Submitted Photo Pictured, from left, are: Sensei Jordan Gill, Sensei Josiah Cox Jr., Sensei Sebastian Cox, Sensei Matt Benware and Master Sensei Bill Matteson.

On Wednesday, Sensei Sebastian Cox advanced to his Shodan Jr. black belt through the Fudozen Shorinji Kempo Karate organization.

The ceremony was officiated by Master Sensei Bill Matteson.

Sensei Cox has been a member of The Family Martial Arts Center since 2010. As a role model and inspiration to many, he has proven to assist with bright futures in students. He has been involved in most of Kempo Karate’s outreach programs to help families and he participated in several of Kempo’s demonstrations.

The training consists of mental and physical endurance and challenges. One may think the Martial Arts is all physical. Incorrect. Most training is mental. Reading one’s body movements, telegraphing body placements, awareness of surroundings, confidence to make a wise choice, socializing with groups, being able to teach their own individual knowledge to students with precise accuracy, becoming a role model, using the skills learned in other life obstacles and skills (sports and activities), and to persevere as a young adult.

Sebastian Cox training consisted in punches, kicks, ground defense and offense, balance in the mind and body, grappling, weapons training and many other aspects of defense.

Sensei Cox has been active for close to 10 years in the Kempo martial arts and will be a great asset to the organization.

Sensei Cox is the son of Jon and Theodora Cox of Dunkirk. Sensei Cox was a student at School No. 4 in Dunkirk. Recently the family moved to Wisconsin for better employment opportunities. Sebastian has a brother Josiah who is also a black belt in the Kempo organization.

Several of the organization’s black belts attended the ceremony along with several students in the organization.