Martial Artist Promoted to 7th Dan, Master Instructor

Instructor Amanda Crandall Earns the Rank of 7th Degree Black Belt and the status Master Instructor

On Thursday, January 4, 2024, Grandmaster Clifford C. Crandall, Jr. (10th Degree-black belt, founder, and head of the American Martial Arts Institute), promoted Instructor Amanda Crandall to 7th-Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor in American Eagle Style. This promotion was awarded to Master Crandall after she successfully completed a year-long testing, meeting all of the high standards of her new rank and status. The announcements comes after she completed the last of her requirements on December 31, 2023.

In the American Eagle Style the status of Master is earned and added to the student's name at the rank of 7th-Degree Black Belt. This is not an administrative title. Unlike a chief or senior instructor, which is an appointed title denoting a level of responsibility within the school, the status of Master in the Style is earned and linked to the rank of 7th-Degree Black belt and comes with a permanent certificate signed by the Grandmaster. While the demands of earning this rank mean that it will only be earned by a select few, there is no limit to the number of individuals who may earn this prestigious distinction.

The requirements to earn the prestigious rank of 7th Degree Black Belt 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 Crandall is the seventh American Eagle Style student to successfully complete the requirements for 7th-degree and earn the status of Master. She had to know 44 empty-hand black belt katas, from America, Korea, Japan, and China including advanced forms such as So 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 twelve weapons required by the American Eagle Style such as naginata, bo, sai, escrima, cane, tonfa, sword, eku, and others. The testing also involves the demonstration of a vast variety of other skills and knowledge in self-defense, ippon kumites, hanza escape techniques, and others. The physical aspects of the testing take place of the course of serveral different days.

Some of the additional requirements that Master Crandall completed included: co-authoring the book Reflections of a Grandmaster, which is now available in paperback and kindle formats on Amazon.com, the development and documentation (in writing and on DVD) of a black belt level kata (Steadfast, which becomes a requirement for those preparing for 8th Dan), and the promotion of American Eagle Style and Grandmaster Crandall internationally.

Master Crandall has been training under Grandmaster Crandall since the early 2000s with her direct instructor being Master Nicholas Chuff. She is also a a Tashi in Takenouchi-Hangan-Ryu-Matsuno-Crandall Iaido. She is the author of three childrens books in the Julia and Tiger Lily series. She is the organizer for our school training trip for July 2024, has assisted in numerous seminars, and more. These are only a few of her accomplishments with Grandmaster Crandall.

Master Crandall will be formally recognized at the next ceremonial black belt breakfast in April.