Ollie was a shy child.   

When I met him, he was about five years old. 

He didn’t talk much, and he couldn’t meet the eye of any adult speaking with him.   

You could see he felt awkward around other child and didn’t interact with them well. 

He wouldn’t leave his dad’s side as his dad asked me about martial arts lessons for him. 

For the first month he even wouldn’t step on the mat with out his Dad being there. 

But he was a good learner, seemed to really enjoy the classes, and was a fantastic kicker.   

Slowly but surely, he started to open up. 

First with the other kids, then later with the adults around him.   

The transformation was incredible and importantly it wasn’t only confined to the Academy.     

His dad told me Ollie had made new friends at school and his teachers had noticed a significant difference in his attitude at school. 

He credited his son’s martial arts training as the cause of this new-found confidence. 

This is something I’ve heard from countless parents, and something that I’ve witnessed in our students many times.

Martial arts can have a dramatic effect in developing self confidence, and self esteem.