A True Champion Stands Strong

by Victoria Stockman

There is always one kid in every school who gets bullied and is known as the class wimp. You can imagine how he is always taunted and teased. Now, imagine that same kid as a world famous martial arts fighter. Impossible? Not for Alberto Friedman, who admitted he was always picked on and made fun of when he was little.

Now a champion in martial arts, Alberto found a way to feel strong and confident on the playground so he could stand his ground with his more aggressive schoolmates. "Martial Arts," he said, "which is based on the philosophy that nothing is impossible, taught me how to find inner strength and confidence to achieve physical goals."

This five time world champion began training as a fighter, initially thinking that it would be impossible to cut through sixteen inches of cement with just one hand, legs kicking up five feet in the air. After many years of training and perseverance, the word impossible vanished from his vocabulary. He learned that, "The things you thought were impossible yesterday are possible today," Alberto explained. He attributes enormous discipline and inner strength to his success in the sport which, he believes offers a spiritual means to a physical end.

The greatest moment in his life was standing on the podium, accepting the winning trophy and being blinded by the flash of cameras in his eyes. A tremendous thrill to know that he and his team were the best in the world, Alberto and the U.S. Martial Arts team have competed all over the world, including Korea and Australia. Not yet considered an Olympic sport, Alberto Freidman believes that it will be by the year 2008. "The audience has been growing rapidly and more people are becoming interested and involved in martial arts," stated Friedman. "People are quickly learning that martial arts makes better people. It not only teaches defense, but also confidence and control," he added.

Alberto Friedman

Alberto gets tough