When I was eight or nine years old, there was a neighborhood bully named Dale French.

Dale was three years older than me, and I was genuinely afraid of him. He had beaten me up many times, and he did the same to my older brother, who was two years older than I was. To two young boys, Dale seemed almost impossible to stand up to.

I never knew when he might decide to pick on us. He was bigger, older, and wasn't afraid to use his fists to get his way.

So when I saw Dale coming, I usually tried to stay out of his way.

Then, one hot summer day, something happened that I have never forgotten.

Dale and I had walked down to the local corner store to get a treat. As we arrived, a smaller boy—about a year younger than me—was coming out of the store.

The boy stopped.

He looked directly at Dale and said,

"Hey, I'll bet you I can knock the wind out of you with one punch."

I was stunned.

Here was this little kid, standing in front of the very person I was afraid of, talking to him as though Dale wasn't frightening at all.

I watched closely to see what would happen.

Dale gave him his usual scowl.

"No way. How much do you want to bet?"

The boy answered,

"I'll bet your quarter."

The bet was made.

Then the little boy stood directly in front of Dale and said,

"Take a big breath and hold it."

Dale didn't hesitate. He took a huge breath and nodded.

What happened next took only a second.

The little boy delivered a lightning-fast punch directly into Dale's solar plexus.

For a moment, Dale stood there looking confused.

Then suddenly, he bent over and hit the sidewalk with a thump.

I was shocked.

And, truthfully, I was pretty happy.

I turned to the little boy, who now had a big smile on his face.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

His answer has stayed with me for more than sixty years.

"I just started karate classes. That punch was the first thing I learned."

That little boy became my hero that day.

But looking back now, I realize that he taught me something much more important than how to throw a punch.

He showed me what confidence looked like.

For years, I had believed that someone like Dale was simply someone I had to be afraid of. That little boy showed me something different. He wasn't bigger than Dale. He wasn't older. He wasn't intimidating.

He simply wasn't afraid.

That image stayed with me.

Years later, when I began teaching karate, I came to understand just how important that kind of confidence can be in a child's life.

Karate isn't about teaching children to fight. It's about helping them develop confidence, self-discipline, awareness, courage, and the ability to make good decisions when life becomes difficult.

Bullying can leave emotional scars that children may carry for years. Sometimes one of the greatest things we can give a child is the belief that they are capable, they are worthy, and they don't have to live their life in fear.

That lesson from my childhood has stayed with me throughout my years of teaching.

At Cape Coral Karate, I work to give children much more than martial arts techniques. We help them build confidence, discipline, respect, focus, and the courage to stand up for themselves and others.

I still remember the look on that little boy's face.

He was my hero that long-ago summer day.

And perhaps without knowing it, he helped shape the teacher I would eventually become.

True story by Master Ron Joslin
Cape Coral Karate