Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Sogavare MP and Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Maelanga MP were both conferred honorary awards in the Grand Masters Authentic Method of Kung Fu Martial Art in a ceremony over the weekend.
Prime Minister Sogavare was awarded an honorary Sifu belt (red belt) by Sifu (instructor appointed by the grand master to oversee society responsibilities and grand master responsibilities in a given jurisdiction) Walter Huberts- Rhein of the Grand Masters Authentic Method of Kung Fu.
Sifu Huberts expressed, with his honorary award, Prime Minister Sogavare is one of only two Sifus in the Grand Masters Authentic Method of Kung Fu in the country.
Also presented with honorary black belts were Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Maelanga MP and the Minister of Fisheries Hon. Nestor Ghiro MP.
The honorary awards is in recognition of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Fisheries Minister’s exceptional and outstanding leadership of the government of Solomon Islands and dedication to the people of Solomon Islands by the grand master of Authentic Method of Kung Fu.
Another senior government officer who was presented with a brown belt grading is the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Home Affairs, Jeffrey Sade Deve.
In his brief official remarks on behalf of his colleagues, PM Sogavare said, it is a great honour to be recognized for their leadership role in the government of Solomon Islands by a man who is the very embodiment of what humility in Leadership is all about, as manifested in the principles espoused and developed in the teaching curriculum of the Authentic Method of Kung Fu.
In its original meaning, Kung Fu can refer to any discipline or skill achieved through hard work and practice, not necessarily martial art, explained the PM.
PM Sogavare stressed, humility, respect for others, defenders of the course of justice and advocating for the rights of indigenous people are hallmarks of the founder of the Grand Masters Authentic Method of Kung Fu.
Without a seasoned character, the exercise of leadership in any organisation will be functioning in a vacuum and struggling to meet the expectation of that organisation, and the best that such leadership can do is to pretend to be good- a very awkward situation to be in.
Elaborating on the event’s theme: ‘Recognising Leadership, Looking to the Future’, the Prime Minister commends the Grand Masters Authentic Method of Kung Fu Martial Art for recognising not only leadership, but good leadership… There is a vast difference. Good leadership is the product of years of development and tested by challenges that help to shape the process of character building in that leadership.
“What we witnessed in the years leading to 2000, again in 2006, 2019 and again in 2021 is a perfect example of what leadership that is devoid of values of good leadership can do”, underlined the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is a master of Shotokan karate of Japan in Solomon Islands while the Deputy Prime Minister holds a brown belt in Jyoshin Mon Tai Kiok Kuen Kung Fu of Solomon Islands.
Minister Ghiro who holds a brown belt in Grand Masters Authentic Method of Kung Fu is still overseas and will be officially awarded his new belt (black belt) upon his return.
– Press Secretariat, OPMC
