the audience as the curtains closed.

A reception was held following the ceremony. Handshakes, hugs, and accolades filled the room. Portraits were taken, stories were told as people re-lived the past years, and future goals were discussed. Mr. Cucci commented, “This is the most rewarding part of my role here at LINXX. Congratulations to the 2010 black belt graduates; the LINXX family is honored to be a part of your outstanding achievements!”