The Road to Second-Degree Black Belt

Though her body was aching from the intense drills of the past hours, she stood standing with her hands on guard, readying to throw another punch.

Felicia Fox had already taken a black belt test and was ready and set for her second-degree black belt test. Then the pandemic hit. The test was postponed and her dojo shut down.

That was a year ago, and in the duration, she lost some of her skills bit by bit. “It was very difficult to remind myself to practice my skills while I had to deal with the new situation that I was put in and being quarantined along with everyone else,” she explains.

Fox is a part of BD Kenpo Karate/T-Jitsu Academy which teaches karate, judo, jujitsu and sparring (Chinese Boxing). The school is in Dedham and is part of the Dedham Parks and Recreation Center. She explains that though karate is perceived as being used to harm others, that's not it's true intent. The true aim of martial arts is to teach techniques that allow one to control an offensive situation. She have been practicing karate for eight years now and has advanced from a white belt student to an instructor teaching other students how to reach their full potential.Fox has explains to younger students that she is at a high rank because she has worked hard and has trained for years.

In addition to physical assessments, there were other requirements included in obtaining her belt, such as writing a three-page essay on what she had learned from being a first-degree black belt and an evaluation how well she handles pressure.

On October 17, Fox woke up bright and early for her test. Six hours later, she was finished, but sore for days after. “We only had three breaks, and each break was only two minutes long,” she laughs.

Fox is now a second-degree black belt and you can see her on Monday nights at BD Kenpo Karate/T-Jitsu Academy.