Ryan Doherty, TSMMA Middletown
Walking into any Tiger Schulmann’s location, one can sense that it is a “Bully Free Zone”. Any student can tell you, it simply isn’t allowed. The Tiger Schulmann’s program is actually a bully deterrent, as it develops confidence in a student as well as teaching self defense. That certainly doesn’t mean TSMMA students never encounter bullies, but it does mean they handle them effectively.
Ryan Doherty, age 7, is a student at the Middletown school, training under Sensei Hoffman. According to Ryan’s parents Jerry and Lynn, Ryan had little self confidence, and was unsure of himself. He also had a difficult time focusing at both home and school. His parents felt that training in the martial arts would help him learn about discipline and focus, but also have fun while promoting a healthy mind and body. After taking a free class at TSMMA, they were hooked right away after seeing the look of excitement in Ryan’s eyes. He loved it, and was immediately very comfortable with the instructors. Over the last year, Ryan has developed into a strong young man, both mentally and physically, which in turn has given him much more confidence. These traits are reflected in his attitude, the way he completes his school work, and his interaction with other kids.
It would make sense for a bully to avoid bothering Ryan. A self assured kid who trains in the martial arts isn’t who you would think of as a target for a bully. But Ryan had another battle to face with a bully at camp. A boy took Ryan’s water bottle, and threw it to the ground. Ryan ignored him, and walked away. The bully, now feeling a bit emboldened, proceeded the next day to approach Ryan and push him. Ryan said “Leave me alone, or you’ll be sorry!” As Ryan turned to walk away, the bully smacked Ryan in the back of the head. Ryan, applying the principles of our Bully Prevention Seminar, met the aggression at the same level, and kicked the bully in the stomach. After taking a few seconds to recover his breath, (gotta love those front kicks!) the bully tried to kick Ryan, who smoothly blocked the kick. The bully simply walked away, knowing that he wasn’t going to get anything over on Ryan. Jerry says “What struck me about this incident was the calmness in which Ryan described the incident. If it were a year before, he would have not have been able to defend himself, nor would he have ridden the bus to camp again!”
Ryan has no plans on slowing down his training. He takes an amazing 10 classes a week, and plans on one day becoming a black belt, as well as an instructor. His instructors have been more than just teachers of the martial arts, they have become life coaches, counseling Ryan on not only his training, but his school work and his behavior. His parents couldn’t be happier. As Jerry says, “TSMMA has been a great teacher of discipline and focus, done in a way that makes it fun. It will definitely give kids the confidence to handle situations that no parents want their kids to face, but may someday have to.”
Ryan’s parents aren’t the only people who are proud Ryan. Sensei Hoffman is proud of his achievements as well. “When Ryan first came to me, he was so shy and unsure of himself and his abilities. Through his non-quitting spirit and incredibly consistent training (great job Mom and Dad), Ryan has transformed into a confident, capable, and spirited young warrior. I can't wait to see him a year from now. I'm extremely proud of him.”
As parents, we do our best to prepare our kids for life. We give them the best education possible, we try to teach them good habits, manners, and to be involved in the community. What a gift that we can also provide them the tools they need to stay safe, to be confident, and to maintain a healthy mind and body. The Doherty’s certainly did, and couldn’t be more pleased. Ryan will reap the rewards from his hard work on the mat for a lifetime. What better gift could you possibly give a child?
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