Karate: The Art of Commitment

Karate is a sport that is often overlooked because it is not watched and followed on the high school sports level. However, to learn karate takes an extreme amount of discipline, time and technique.

Personal Best Karate, with locations in Foxborough, Easton, Norton and Norwood,  promoted sixty three students to the ranks of first, second and third degree Black Belt on Friday, January 28th.

Graduation took place at Oliver Ames High School in Easton. Over 1000 people packed into the auditorium to watch choreographed martial arts performances and the graduation, according to their press release. 

Participants also witnessed, Master Instructor Saeed Mansour, promoted to first 4th degree Black Belt. Mansour started with Personal Best as a student himself nearly twenty years ago. Founder, Christopher Rappold, was also promoted to 6th degree Black Belt.

Personal Best Karate recognizes receiving a Black Belt as a worthy accomplishment that takes steady commitment, dedication and time. 

The theme of "giving back to the community" was also celebrated at the ceremony. Carol Lucas, retired President of West Side Benevolent, was honored for 35 years of dedicated service. West Side and Personal Best Charity have been collaborating for many years organizing the deliveries of Thanksgiving dinners to local families in need, according to their press release.

Each Personal Best Karate School graduating class participants in a community service project. This year's class participated in the 2010 Turkey Brigade, which raised nearly $40,000 to feed Thanksgiving dinners to over 2,000 needy families in the area. 

“Many of our graduates are sharing the training at Personal Best along side other family members. Moms, Dads, sons, and daughters are finding that this is a program the whole family can experience and enjoy together.  In fact, at this graduation there was an entire family graduating to their first degree black belt,” said Rappold in their press release.

Foxborough First Degree Black Belts: Natasha Alisandratos, Robert Crew, Aynslie D’Avanzo, Courtney D’Avanzo, Marc D’Avanzo, Mic D’Avanzo, Eddie Dring, Brian Grenier, Jim Grenier, Julia Hill, Matthew Hjort, George Key, Matthew Murphy, RJ Sellon, Danielle Topale, Elyse Tripp

Foxborough Second Degree Black Belts: Stephen Brown, Jordan Connors, Matthew Iandoli, Lauren Melton, Patrick Moore, Susan Roberts, Stanley Widak.