Posted on 06/23/2010 8:02:05 AM PDT by billorites
PEABODY, Mass.—A Massachusetts woman who was born without arms or kneecaps has passed her test for a black belt in taekwondo.
Sheila Radziewicz successfully completed earlier this month a black belt test at Bruce McCorry's Martial Arts in Peabody.
The 32-year-old Salem resident, who was born with thrombocytopenia-absent radius, or TAR syndrome, called the test the "longest, most excruciating" workout of her life.
The test required her to break wood, execute combinations of kicks and punches, spar, and show mastery of the long staff and nunchucks.
Radziewicz, an advocate for victims of domestic violence, said she has never let her disability stop her. At 23, Radziewicz earned her driver's license. She uses a car that she controls with her feet.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Bravo.
Simple question, how does she tie her black belt?
Wow. Good for her.
I’m betting pushups are a challenge as well.
What a inspiration!
That’s a great story! What in inspiration.
Obama should invite her to the White House - she could teach him a thing or two about how really to kick a$$.
Brava!
So?....Community organizer with no brain becomes President.
Maybe she can kick Obama’s A$$.
Her story has lifted my spirits today!
I suspect I will get reamed for this comment.
This is Massachusetts, liberalsville USA, wanna bet they lowered the bar for her and rewrote the test to meet handicap laws?
I’m sure for her limitations she has gone further than anyone ever did with the same constraints.
I’m going to say the unpopular and politically incorrect thing: regardless of how much heart this lady has, and I’m sure she has quite a bit, awarding her a black belt does nothing except render the black belt meaningless and make the school appear to be yet another slacker McDojo. There is no way that she can possibly be performing the requirements for black belt in her condition. If it were an honorary black belt or some such thing, I could understand it, but the article doesn’t really say anything about that.
My feeling as well. I take my hat off to the woman for her grit and determination. But I would like to see a video of her qualification. I just can’t picture how she manipulates the nunchuks.
I'm thinking the same thing myself. :(
Well, that puts an end to my moping around today.
Well done.
It’s a very nice story. However, I must agree.
I won’t ream ya, and I don’t even know what the reqt’s for BB are, but when I think about things that absolutely require a full and complete human body, that doesn’t sit quite right either. If the point is carried to the point of absurdity, we end up trying to say that a blind person who “sees” with their fingers can’t read as well as a sighted person.
It’s clearly a great accomplishment that shows the spirit of what the Black Belt is supposed to be about, and if the rules had to be redefined a bit to accommodate her body, I’m fine with that.
Here’s what I found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL6o3T4XWgg
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