Action Martial Arts Magazine's International Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at the Tropicana in Atlantic City on January 19th. The excitement of the induction spanned two days, commencing with a trade show the previous evening. Thousands of martial artists from around the world participated. During the day, they filled the main conference room, buzzing between the dozens of exhibition booths, performances, seminars, guest speakers, and celebrity autograph signings. It concluded Saturday evening with an elegant induction banquet. Some of the celebritities present included Joe Piscopo, Cynthia Rothrock, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Dan Severn, Bob Wall, Phil Morris and Ron Van Clief.

As a writter, I've had the opportunity to cover many events, but as an instructor in the American Martial Arts Institute, with twelve years of training, I was particularly impressed with the opportunities that the hall of fame provided. Last year my instructor, Grand Master Clifford C. Crandall Jr., was inducted, and it was because of him that I was able to meet and interview some of the celebrities that were present.

Amidst the excitement, Grand Master Van Clief found time to sit down with me in the corner of a large seminar room. Seminars topics ranged from pressure point applications to stick fighting and stressed the physical components of the martial arts. Grand Master Van Clief believes this represents only a small portion of the art. At its heart are mental and spiritual aspects. "The martial arts is the best form of human development," he explains.

Grand Master Van Clief has a lot to be excited about. He recently sold the manuscript of his life story to Hallmark entertainment. It premieres later this year on Hallmark and USA and stars Michael Jai White and Vanessa Williams. Grand Master Van Clief vibrantly commented how great it was to see so many different styles and levels of skill come together to share knowledge.

Grand Master Pan Qing Fu, now famous for his role in the cult classic "Iron and Silk", was also impressed to see the unity that the hall of fame promoted. Aided by audience participants, Master Pan demonstrated ten levels of flexibilty giving proof to his belief that the martial arts keep the body flexible and strong. A crowd gathered after his performance, eager for an opportunity to meet the martial arts legend. Between greetings fans, he enthusiastically described what he believes is the primary benefit of the martial arts, "Chinese styles have long forms that require stamina. They train the whole body."

Cynthia Rothrock was quick to point this out, too. "You are getting your body in shape while learning something that can potentially save your loved ones." Rothrock has a new movie through Columbia Tri-Star titled "Outside the Law." The hall of fame is one of the few East coast events where she sees her friends and peers. Earlier in the day she treated fans to a photo shoot for the cover of an upcoming edition of Action Martial Arts Magazine.

One of her colleagues, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, who recently completed filming "Redemption" with Chris Penn, echoed her enthusiasm. This hall of fame allows him to connect with fans that he otherwise might not see because he spends most of his time on the West coast. Wilson plans to make the event an annual visit. He also commented on the benefits of the martial arts.

"The martial arts helps you with setting goals. The colored belt system is great because it allows you to see you achieve goal in increments. No one goes from white belt to black belt overnight."

The whirlwind of activity at the hall of fame required a tremendous amount of planning and attention to detail. Without strong leadership it would not have been possible. Sifu Alan Goldberg made it a reality. I had an opportunity to ask Master Goldberg why he took the responsibility upon himself. He explained that he wanted an event where martial artists could be proud of who they are and what they had achieved. Master Goldberg looks for a higher level of quality. Many people were turned down and few awards were given. Master Goldberg is well known for founding Action Martial Arts Magazine, but it wasn't the magazine that made the hall of fame possible. He attributes its success to the people he has met and friends has has made.

Master Goldberg is truly a pioneer. His new video company, Avelino Productions, will be offering one hour instructional video tapes from names like Don Severen and Don "The Dragon" Wilson. Also look for realmartialarts.com which features a new line of martial arts products from Immortal Products, an online martial arts dictionary, a video magazine, and much more.

The Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame made a definite impact on the lives of the martial artsists it brought together. Its uniqueness was due to the people present and their common thread. Master Goldberg made this clear when he said, "Many sports allow you to compete with others, but the martial arts has you only competing against yourself."

As a martial artist I found that the hall of fame wasn't only beneficial for other martial artists, but also for anyone who is interested in the martial arts or has friends or family involved in the martial arts.