DeLand man’s devotion inspires younger martial arts students
Bill Ford considers it an honor to inspire younger people, even if they are fellow septuagenarians.
At a martial arts event on Saturday, several people waited to shake the 79-year-old DeLand resident’s hand and take pictures.
Ford, who has trained in the martial arts for 38 years, said the discipline has taught him how to push through obstacles.
“The easiest thing to do in life is to quit,” said Ford, who was being honored at the event for earning his fifth-degree black belt in taekwondo. “I push myself through to do as well as I can. This gives me the will I need to try and do better, though it sometimes takes a little longer nowadays.”
Victory Martial Arts’ 25th World Convention brought hundreds of martial arts students from across the country to the Rosen Shingle Creek resort.
Among them was 70-year-old Apopka resident Will Pierce, who waited patiently to shake Ford’s hand outside of the arena.
“It’s an honor to be a flag bearer for people my age,” said Pierce, who said he crossed martial arts off his bucket list roughly three years ago. “When I started, I found it as a place to feel respected and be treated well.”
Across the arena floor, sparring matches pitted students against one another, with judges and scoring officials looking on intently.
Martial arts has helped young students like 11-year-old Alexis