what people say about us

Danielle Lavoie

In second grade I started taking karate lessons at Integrity Martial Arts My mom wanted me to get involved in something that would bring me out of my shell and she thought it was a good idea for a little girl to know how to defend herself I was a little reluctant at first but soon discovered that karate was actually really fun and I really wanted to learn all the cool tricks that I saw all the older kids doing Looking back now the shy 7 year old that walked into the dojo for her first class could never have guessed how big of an impact karate would have on her life I took karate lessons pretty regularly until I left for college Some years I would take the summer months off to go on vacation but I was always right back at it when school started up again in August Two classes a week for about 9 or 10 months a year for about 10 years amounts to a fairly large amount of karate classes Not only did those classes teach me how to literally kick someone s ass but they also taught me a lot about being a good person I know that sounds like a strange thing to learn from karate but it s true Our lessons focused on the core values of respect self-control discipline and integrity In order to advance to the next belt we had to complete one or two character development worksheets that talked about important values such as friendship sportsmanship and honesty While we learned literal karate we also learned to talk through problems first and only resort to violence as self-defense if it were the absolute last resort My ten years of karate lessons culminated in me getting my black belt the summer before I went off to college Ten weeks of the summer consisted of us training both mentally and physically for at least 6 or 7 hours a week We trained on the tactical material that we needed to test for black belt we trained mentally for the test that was approaching and we stamina-trained so that we would survive the test Those ten weeks ended with our black belt test 8 grueling hours of non-stop drills the physical equivalent of a marathon run However when it was all over and they presented us with our black belts I had never been more proud of myself After my black belt test was when I realized that karate had done a lot for me over the past ten years than just teach me how to defend myself It had brought me out of my shell It had taught me the importance of qualities such as teamwork sportsmanship and integrity It taught me that there is always a place I will belong and there will always be people who will support me Most importantly though it taught me that nothing is impossible and I can accomplish anything I put my mind to When I look over my desk and see my black belt certificate it reminds me of all this and more It reminds me of the highs and the lows the people that I have met and the life lessons I have learned It reminds me and shows everyone else that I am unstoppable and I can accomplish anything in life