Kara in Karate-do means to purge yourself of selfish and evil thoughts and strive to be inwardly humble and outwardly gentle. Two teens proved that when they allowed a Black Belt with Down Syndrome to win a Karate championship in Rome.

"I have been competing in and running karate tournaments for over 40 years," sensei Vicki Gillen wrote on Facebook. "I witnessed a young man do something that I don't know if I could ever have done."

While competing in the men's Black Belt division over the weekend, 16 year-old Noah Nardozza from Bailey's Karate School in Rome allowed Ben Allen, a Black Belt with Down Syndrome to win the sparring match, eliminated himself from the competition. In the next round 19 year-old James Cheney from Brooks Karate in Mt Markham did the same thing, giving Ben the trophy.

"It was a fantastic thing to witness," says Ben's dad Al. "They could have easily beaten Ben and taken the trophy but they let Ben win."

Because of the unselfishness of these two amazing young Black Belts, Allen was awarded a trophy, something that never would have happened if not for these two teens. "They put their egos aside in order to allow someone else to feel happiness," said Gillen. "I am so grateful and proud of these young men for allowing Ben, who always competes but never won, to win."

Ben took home the trophy but those boys created a memory that will last a lifetime for everyone lucky enough to witness such a selfless act. "It actually brought tears to my eyes," says Al. "Those two young men really did something special for Ben."

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