Thomas: Consistency

4 years ago Thomas was kicked in the back of his head at school by a classmate. The kick knocked him unconscious for several minutes.

His parents, Becky and Brandon took him out of the school and began homeschooling. Since the incident he and his parents worked very hard to deal with the medical and psychological effects of the incident.
Due to the trauma he was very distrustful of other boys his age. When Thomas began working out at Karate RX in 2018 he was taught 1 on 1, and eventually transitioned into the evening classes.

At first it was difficult to partner with other boys in class. He was convinced that they didn’t like him and didn’t want to work with them. After some trial and error we found a good balance to make some forward momentum with his classmates.

He was held back from taking his Yellow Belt Test for two months to improve his upper body strength. Not only did he attend extra workout times but he practiced at home. His box pushups improved over 200% throughout the two month period before it was time to take his test. He didn’t need any encouragement to work hard, he showed up ready to give it his all.

Helping him prepare for the test was his new friend Andrew, who was testing with him. Last rotation they both earned their Yellow Belts together and are now best friends.

Thomas is a leader in class. He puts his maximum effort into every punch and kick he throws. He holds the door (curtain) open for all of his fellow athletes and goes out of his way to give everyone a hi-5 after class is over.

Becky and Brandon have been working very hard to make sure their son has a bright future from the beginning, but especially in the past few years.

Having taught him for the last year I can tell you that he is a completely different kid now than the one that first walked through the door. This did not happen overnight, it came from consistent action. His parents bringing him to class consistently. Thomas working hard in class consistently. Constant communication on what was best for Thomas, what was working and what wasn’t.

I am very proud of Thomas and the progress he has made to becoming a more confident and fit athlete. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

~ Sean Dawdy