On Wednesday, July 14th, 2010, Grandmaster Clifford C. Crandall, Jr. (10th Degree-black belt, founder, and head of the American Martial Arts Institute), promoted Mrs. Cheryl Freleigh to 7th-Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in American Eagle Style.  This promotion was awarded to Master Cheryl Freleigh after she successfully completed a year-long testing, meeting all of the high standards of her new rank and title.

In the American Eagle Style the title Master is earned and added to the student’s name at the rank of 7th-Degree Black Belt.  The requirements for this prestigious rank are rigorous, and they require the demonstration of katas, self-defense skills, and advanced techniques, extensive research, teaching and instructional skills, and the completion of two pages of additional objectives.

Master Freleigh is the first American Eagle Style student to successfully complete the requirements for 7th-degree and earn the title of Master.  She had to be able to demonstrate 44 empty-hand black belt katas, from America, Korea, Japan, and China including advanced forms such as Su San Hung, Hwarang-hyung, Se Jong Hung, Arena, Hansoo, Sil Lum, Cheongwon, Sip Jin, Bassai Sho, and many others.  This also included the demonstration of skills and katas with all eleven weapons required by the American Eagle Style such as naginata, bo, sai, escrima, cane, tonfa, sword, and others.

Instructors (black tops) were invited to attend this special promotion, but Master Freleigh was not notified that the
promotion was going to be occuring. Many instructors came to the Wednesday evening class, some driving several hours,
to recognize Master Freleigh, the first 7th-degree promotion in American Eagle Style.

Some of the additional requirements that Master Freleigh completed included: authoring and publishing the 122-page Superkick Workbook used in the Superkick program for 3-5 year olds, the development and documentation (in writing and on DVD) of a black belt level kata, and the promotion of American Eagle Style and Grandmaster Crandall internationally.

Master Freleigh has been training under Grandmaster Crandall for over 28 years.  She has been a part of Grandmaster Crandall’s performance teams resulting in her performing on behalf of the American Martial Arts Institute and American Eagle Style in Russia, Japan, Italy, and Australia.  She has appeared on the Martial Arts Today Show, the Safety and Awareness Today Show, and on the website SecureLivingOnline.com.  In addition to being a published author, she has appeared in the book Be Safe Physically and Mentally with the Crandall System, the DVDs Children’s Self-Defense and Awareness, Volume 1, American Eagle Style Self-Defense, Volume 1, and assisted in numerous other projects.

Master Freleigh being presented her certificate of rank (7th-Degree Black Belt) and Title (Master Instructor) by her instructor, Grandmaster Crandall, the head and founder of American Eagle Style and the American Martial Arts Institute.

The presentation of her rank and certificate occurred during the Wednesday night American Eagle Style class she teaches, and 15 Black belt instructors showed up to see the presentation.  Master Freleigh will be formally recognized at the next ceremonial black belt breakfast in September.  Congratulations to Master Cheryl Freleigh.