Testing for a Black Belt During Covid

On October 2nd, due to the Covid Virus, Noah Osterloh became the first Academy student to test online for his black belt.

Mr. Osterloh is one of five students who tested for their black belts this past October. Four students tested in person, but for the safety of his family during the Covid quarantine Mr. Osterloh needed to do the test from home. It’s hard enough "quaran-training,” and it takes a whole lot more dedication and perseverance to train for your black belt during a quarantine!

Mr. Osterloh has been a student of martial arts at the Academy since February 2014. He joined the school through our Enhanced After School program, where students are brought from their schools in surrounding communities to the Academy for homework time supported by certified teachers and structured physical activity including martial arts classes. Mr. Osterloh has come a long way in the six years we’ve known him. His mother first enrolled him for the after school program because she had concerns about his behavior and academic performance at school. Through our programs, which instill character development, personal responsibility, and promote positive self-esteem, Mr. Osterloh has grown into an incredible young man. He now attends adult martial art classes and has made great strides in his academic development. He has grown from a child looking for guidance into an excellent role model for younger students.

In January, at 14 years old, Mr. Osterloh switched from the youth classes to the adult classes. Barely two months later, Covid hit the US and the country shut down. Now Mr. Osterloh, like the rest of the world, had to make adjustments to his routines. This meant making the switch to online training (or as we like to call it “Quarantraining”). He continued to demonstrate his commitment to the study of martial arts by training twice every single week as soon as the Academy had online classes available. His perseverance is truly inspiring.

Preparing for your black belt test is a lot more work than just showing up for classes, since becoming a black belt is more than the physical skills learned over four (or more) years of training. Earning a black belt means that you’ve worked hard on the mental and spiritual aspects of your personal development, not just the physical aspects. Mr. Osterloh has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to be a black belt, and the integrity he showed during his online test was no different.

Congratulations, Mr. Osterloh, we are so incredibly proud of you!

For more information about The Academy of Martial Arts & Personal Development, contact them by calling 860-646-7993, emailing at Office@TheAcademy.us, visiting their website, Facebook page, Instagram account, or visiting the school at 1404 Tolland Turnpike in Manchester.