The International Training Conference is right around the corner! Martial artists of various skill levels, self-defense practitioners and security personnel are all gearing up to attend the 29th Annual International Training Conference happening July 26-28. The conference will take place at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Tinley Park, Illinois, located about 30 miles from Chicago.
The foundation of the training seminar is the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad as taught by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
“Every time we lay out what it is that we’re doing, we develop workshops that’s based on what the Minister has talked about, the condition and where he’s guiding us to,” conference organizer Grandmaster Abdul Azziz Muhammad, the Nation of Islam’s Student Assistant Supreme Captain, said to The Final Call.
The theme of this year’s conference is, “The Writing is on the Wall: Train to Improve, Empower and Survive.”
The conference will include security workshops, a martial arts seminar, a banquet, the Scimitar Martial Arts tournament and vending. In addition, there will be a youth conference for ages 8-18 and childcare services for younger children.
Sister Azziza Muhammad, wife of Grandmaster Azziz, martial artists and conference organizer, urged the elderly to attend the conference also. “It’s for everybody no matter how old you are. Because if you are living, then that means you have a life to defend,” she said to The Final Call.
Jazz will be played at an evening banquet. Featured entertainers include violinist Henri Star Muhammad, saxophonist Najm Muhammad and a singer said to “sing like a songbird.”
Past conferences have been widely attended by captains, lieutenants and private soldiers of the Nation of Islam. This speaks to the conference’s origins.
“The National Training Conference was started in order to train the believers on the various aspects of their duties within the mosque,” Sister Azziza Muhammad said.
“In order to fulfill your duty as a lieutenant or a captain, there’s many things that you need to know that are not just about the orders, but it’s also about how to handle people. It’s about the qualities that the Minister has laid out in ‘Closing The Gap’ which entail love and being a redeemer.”
From there, the conference evolved into giving participants what they need to survive difficult times. The conference is not limited to members of the Nation of Islam and is open to the public.
Grandmaster Azziz Muhammad is also the Nation’s National Trainer and founder of United Schools of Survival. He emphasized the survival aspect of why the conference is critical.
“The end result is that we’re going to survive because of what we have. What have we been taught? How strong is our foundation? Can we survive? The only way that our foundation is going to be strong is based on the knowledge in which we have, and not just knowledge but what you have put in place and practice to help protect you,” he said.
For more information about the International Training Conference, visit thevskjiujitsu.com
