The Alabama Project April 2008

For the fourth year in a row, the members of THE ULTIMATE BLACK BELT TEST (UBBT) and THE 100, along with a lot of students and friends, will be raising money for -and then BUILDING a house for a family in need in Greensboro, Alabama.

This project is organized by Tom Callos, the Team Coach for the UBBT and The 100, and housing activist Pam Dorr (click on her name to see a film about Pam [that's the UBBT building structures in the background] made by UBBT member and Academy Award winning filmmaker Nancy Walzog).

Members of The UBBT 5, along with UBBT Alumni (and, always, some students & friends) actually travel to Greensboro to build the house in a just 4 days.

We go to this region for several reasons:

1. This is one of the poorest regions in America (known as THE BLACK BELT).
   
2. We go to meet one another and exchange ideas -under the most extraordinary of circumstances.
   
3. We go to honor the famous architect/teacher, Samuel Mockbee and his work with The Rural Studio; AND, we go to honor the work of the Mockbee inspired activists Pam Dorr and John Bielneberg of Project M (Maine, Messages, and Mockbee). John is a famous teacher too!
4. We go to practice PROJECT BASED LEADERSHIP TRAINING (PBLT), a concept where martial arts teachers help young students name, organize, and initiate community-based projects as a way to take their martial arts "out of the dojo and into the world" ---and to learn, experientially, leadership. This is the national event that serves as the model for 100's of other events in communities around the world.
5. We go to honor two great proponents of non-violent conflict resolution and civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, who both lived and/or worked in this area.
6. We go to change a families life -their life chances, and give them a well-built home filled with love and respect.
   

We are seeking a little donation money from a LOT of people! A lot of MARTIAL ARTS PEOPLE, their students, friends, and family members. We have more than 100 schools participating --which means for just a few dollars a week for the next two months, you can help some martial arts master REALLY PRACTICE mastery ----and you can participate in an award winning, revolutionary, industry-changing event with some of the most important and pro-active teachers/practitioners in the world. Click this link to donate:

Would you help us, please, to raise some building supply money for this worthwhile project?

For more information, contact Tom Callos at 530-903-0286 and/or by e-mail at tomcallos@gmail.com.

Note: The info you see on this blog includes new about LAST year's historic build.