By Sean Devers

FIVE Guyanese, for the first time, were inducted into the Action Martial Arts Magazine’s ultimate destination Ceremony at the Crithlow Labour College on Saturday evening.
Those honoured were Martial Artist ‘Max’ Massiah, former magistrate; Lieutenant Colonel, Leslie Sobers; Claudette Andrews; Tour-Guide and Businessman, Christopher Chin and former world-rated, multi-division boxing champion and coach, Clive Atwell.

The five were all inducted at the twenty-second Hall-of-Honour Event (also known as the Academy Awards of Martial Arts).
Massiah, is a 9th Dan Black Belt and the founder of the rapidly growing World-recognised MAXIDO Adult Self-Defence System and MAXIDO Black Belt Students hosted the event.
“Although Atwell is a boxer and not a martial artist, the event also honours boxers who have accomplished valuable achievements in “combat activities” explained Massiah.
Sobers, Andrews, and Chin are all founding members of MAXIDO in Guyana, having begun training in February 2018, on a rigorous schedule of two-hour sessions, three days weekly.
Massiah explained that this was the first time that inductees received certificates (even in the USA) while each inductee was also presented with a trophy medal and ring.

Included in the night’s events were steel pan music from Ras Camo, Caiso renditions by Guyana’s Calypso King Young Bill Rogers who sang his winning song ‘You stop the old time days’ and an ‘extempo’ about Massiah while two students (Omar Bart & Sean Thomas) presented an impromptu demonstration of a self-defence manoeuvre.
Assistant Director of Sport, Frankie Wilson spoke on behalf of Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport, Charles Ramson and promised to attend one of the sessions.

“The training sessions are held on Mondays, Wednesdays Thursdays from 5pm to 8pm and on Saturdays from 1pm to 4pm at the Critchlow Labour College on Woolford Avenue” disclosed Massiah who emphasised that this was not a competitive sport and solely used for self-defence.

The sessions are open to any male over 20 years-old and to females 16 and over and caters specifically for the vulnerable such as business owners, professionals, the elderly and females.
The Mega Convention & Hall-of-Honours was held at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey but because of travel issues the trophies and medals were sent here instead.

MAXIDO is known for its brutally effective defensive responses of strictly limb dislocation & bone breakage in under four seconds and has taught over 300 students Worldwide (Guyana, USA, Ghana, & Cuba), including members of Guyana’s Joint Services (GDF & GPF) since the establishment of the MAXIDO system in the USA, 2017
Soke (Teacher of Teachers) Max Massiah, a six-time inductee, nominated the others, whose nominations were accepted and approved by the Board and its President and host, Sifu Alan Goldberg, aka the ‘Godfather of Martial Arts’.

“The annual event, which commenced in 2000, attracts the creme-de-la-creme of world-renowned legends, accomplished “fistic” experts, movie-stars, and sports personalities in the combat arena such as Michael Jai White, Cynthia Rothrock, Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace, Don “Dragon” Wilson, Benny ‘the Jet’ Urquidez, Fred Williamson, Cary ‘Mortal Kombat’ Hiroyuki Tagawa, Eric Lee, Jason Lau, Lady Sensei Chisom Jerry, among other celebrity personalities.

While four of the inductees were on hand to receive their trophies, Medals and Rings, Atwell, who is in Australia, accolades were presented to his nine-year-old son Alexander Atwell, who give an eloquent speech on behalf of his dad.