Ben McBride Tests For 3rd Degree Black Belt
Congratulations Ben McBride on your 3rd Degree Black Belt test. Mr. McBride demonstrated why he is such a tremendous asset to our Elite Martial Arts program.
I have known Ben McBride for over 30 years. Ben and I came up together under the same instructor, Walt Bone, in the late 70’s. Ben and I were in the same kids class, taught by an instructor who worked for Mr. Bone, Hank Farrah. Mr. Farrah was a flamboyant instructor to say the least. He liked to give kids’ nicknames; my nickname was Big Jim and Ben’s was Gentle Ben, plus there was Tarzan and a not so good-looking kid nicknamed Face. Mr. Farrah used to say that Big Jim and Gentle Ben kicked Face’s face. That was in the late seventies so there wasn’t any political correctness in those days.
The point is, the name Mr. Farrah gave Ben still describes him to this day. You will not find a kinder, gentler person than Ben McBride. You would never know that he is a 25-year police veteran and worked as undercover narcotics agent in some of the worst parts of the Tampa Bay area. Mr. McBride has wrestled guns away from criminals, won shoot -outs (something you can’t lose) and has dealt with the worst of our society for over 25 years. He has been named Police Officer of the Year and has won the National and International Martial Arts Police Olympics multiple times.
Yet you would never know it when you meet this gentle man. Ben is a true hero in the most celebrated use of the word. He works to protect our families and then comes home to his own.
On his 3rd degree Black Belt test, Ben demonstrated the cutting edge, self-defense techniques that he brings into our Elite Martial Arts program. Plus he demonstrates some of the old Chung Da Kwon Tae Kwon Do Kata’s (forms) that he and I learned when we trained with Mr. Bone. His test was truly a demonstration o the old and the new.
Congratulations again Ben on your achievement and we are proud to have you as an instructor in the Elite Martial Arts System.
Jim Graden
Take a look at these film clips of Bens Test.
Don’t miss the Joe Lewis Seminar, June 19th at Jim Graden’s Cardio Karate Center Call 727-392-3198 for more information
This was an AMAZING test to watch! Ben has so much knowledge in so many areas of both martial arts and real life self defense that watching him test was like getting an education and being thoroughly entertained at the same time! WOW!! Great job Ben!!
Impressive stuff!!!!!