Karate fundraiser benefits training center
By Julia Felton
On Nov. 7, C.S. Kim Karate hosted a fundraising tournament on the Boyce campus of Community College of Allegheny County. With 200 to 250 people in attendance, the tournament raised money for an International Tang Soo Do Federation training center to be built in Arlington, Texas.
Master Dean Kelly, owner of C.S. Kim Karate McMurray, said the goal of the center will be to ensure that “there is always access for people to train” in Tang Soo Do.
At about 10,000 square feet, the training center will be a place where students can train, test and attend various seminars. The training center will also be home to seminars specifically for instructors, so they can continue to learn and share their knowledge with students.
Not only did the tournament help raise money, it also “helps motivate everyone to work together,” said Kelly.
The event began with a series of promotions.
Receiving their fourth degree black belt, or master belts, were Jay Nagel from C.S. Kim Bethel Park, Mark Ford from C.S. Kim Oakmont, Raymond Toncich from C.S. Kim White Oak, Emily and Taylor Manalo from C.S. Kim McMurray and Jacob Diller from C.S. Kim Sarver. Master Mark Pagano of Eastern Shore Tang Soo Do and Master Derek Depalis of Synergy Martial Arts both received their O Dan, or fifth degree, promotions. The highest-ranking promotions of the day were for Master Norman Stern from C.S. Kim Monroeville, and Kelly, both of whom received their seventh degree, or Ch’il Dan, promotions.
For Kelly, the promotion took over 30 years of hard work. He was glad to be promoted with Stern, who has been training with him for many years.
Kelly estimated that about one out of every 500 people who start karate will earn their black belt, so the amount of people who make it to their seventh degree is small.
The tournament inspired people to continue working towards the federation’s goal of a massive training center in Texas. The promotions also motivated students to improve in hopes of one day receiving the advancements themselves.