Olympic Silver Medallist Master Sayed Najem

Olympic Silver Medallist Master Sayed Najem

By Linda Parenteau

November 2001 — Sayed Najem has won many awards for his Tae Kwon Do achievements but after speaking to this humble and gracious individual his proudest accomplishment is his Patriotism and love for America.

Sayed Najem is grateful for many things and is quick to state three people are owed his eternal gratitude. They are, Thomas Paolino, Senator Jack Reed and Mr. Peter Palmiciano. All three were instrumental in bringing him to Rhode Island and making a dream come true.

Sayed is currently working at Future Fitness in Cranston where he teaches children (including Adam Paolino) and adults the artistry of Tae Kwon Do. Future Fitness is delighted to have this Olympian and grateful for adding a new dimension of self-defense to their business.

Currently in the U.S. there are 8 men and three women holding the title of Master. As Sayed mentions, "it takes many years to become the level of master. Many hours are devoted to acquire this title but the rewards of getting to this level are great. Sayed's goal is "to create GREAT Marshall artists".

The art of Tae Kwon Do has benefited young and old. Parents of children with ADHD or mental and physical abilities have raved about the change in their children. The smallest of accomplishments in daily training become significant over the weeks and months of training. Sayed has clients from Florida, Texas and S.E. Massachusetts coming to train. The mental and physical control from this is remarkable. When asked-what benefits are derived from Tae Kwon Do, Sayed replies" you create a confidence within that you've never felt before, a non-medicinal stress relieve and the understanding of your body and what level you can take it to." Patience is a key element to a successful training.

Sayed Najem originated from Northern Lebanon. His family moved to Ottawa, Canada when he was six years old. His love for Tae Kwon Do started in the 80' s when he became a competitor for the Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. Canadians recognized the name after winning many local and national competitions. In 1988 he won a gold medal in the Canadian Olympic Team Trials in Ottawa, Ontario. That same year he won the Canadian National Championships.

When you mention martial Arts his name comes up with the "greats" of this field. Hayden Christensen who will play Anakin Skywalker in the next "Star War" film trained with Sayed. Five days of intensive training proved Sayed has "the right stuff". The new Skywalker will look as - menacing as the first. Mr. Christensen's' sister Hesja, a martial artist herself, trained With Sayed at the national championships and she asked for a favor, to train her brother to be the next Skywalker in Star Wars. With the opportunity to train a celebrity Sayed was honored to oblige. After five days of grueling training, mission accomplished.

Sayed not only holds a Master degree in Tae Kwon Do but also holds a degree in Microsoft Engineering and Business Marketing but also plans on attending URI to further advance his degree this time in psychology. Sayed feels mind and body are powerful and wants to explore psychology on a deeper level. This will further enhance his training methods and benefits to his students.

Sayed Najem will be concentrating on instruction and competition, this time representing the United States. His goal is to train the most dedicated students and achieve the only title that has eluded him for the last 20 years...the Olympic Gold Medal. He will achieve his goal by creating a fighting team that he will personally coach and lead. The team will be made up of player from schools across the globe. Our team goal is to spread the art of Tae Kwon Do and enhance the personal abilities through competition.

Sayed would like to share his knowledge with not only potential Olympians but people from all backgrounds to ensure their personal safety through these uncertain times.

In light of the; recent tragedies Sayed has embarked on a campaign to donate $100,000 in training to all airline personnel throughout 'the U.S. The defense method training can be accomplished in a relatively short time and Sayed feels the training will add an additional comfort or security level to passengers on board the flights. Master Najem, a new patriot to America, is grieving along with our nation over the horrific tragedy that shocked our country on September 11th. Like all Americans, Master Najem wants to stand "united" and help. By sharing his expertise, lie hopes to rebuild community, restore confidence and help us all feel safe. Master Najem will donate two and a half hours of Tae Kwon Do training a day, 3 times a week, for a total of four months. He will be able to train up to 200 students per month. Sayed's training camps to aid Airline Personnel will make us a "safer world" for our children from around the globe.

Master Sayed is a professional interested solely in making a better world for our future. His accomplishments are many his goal is great. "With his spirit of patriotism and his 19ve of teaching martial arts his task will be met with enthusiasm and extraordinary results. For further information, or a list of Sayed's accomplishments, check out his web site at www.sayednajem.com.