OVER the past two weeks we Guyanese have joined our Caribbean neighbours in celebrating the unprecedented triumphs of their athletes at the Paris Olympics.

The first-time gold medals won by St Lucian runner, Julien Alfred and Dominican triple-jumper, Thea LaFond, made us all proud, as did the sterling performances by the Jamaicans and Grenadians in track and field.

Closer to home, four athletes have also made their mark in the history books, with induction into the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame (IMAHOF).

Although they were unable to attend the ceremony held last month in India, the four – Max Massiah, Claudette Andrews, Leslie Sobers and Anthony Durjan (Sr) – were sent their trophies and certificates.

Grand Master and Soke, Max Massiah, was awarded a trophy for ‘Best Self-Defense Master – Practical close combat system’.

The founder and creator of Maxido Street self-defense, has, over the years received an impressive array of trophies and awards, including the title of Soke, which means teacher of teachers.

The other trophy recipients are all founding members of Maxido, which began in a church in Brooklyn, but is now based here at a dojo in the compound of the Critchlow Labour College. They all received Special Recognition trophies, for their high level of ability.

In an interview at the Maxido dojo,  Claudette Andrews, a first dan black belt,  spoke of her growing years when she would do ‘flicks’ with her older brother, who practised karate.

However, she never followed up on martial arts until six years ago in 2018, when Max piqued her interest in Maxido and she got involved.
Now, at 66 years old, she is known as the ‘pit bull’ of the dojo and considered rough by the younger females, who are often reluctant to spar with her.

She laughingly talked of “training with the guys”, who are equally wary of her but respect her capability on the mat.
“It was not always easy…but fun for me,” she recalled, as she progressed from the first belt (white), through the other six colours, culminating in her black belt.

Former Magistrate and attorney-at-law, Leslie Sobers, also a first dan black belt, said: “The discipline of martial arts keeps you humble and you learn to appreciate gentleness”.

But, though Maxido proponents are taught to avoid conflict and play the role of the peacemaker, the approach only extends to the point where the aggressor persists in attacking. Then this brutal self-defense system ensures that the confrontation ends quickly, with the attacker suffering broken bones.

Sobers, has been involved with martial arts from the age of 17 at a dojo in his native village of Pouderoyen on the West Coast of Demerara. There, he learned a style of karate, known as shotokan, winning several trophies and medals.

His entrance to university caused him to ‘slow up’ his martial arts training, but he remained physically active and “battle ready” through the years and was happy to join Massiah in establishing the Maxido dojo.
A man of many pursuits, with a degree in Mass Communication along with his law degree, Sobers currently lectures on Media and Environmental law at the University of Guyana.

However, he says, “Martial arts has become a way of life for me…it’s a discipline that gives you control over your mind and body”.
This sentiment is shared by the others who were, last January, inducted into the Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame, also known as The Final Destination.

Their love for the sport through the years has kept all four of these Hall of Famers constantly seeking to improve and has kept them sound in body and mind.

As Bruce Lee, the greatest martial artist of all time, said, simply, “In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued”.