Courtesy Photo | Command Sgt. Maj. Carl Pitt, a 10th-degree black belt in martial arts, practices...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Chris Jones
40th Public Affairs Detachment
KUWAIT — Sitting on the work desk of Command Sgt. Maj. Carl Pitt is a book titled "Courage to Change," and this is perhaps a summary of the type of person Pitt is and has been for his entire adult life.
Pitt, 57, is the command sergeant major for the 730th Quartermaster Battalion and the top noncommissioned officer at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, supporting Third Army/U.S. Army Central. But the North Carolina National Guardsman's life has been dedicated not only to training and mentoring Soldiers, but to helping troubled, underprivileged children in eastern North Carolina get on the right track.
For the last 25 years, Pitt has owned and operated martial arts schools in three North Carolina cities – Farmville, Kinston and Greenville – which target middle school students with learning disabilities. Pitt's students are often ineligible to participate in activities within their own school, but are openly welcomed at Pitt's martial arts academies, Pitt said.
School principals in the region frequently call Pitt and inform him of certain students who are struggling – whether they are having difficulty concentrating on classwork, getting into fights with other students, or simply look lost or confused. Pitt will then contact their parents and discuss the possibility of enrolling their child into his classes.
Pitt is a 10th-degree black belt, a title which can only be attained through one of three ways – honorary designation by a martial arts Grandmaster, ancestral designation, or to create an entirely new form of martial arts.
Pitt accomplished the third, inventing Shito Su, essentially a combination of several forms of martial arts, including Tae Kwon Do, Ju-Jitsu, Ti Chi and Kabudo – each of which Pitt has mastered. Because of the wide range of martial arts styles involved in Shito Su, it takes longer to progress through the ranks, commonly known as belts, Pitt said.
Although the students at Pitt's academies enter training with humble and problematic backgrounds, they often leave with tremendous self-confidence, resolve, and both physical and mental strength, Pitt said. This is because Pitt does not simply teach Shito Su, he also keeps a close eye on their school progress.
"When [the students] try to excel in karate," Pitt said, "it makes them also try to excel in other areas of their life."
Why?
"It's all about telling the kids that they belong to a group, that they are a part of something," Pitt said. "And most of them just want the love. They want attention."
The methods of instruction and leadership Pitt uses with his martial arts students is similar to that which he uses as a command sergeant major. He rarely raises his voice, but his message is heard.
"It's the way you talk to people," Pitt said. "For everything I do in life, I use my military tact, without yelling. You can get through to people in other ways. You earn their respect by picking them up when they are down, by patting them on the back when they succeed."
For Pitt, working with his students is like looking into a mirror of his childhood.
As a teenager living in rural North Carolina, Pitt grew up without a father. But he found direction and guidance in the same way he provides it today – through the U.S. military.
At 15 years old, he checked into a local karate school, where he would later meet two Navy Reservists who were also volunteer instructors. For three years, he gained experience in martial arts and also formed a passion for the military.
Pitt still reflects on his childhood mentors, and the values instilled in him as a young man are the same values he promotes today.
"Getting kids on the right track is a big deal to me," Pitt said. "I get a great feeling when I see them progress. And when they win [a martial arts tournament], it's amazing for me."
In Kuwait, he may not have his students around, but his instincts are to help others in any way he can, wherever he can. Pitt, who is also a certified personal trainer, aerobic trainer and Army Master Fitness Trainer, is often seen around Camp Virginia, motivating Soldiers to reach their full potential. He also teaches martial arts classes at the fitness center on camp.
"He is very positive and reinforcing," said Maj. Bob Wright, the 730th's executive officer, who often works out with Pitt on camp. "He pushes you past the limit of what you think you can do."
Regardless of where Pitt finds himself, he sees it as his personal mission to help the people around him.
As a fatherless 15-year-old so long ago, Pitt found in himself the 'courage to change.' At 57, he has made it his life's work to help others find that same courage.
"I'm glad to be who I am," Pitt said. "And I'm glad to do what I do."
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2007 11:24 |
| Story ID: | 9081 |
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| Web Views: | 555 |
| Downloads: | 169 |
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