April 2, 2012

Dear Grandmaster Burleson,
As I consider Margaret McCoy as a black belt candidate, one word comes readily to my mind and that is tenacity.  It goes without saying that anyone would have to be pretty tenacious to make it as far as she has, but Margaret particularly exemplifies this characteristic.  Her husband, Charles, collects John Deere tractor paraphernalia.  He owns a couple of old tractors and enjoys working on them.  Margaret’s approach to karate has reminded me very much of those tractors.  Once she started, she dropped into low gear and just kept going.  It never really mattered what got in her way … injuries, family crises, whatever … she just kept moving forward.
Margaret exhibits this same quality in other areas of her life.  I don’t think she even knows how to quit once she “sets her hand to the plow.”  She shows a single-minded resolve when it comes to her family.  For years, she and Charles served as foster parents, taking care of countless children with all manner of problems.  The stories they tell amaze me because I know I couldn’t have given of myself so tirelessly.  They eventually adopted three of these children and two of them are in Christian Soldiers with her and Charles.  Now she cares for them with this same fierce tenacity she brings to karate, whether it’s in their education, their quest for a church home, or anything else they need.
Now she brings these qualities to Christian Soldiers, not only as a student but also as an instructor.  We may never know why God sends us certain trials or puts us in difficult positions, but sometimes He blesses us with a glimpse of His purpose.  I believe this is true with Margaret.  Her time as a foster mother has uniquely qualified her as a mentor to some of the students coming into Christian Soldiers.  Some of these kids desperately need the firm but loving way she developed during those years.  And just like with her own children, she never gives up on them.
This tenacity that Margaret brings to the martial arts, both as a practitioner and as an instructor, show us what kind of black belt she will make.  I believe that she will continue to be an asset to both the program and to the art.  I therefore happily present Margaret McCoy for your consideration for the rank of Shodan.