I have been a Yoshukai Karate ka since I was seven years old. When I first joined, Ihad very little self-discipline. I would get in trouble in school, not for major misbehaviors, but for my non-stop talking. Over the years of practicing karate, an activity that requires much self-control and self-discipline, I learned to control my talking and to try to only speak at appropriate times.

I feel that being part of the Alliance has also made me more confident. I look at all the other girls in my school, and they put themselves down. They never seem to have any positive things to say about themselves. Even my best friend says something bad about herself almost every day. Then I’m over here, shocked, because I know that there’s something great about all of them. While they feel they aren’t good enough, I know that, as long as I try,  I’m the best person I can be. I think that karate is part of why I realize that.

Finally, there’s personality. The ultimate goal of Yoshukai Karate is character development, which has definitely proven true to me. Yoshukai made me realize at an early age that I would need to put in hard work to succeed. Without that lesson, I would definitely be struggling in school. Before karate everything came pretty easily to me. I’ve always been ahead in school and was normally a quick learner. Then when karate came, I had to put more effort than usual. That was the first time that I dealt with true struggle and learned to overcome it. Now that I’m in Junior high and our school band I realize, effort pays off, so thank you, for helping me become who I am today.