Written by Coach Steve Hyatt

This statement may sound harsh to some; but the reality is that people recognize we produce strong, confident and capable Kids

Our programs build confidence based on real world accomplishments.  We don’t have tapping competitions and we don’t have a book that says “Hey, you held your hand in the right position today, you get a new belt”, and then have the parents talk about how confident their kids are.

We produce kids that can stand up to today’s challenges at schools where teachers can’t be bothered to care or intervene when kids get out of sight at school.  We have one kid in our class who has been bullied by a boy at school who is much taller than him for about 2 years. 

As kids do, they size up physically their prey and decide how easy it would be to pick on a person and then they commence with whatever intimidation a kid will let them do. 

This one student from our school, who was the prey, was good enough to shrug it off and not let it bother him for 2 years.  How is this possible and more importantly why was this boy able to do that?  We’ll answer that in a minute. 

First the student told his parents the situation.  The parents went to the teachers to let them know what was going on and suggested ways to stop this harassment.  The teachers were either unwilling or unable to stop the continuing physical intimidation.  The parents contacted the Principal and let them know what was transpiring.  Both the student and the parents were told by school faculty that they had diffused the situation and no fight was going to take place.

 The condition of the situation festered, despite the school faculty reassurance that it was averted.  The parents went to the principal again with a proposal this time that if they didn’t curb this behavior, they would leave it up to their son to do it himself.  

As it continued, the parents then sought the counsel of our staff.  When they laid out all options that they had explored, including the student asking the boy to stop and letting him know that one day he would pushed to the point of having to defend himself. 

We advised the student to remember the words and concepts of our Student Creed.  The specific part was “I will use what I learn in class constructively and defensively”.  It was clear that the student had not used any of his training at this point to defend himself from the bully. 

Later that week we learned the boy called out this student to a fight at recess and our student did use what he learned in class to defend himself.  The student handily embarrassed the bigger boy in front of his bully friends and a group of people watching.   The incident stopped at the recess bell where our student grabbed the taller bully by the collar, pulled him down to eye level, “That’s why I didn’t want to fight you, don’t bother me again.”

How was the Student able to endure this treatment for so long from the same person?  The answer:  Complete and total confidence in his abilities.  The student was so confident, based on his active training in the ring, in the cage, in class, standing up, boxing, Thai Boxing, Clinching and ground fighting skills that it never occurred to him to feel fear or worry that any other kid could hurt him.

 He is a great kid and great student both at School and in Martial Arts.  The discipline he showed, the self control and keeping cool for as long he did; following the principles that are taught at Point Blank Martial Arts, are the reason our students perform better in the school, at home and at Martial Arts.

Our kids earn the respect and confidence by training real situations; real physical combat and real moves and they have the most fun doing it!  We don’t teach you perfect kata’s and forms for “perfect situations”…Why?  They DON’T EXIST!! 

You can take your child to learn all you want at Karate or Tae Kwon Do or any other club to learn self confidence.  But what good will that be if one day it is challenged and they are defeated handily?  Not by another advanced student, but by anyone who doesn’t perform the exact way in which they were taught to defend themselves? 

Violence is never an option, to any child or any adult for that matter, unless it’s the only option.  You can never be in control of a situation or something happening.  You simply have to ask yourself, do you want your child to learn some wonderful historical dance steps that are played to certain music?  Or do you want them to learn reality and understand what to do from any movement at any time and ensure they come out on top? 

Life sometimes has a way of throwing curve balls.  This is one you can be prepared for, one you can have your children prepared for.  In the new world of paranoia, child abuse, bullying, absentee supervision at school or in a yard or park, online and chat communication unmonitored, what can you do to best prepare your child to look after themselves? 

Inevitably the choice is yours; learn to dance or learn to deal with reality. 

Absorb the story and information above; there are many more instances if you ask your friends.  We prepare kids for the improbable inevitabilities.  The best part of it is, they are having so much fun learning and competing, they don’t even know they are working! 

In 8 years, we have never had a black belt.  We are proud of that fact.  We have students that have been with us for almost 8 years and they have earned every stripe and every belt they own.  We don’t promote people for their own gratitude or to take your money.  We promote kids based on merit and skill.  Not in flowery forms, but in real skills from the best Martial Arts available today and taught by Internationally Recognized Instructors.

 Don’t believe us?  Bring your kids in to try it out.  We have had many colored belts from many other Karate and Martial Arts Schools that can’t fight with our white belts.  Have them stick with it and we will create a level of self confidence and skill that they could never achieve somewhere else.