Word of the Month: Confidence

Confidence is believing in yourself. It is a crucial part of every person’s character development, and a key building block for a happy, successful life. At Douvris Martial Arts we believe that with the right approach to teaching karate, everyone can increase their confidence.

As Sensei Cody Diesbourg explains, every new member that walks through our doors shows confidence. “Whether they’re a little bit uncomfortable or nervous about starting, they’re showing confidence just by coming into the dojo.”

That feeling of being slightly uncomfortable in a new situation or when learning a new skill, it turns out, is what helps us grow and become more confident. “Whether or not you excel at it right away,” Sensei Cody says, “or there’s something for you to work on, you can build that skill – on your own or with other people – and actually come back and try it again and show how much confidence you’ve gained just by practicing.”

Our curriculum is designed to put students in situations that are just a little outside their comfort zone on a regular basis, so they are constantly working on their skills. It doesn’t take very long for them to start showing signs of increased confidence – they stand up tall, their shoulders are straight, they look you in the eye as they talk to you. These are all habits we encourage, along with the ability to speak clearly and loudly enough for the whole group to hear.

And when they are ready for a bigger challenge, we put our more advanced students in charge of teaching lower belts some of the techniques they know. Teaching experience gives our students a great boost in confidence, but it also makes them realize that they, in turn, can help younger or less experienced students gain confidence with the right teaching techniques and positive reinforcement.

“There are so many great cases here where we’ve seen our students become teachers and even become leaders – not just here at the dojo, but in their outside life as well, at school, at work – we have a lot of members, and a lot of younger members who seem older just because of their confidence and their maturity, taking it out of the dojo and basically showing everyone out there how confident they can be,” Sensei Cody says.

- CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM -

Striving 4 Excellence

character_development

DOUVRIS Martial Arts strongly believes in developing the character of our students along with the martial arts skills we teach them. The Striving for Excellence character development program was developed with 40 years of experience in teaching children respect, confidence, and self-discipline. Striving for Excellence allows our members to discuss, practice, and apply character development traits in their lives. The program includes a Karate Kids Workbook and a Karate Tykes Colouring book which children complete each month at home. The lessons outlined in the workbook are designed to accompany the “Word of the Month” which instructors discuss with students during each class.

Our Karate Programs

We have karate programs for all ages and fitness levels.

Karate Tykes

Our karate tykes program guides kids ages 4-6 through basic karate techniques and provides the foundation for important life skills.

Karate Kids

Our Kids program is keeps children aged 7 to 12 active and helps balance & co-ordination, concentration, and self-discipline.

Karate Youth

Our Youth program is designed for teens 13-18 years of age. It is a complete approach to training in the martial arts.

Karate Adults

Join our Adult program to improve fitness levels, learn self-defense techniques, increase confidence, and feel empowered.