Martial Arts instructors Rocco Colarossi and Daniel Wakefield earned their next level of coaching certification on Sunday afternoon at their Shaolin training facility on Mary Street.

After the investiture ceremony, Jiaolian Rocco and Jiaolian Daniel were greeted respectfully by students and their parents as “the new Shifu.”

Among the dignitaries bestowing Master Coaching status on Shifu Colarossi and Shifu Wakefield were Grand Masters Richard Long, Richard Palmer, and Tim Wakefield.

On Saturday morning, the rising star coaches ran a three-hour Kung Fu Workshop—marketed as a way to “kick start the Summer Break with a special day of awesome Martial Arts Skills and great grub.”

After elevating the skills of dozens of young martial arts enthusiasts, Shifu Colarossi and Shifu Wakefield mingled with the attendees and enjoyed a celebratory post-event BBQ in the facility's parking lot.

In the quieter confines of Shaolin's reception area, Colarossi identified the most satisfying aspect of reaching the next level of martial arts coaching: “Getting through the extraordinary difficulty of the test and working through it was nice.”

He also cited a timeless Biblical proverb to describe his ongoing relationship with his martial arts students: “The old adage ‘Iron sharpens iron' applies to improving one another's skills and character so I am looking to create those connections with our athletes.”

The most satisfying aspect of the ceremony for Wakefield was the completion of a key stage in his life.

“For me, it's the culmination of 20 years of training. This is a journey I've been taking and I want to understand the mindset of a Master. It's going to be enjoyable to stand with the guys that I've admired.  It's about the competition and the discipline that comes with a lifetime of training.”

By Jim Stewart