by David Flint
The Stephentown Karate group, known officially as Stephentown Self Defense Systems, has in the last seven months promoted six of their members to black belt status. What is even more remarkable is that four of the six are from the same family, the Court family of West Stephentown.
At an official ceremony on Monday, November 22, Katherine Court, 18, and Nathaniel Court, 12, became the latest members of their family to receive the coveted black belt. Their sister Patricia, along with their dad, Jess Court, was honored with the Black Belt last April. Karate teacher, or Sensei, Bob Fish, is very proud of the Courts.
The family has been with the Stephentown karate group since it was founded about seven years ago. In addition to the four Black Belts, sister Elizabeth and mother Sue some time ago earned their yellow and orange belts respectively.
Speaking at the recent ceremony, Sensei Fish said he was pleased and honored to present the new candidates for black belt. Karate, he said, teaches a person how to defend him or herself, so that perhaps they will never have to. Beyond that it instills and encourages spiritual qualities such as endurance, perseverance, humility self-confidence, self-control and self-discipline, inner calmness, the ability to deal with stressful situations, leadership skills and respect for others. In training Katherine and Nathaniel to the black belt level, he said he had done everything he could “to make them quit.” But they had doggedly persevered and fully deserved the honor of black belt. Katherine was awarded First Degree Black Belt with certificates from both Stephentown Self Defense Systems and from the Okinawan Karate Association. Nathaniel received the title of Junior Black Belt with a certificate from Stephentown Self Defense Systems.
Jess Court said that his philosophy had been that he would never make his kids do anything he would not be willing to do himself. To that end he has also taken piano lessons along with them in addition to joining them in karate. The martial arts, he said, like karate, are a mixture of art and sport. Practicing the kata, a series of dance like motions in karate, requires and encourages gracefulness, technique, power and purpose. He was so proud of his children for persevering all the way up
to this level, culminating in a grueling final test of skills and free style performance that lasted more than 2½ hours. Nathaniel, he said, started at age six and has been improving steadily for six years. Katherine, who is in her second year at Hudson Valley Community College, thought that the major benefit of the program is the self-confidence and strength she has gained from it. Jess echoed that, saying, “It’s the confidence you get knowing your abilities in certain situations and knowing what amount of punishment you can take without giving up.”
Fish and Jess Court both applauded Deborah Angley and the Stephentown Youth Commission for organizing this valuable program and supporting it over the past seven years. Fish said there is no age limit and they have had members in their 60s and 70s. “You’re never too old to learn how to defend yourself,” he said. The program, he said, is Christian-based with the focus on the Lord and is sculpted around an individual person’s capabilities. New members are always welcome and rates are very reasonable. The youth group meets Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6:15 pm at the Stephentown Town Hall. Adults join in from 6 to 7 pm.
