Chuck Norris recognizes Beaufort's Club Karate as School of the Year

Club Karate was recently awarded School of the Year by Grandmaster Chuck Norris at the 2010 International Training Conference and World Championship Tournament, held July 18-21 in Las Vegas.

Club Karate, a Beaufort martial arts school owned and operated by seventh-degree Chun Kuk Do black belt Chuck Elias,was chosen from 89 schools in Norris' organization, the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF). Criteria included quality of instruction, service to the community, and demonstration of UFAF's creed of discipline -- loyalty, integrity, and respect.

Norris also presented Club Karate's Astrid Fabian with the Female Competitor of the Year award, which is based on results from the 2009 World Championship Tournament where, after winning all three of her divisions -- kata, weapons kata and sparring-- she won the Norris Cup for female sparring.

This year, Fabian again placed first in all three of her divisions and was the first runner-up in grand championship sparring.Fabian, a fourth-degree black belt who has been training with Elias for more than 10 years, directs the beginner adult program and the advanced kids program at Club Karate.

Elias serves as the International Training Conference Tournament Director, which involves running a tournament for 200 competitors of all ages and ranks. He is also a member of UFAF's Advisory Board and is UFAF's chair of Region 7, where he is partially responsible for promoting students to up to four degrees of black belt.