'Karate Kids' present skills at school

FLORENCE — Royall Elementary School’s “Karate Kids” demonstrated “strength, achievement, leadership and character through discipline” during a special presentation Friday highlighting the skills the students learned in the school’s first martial arts program.

About 19 students in grades 3 through 6, dressed in their karate pants, T-shirts and yellow belts, performed drills and self-defense techniques for their parents, teachers and district officials.
Royall principal Julie Smith said the administration was looking for a program that would build students’ life skills and encourage them to become better students in academics, behavior and their own lives.

“We were looking for a program that would be motivating to the students,” Smith said. “Children that value the karate image, but don’t know some of the principles on which karate is based. We also wanted to have children who we thought would respond to a male role model.”

Smith said the program has been “incredibly invaluable” to the students who participated and has boosted their confidence and self-esteem.

“The children that used to walk down the halls with their head down and (were) reluctant to speak to adults now walk proudly,” she said.“They learned a lot of what we talked about and what Sensei Kevin (Smith) talked about ... being responsible, using self-control, making responsible decisions, giving back to your school and your community.”

Smith, founder of Urban Street Self Defense Studio Inc. in Florence, has taught students pride in oneself, discipline and self-control through Hondari-Jua Karate-Do since January. He created the martial arts style called Hondari-Jua Karate-Do.

“Real karate is about self-control,” Smith said. “If you can control your body movements, you can control your mental state of thought in terms of your anger and having the right type of thought in the classroom.”

Smith, who is seventh degree in Hondari-Jua Karate-Do, said blending martial arts and education can help students be more productive in the classroom and in society.

“If taught correctly and properly, it should make a child better, not only in the classroom in terms of karate class, but in the regular academic class,” he said.

Smith said he received weekly updates of the students’ academic progress from their teachers before the start of each karate class.

The program also has helped students learn the importance of helping others through weekly service projects at their school or in the community.

Smith, a New Orleans native, moved to Florence after Hurricane Katrina along with his wife, Natasha, and two daughters.

Smith is the founder of the Fearless Tigers Cultural Arts Center and Karate Association in New Orleans. After relocating to Florence, the Smiths started Urban Street Self-Defense Inc., and have taught women’s self-defense, youth and adult classes at Poynor Adult/Community Education Center and their studio since 2006.