CHICAGO—The United Schools of Survival hosted their 26th Annual National Training Conference, with the theme, “Preparation in a Time of Trouble.” Keeping with the current times due to Covid-19, this year’s conference was virtual the weekend of July 16-17.
National Trainer Grandmaster Abdul Azziz Muhammad and his wife, Sister Azziza Muhammad, are founders and operators of the martial arts school. The couple stressed the importance of training the mind and body, especially now that every day is becoming more dangerous and uncertain.
“Our theme for this weekend is Preparation in a Time of Trouble because we all know where we are right now, especially preparing for the departure of the Minister and knowing that when that grace is removed, I mean we’re going through stuff now, but we’ll be going through a whole lot more,” said Sister Azziza Muhammad, referring to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. “Our goal is to have our brothers and sisters to prepare for that trouble that is coming. We’re already experiencing snippets of the trouble that is to come; loss of loved ones, dealing with this virus, financial trouble,” she added.
Several workshops during the weekend provided valuable and practical tips for conference participants. “We are hoping that everyone get information that they need in order to feel secure when these times hit them so they will know what to do, how to respond, and they can maintain their safety and their mental health,” continued Sister Azziza Muhammad.
Grandmaster Abdul Azziz Muhammad, who also serves as Student Assistant Supreme Captain of the Nation of Islam, wrote a special welcoming letter to seminar participants. In part, the letter stated, “The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan told a group of us recently that in order for us to become proficient in anything of good we must apply ourselves by being ‘All in!’ and this is a step in doing just that.
To you we say, in order to master anything, we must be ‘All in!’ To make a difference in and among our people, we must be ‘All in!’ In order for us to make our neighborhoods decent and safe, we must be ‘All in!’ To move at a faster pace to make more progress, we must be ‘All in!’ In order for us to unite and go out to build a future for ourselves, we must be ‘All in!’”
The conference was filled with impactful workshops, including: Our Health is Our Wealth, Closing the Gap, Crisis Resolution, How to Save Our Own Lives, Emergency First Aid—CARE Training, and many more. Youth workshops coincided with adult workshops.
Brother Terence Muhammad and Sister Dr. Khalilah Muhammad served as emcees and kept the viewing participants engaged in between workshops.
Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad started the conference speaking on Spiritual Readiness. “This training convention represents a powerful and necessary component of the development of self. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, ‘Originally we were in the atom of Divine Will and the Creator manifested us out of that atom into a physical world. He then grew us up out of that atom, that physical world, to manifest the Divine in us again,’” she explained.
Islam is a supreme balance. We are on this earth, though a short time, we are here to fulfill an individual Divine Purpose and then unite with others who submit to God to manifest His Divine Will. So this means spiritual, mental, moral, and physical. We are at war, right now. And the war is about to intensify,” said Sister Ava Muhammad, National Spokesperson for Min. Farrakhan.
Sister Ciara Ali and her family presented a workshop on Preparedness Drills. Sister Cynthia Muhammad provided information during the 10K Fearless Critical Infrastructure Failure workshop.
Sister Danielle Muhammad and Grandmaster Odette Russell reminded participants in their Human Trafficking workshop just how dangerous and real this epidemic is. They provided different scenarios on how girls and women, and in many cases males, are being abducted, and/or lured into life changing and life-threatening situations.
The workshop, How to Eat to Live in a Time of Trouble, by Student Minister Abdul Muhammad, stressed three main points from How to Eat to Live, Books 1 and 2 including: eat one meal a day (preferably between 4-6pm), stop eating pork and pork by-products, and to eat the proper food, which is outlined in both books.
A demonstration on Emergency First Aid was provided by Brother Rudolph Muhammad. NOI National Student Imam Sultan Rahman Muhammad presented on the importance of preparing for the inevitability of death and that having a will and testament is vital.
The Believer’s accountability for a last will and testament as prescribed by Allah for us, is to preserve and to protect our matters of duty in life and death, Imam Sultan Muhammad explained.
Youth workshops were also powerful. Hosts were Sister Madinah Muhammad and Brother Akbarkhan Muhammad.
Brother Abdul Qiyam Muhammad presented the workshop, Youth and Young Adults in Faith…Spiritual Survival in a Time of Trouble. Dr. Akili Muhammad, Sister Sajdah Wendy Muhammad and Sister Keaira Muhammad presented on Racism and Misogynistic Practices in Medicine and Healthcare.
Dr. Akili Muhammad emphasized how important having Black doctors are, especially Black female doctors. “As a Black woman when you walk into the office of another Black woman, she already understands a lot about you. In general, you have ownership of your health and you have to do the things that make sense and you have to sacrifice for your own reality, because if you continue going back to the same place looking for something different then that is dangerous,” he added.
The entire National Training Seminar was packed full of unforgettable, life changing information, including martial arts demonstrations from Grandmaster Abdul Azziz Muhammad and his top students.
A message from Min. Farrakhan delivered at the 2018 National Training Conference was broadcast during the weekend and his words were just as timely then as now. “I want you to cherish the art form and cherish your masters that teach you. As you bow to them in submission to their skill, know that there’s a Higher Master that we must bow to in order to perfect the skill that He gave us mastery over through our masters. Learn to bow your will to God. Learn to bow your will to make a better world so that all who live in it will live in peace,” said Min. Farrakhan.
“Walking With A Master” is a weekly podcast hosted by Grandmaster Azziz Muhammad. The recent edition featured a special National Training Convention episode with more words from The Minister to officially close out the weekend.
The United Schools of Survival is located at 640 Irving Park Road in Chicago. For more information visit the Facebook Page for Grand Master Anthony Muhammad or www.vskuniversity.com.
