June Newsletter from Rifkin Professional Karate

I listen to Dr. Laura every weekday on the radio. She says, "Put your child in martial arts." She says it to parents of children that act out, that are too shy, that get picked on at school, and those that bully. Children that are immature, children that are mischievous, children that are fearful of being mischievous are all prime candidates for martial arts. We had come to understand that in the world of Dr. Laura, every child had something to gain by getting into martial arts. So when Kenneth came home from a karate-themed birthday party, I asked him, "Wasn't that fun? Wouldn't you like to take karate?" He was eight, and he simply said no. I asked him again when he was nine, and then when he was ten. Each time the answer was the same. He was not at all interested in karate. But that was a part of Kenneth. He wasn't ambitious and he would fall apart when we pushed him. He was a good student, but we knew that he was only doing enough to keep his teachers and his family off his back.

So on Kenneth's eleventh birthday, I told him, "You are going to karate. You are going to try it - I will check in with you a lot. But you are going to try it." I "auditioned" five different dojos before speaking with Master Rifkin, and I knew immediately that Rifkin Professional Karate Center was exactly what Kenneth needed.

Kenneth is raised by his grandfather, and various aunties, and because his grandfather is a singer and tours extensively, we all felt that Kenneth needed a strong male figure that he could look up to outside of the family. Master Rifkin has stepped in and filled the role beyond our dreams. He is so real with Kenneth, and Kenneth's respect and gratitude to Master Rifkin is obvious. When Master Rifkin invited Kenneth into the Black Belt Club, Kenneth told me that the coolest part was that Master Rifkin personally sponsored him.

Kenneth has been studying karate since January, 2008, and it is a part of his life that I think he can't imagine missing. This child, who rarely expressed his feelings, looked at me after testing for his yellow belt last year and said, "Thank you for making me start karate. I really love it." As Kenneth said in his recent essay, not every day in the study of karate is Christmas, but he seems to thrive in the process and understand that a part of the lesson is the discipline of continuing. The community at RPKC is the extended "village" that we were looking for to support, encourage and expect great things from Kenneth. There are other parents who cheer him on, and his classmates genuinely care about him... they have taught him to care about them as well.

Kenneth has done all the things that Dr. Laura promised he would do: Kenneth is happier, more expressive, more confident and compassionate. Kenneth no longer tells little lies, he looks us in the eye when he speaks to us, he takes on more responsibility and expects more of himself. At age 12 �, Kenneth knows that he should have dreams and then work hard to achieve them. Finally, the OK student who only did what he had to do, became the child that is moving from the regular classroom to the SAS program at his middle school. There was a moment of "What if I fail?" before he agreed to go into the more challenging curriculum. He knows though, that if he never fails, he has not pushed himself hard enough, and that he will be ok. I know that all of the wonderful qualities that are coming out in Kenneth are due to his participation in karate and the devotion that Master Rifkin, Mr. Dang, Mr. Layton and Ms. Smith have shown him. I don't know if Dr. Laura knew about RPKC, but after I finish this, I may just write to her too!