CHICAGO—Various skill levels of martial artists, self-defense practitioners, instructors and security personnel are preparing to travel to Chicago for the 28th annual International Training Conference.
Organized by Grandmaster Abdul Azziz Muhammad, the Nation of Islam’s Student Assistant Supreme Captain, he told The Final Call that this year’s training conference will be even better than last year’s.
Each year, the conference offers training to those around the world on various fields of security to get them onto the path of training in self-defense and much more.
“We’re not leaving out youth, and, of course, we’re not leaving out our elderly. We have something for everybody,” said Azziz Muhammad who is also the Nation of Islam’s National Trainer and founder of the United Schools of Survival Federation. “We use what the Minister speaks about. We’re not operating on our own mind,” he said, referring to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
“This is where we are getting all of our thoughts and ideas for our event, it’s through him. Why is it relevant? Because he is the man of the hour.”
This year, the conference is July 28-30 and will be held in Chicago at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk. The theme of the conference is “S.A.F.E.T.Y.” which stands for “security, awareness, focus, empowerment, training and your survival.”
The three-day conference will include certified security workshops, youth development workshops, martial arts seminars for children, women, families and an awards banquet and concert.
On the last day, the conference will close out with a martial arts skills competition called The Scimitar Open, a joint effort hosted by Grandmaster Azziz Muhammad and Sensei Daniel Muhammad, of Lions Paw Karate.
“We always give it a slight spin. And we have the presenters that may be different from last year and they come a different way, but it’s much of the same information,” Grandmaster Azziz Muhammad continued. “My objective has always been to fulfill the responsibility that I was given. Nothing comes with a book, but it comes with spirit. I’m careful in what I’m doing is benefitting our community. It has grown to less than 20 people in our first year (and) this year, we’ll have over 1,000, insh’Allah (God Willing).”
Sister Azizza Muhammad is the wife of Grandmaster Azziz and she emphasized the importance of the weekend conference. “I think that every one of us, no matter what our age, should come out and experience this. Not only will you get a plethora of information that will do you well, but this seminar is going to offer information we can all apply in our lives.”
For more information, call 773- 769-7017, email [email protected] or visit thevskjiujitsu.com.
