Roland Eudoxie, the black belt with a martial arts cure for societal ills

Roland Eudoxie dreams of sleeping with his windows open, of persons returning wallets dropped by accident, of walking the streets freely without looking over his shoulder – of a virtually crime-free Guyana. Crime, he says, is a problem with many solutions and with his Korean International Martial Arts Academy, he is working on providing one of these solutions: the discipline inculcated by martial

arts.

The soft-spoken black belt in Tang-Soo-Doo, pronounced tongue-su-do, described the Korean martial art as a mixture of kung fu, taekwondo and shokando and is determined to help his fellow youths better themselves through the discipline. Ruefully acknowledging that many persons dismiss martial arts as just fighting, Eudoxie stressed the discipline and other positive qualities like mental and physical fitness, persistence, and focus instilled in practitioners. He believes a lack of discipline lie at the root of many of society’s problems today, especially those related to youths and the disadvantaged.

The second dan black belt, fondly nicknamed “Rollie” for his propensity to flick and kick in his youth, was placed in a martial arts programme by his family to “get some discipline”. He credits that discipline instilled in him with giving his life focus and him hope that better was possible. He is determined to pass that knowledge on and help others likewise better their lives and surpass limitations, targeting the 5-35 age group. “We tap and unlock your full martial potential” and hence human potential, he intimated.

National Sports Commission (NSC) Director Christopher Jones, who Eudoxie counts as a mentor, along with Professor Christopher Francis and Vishnu Doerga, has been instrumental in helping the former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer make his vision a reality.

Some 20 years after he, as a young boy in Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), dreamt of becoming like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, he is instructing others who dream like he did to become martial artists and better people at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall three times a week. Eudoxie, who plans on opening his own facility soon to better serve the needs of his target group, expressed gratitude for the support given thus far.

As expected, he stressed focus, determination, patience and vision as necessary qualities for success, as well as education. The martial arts entrepreneur, who admitted that he did not take his schooling seriously and was an indifferent student in his youth, stressed that education was invaluable. “Educate yourself” was his advice to all. “Education is key. Never stop trying to educate yourself. I did not have opportunity when I was younger and (now) knowing what education can do. (Lack of education) that is why we have so many troubled youths.

“With education you will know how to manage yourself…You have got to be self-aware,” he stated early in the interview. The Providence, East Bank Demerara resident, who now uses learning and education to his advantage and recently graduated from a business management course at ActionCOACH, which influenced him to rename the academy, launched three years ago as the Tang-Soo-Doo Martial Arts Academy. “You have to have a name that projects itself out there; [that is clear].”

He said each would-be entrepreneur should also know his Unique Selling Proposition (USP). The father of two, who says family is the most important thing in life, lives up to that ethos by scheduling his life around his family and asking the parents of his young clients to sit in on their two-hour sessions. Parents need to know what their children are learning, so that they can help guide them, he says. And that goes for all aspects of life.

“I want to see a great change in Guyana, in youth before I depart this earth and know that I did my part.”

Contact: 1689 Plantation Block II, New Providence, East Bank Demerara; 601-5423/646-2300; [email protected]; Facebook: Korean International Martial Arts Guyana