Director of New Jersey police academy receives lifetime achievement award from IAMA for work with karate

There’s no question martial arts is a way to instill discipline and respect in an individual while also teaching some core self-defense skills. As such it makes perfect sense an art like karate would be implemented in law enforcement training, a viewpoint Somerset, New Jersey police academy director Richard Celeste would certainly agree with.

Celeste, who has been training in karate since he stumbled across it as a teenager, was recently given a lifetime achievement award from the International Association of Martial Artists for his work both as a karate instructor and in carrying over techniques/fundamentals into training at the academy.

“His self-discipline and straight-forward approach to life has definitely accounted for any success that I have enjoyed,” said Celeste to the Messenger Gazette of his sensei (and IAMA President) Gary Alexander who was on hand to provide him with the honor.

The humble Celeste, who is also director of public safety at a local community college, has trained officers in Somerset for the last 25 years and represents a true testament to the best parts of karate.

PHOTO CREDIT – Vincent Giaquinto