Miss Claire’s Black Belt Throwback

More than 4 years ago Miss Claire wrote the following essay in preparation for her Black Belt test. 

As part of our Black Belt testing all candidates write essays talking about their life and the effects that training with us has had. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance. Now at 17 she is an assistant instructor with us and inspires new students all the time. It is hard to believe how much has changed in that time but one thing that has not is her dedication and perseverance in her black belt journey. 

How Karate Has Improved My Life

by Claire Orlandini

I have been training in martial arts (specifically karate) for over four years now, which is much longer than I ever spent on any sport. I am very happy I stayed with karate, for my martial arts training has improved my life drastically over the many years I have been taking it. It really improved my focus, it helped me learn how to set goals, and it has improved me in many ways both physically and mentally.

My Martial Arts Training Has Improved My Focus Incredibly

My martial arts training has improved my focus incredibly. Before getting into karate, I was a clumsy, wimpy, and unfocused person. I got good grades, but only in fear of the punishment in the case that I didn’t get those grades. When I first started karate, I was under the impression that it was all fun and games, but on my first day of intermediate class, I realized it was not. On that day after the warmup, I felt tired and I was very nauseous. I went to the bathroom and puked. I remember thinking something along the lines of: “Wow. This is very hard.” I then realized how stupid I was acting, and decided not to tell anyone I puked because I thought I would seem weak. From then on, I tried to focus on hiding any showing of weakness. The tests and all the memorization were getting to me, but I tried to keep the promise I made to myself. This is where karate really started to help me. And after spending a ton of time on the mat, I learned that focusing was my best way to not be bored. In the end, I finally learned to focus naturally, and it has greatly improved my life since.

I Started To Set Myself Smarter Goals

My martial arts training has also taught me to set goals. When I first got into karate, I hadn’t been in any sports or clubs for about two years. I didn’t have many hobbies either. I had never set myself goals before, and never had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve. Somewhere in all of this, I decided to join karate. When I joined karate, I decided I really wanted a purple belt a few days in, because purple was, and still is, my favorite color. This was one of the first goals I had ever set, and even though the sport was new, I wanted to stay with it. I somehow stuck to this goal despite my lack of specific guidelines. After I got my purple belt, I thought to myself: “Next, I’m going for a black belt.” Somewhere in between this, I joined leadership class. the leadership lessons really helped me learn to set goals, and I have set many through that class. Even getting into leadership was a goal of mine, and I’m happy I did. Leadership class helped me learn how to set “smart” goals. After this, I started to set myself smaller goals, both in and out of karate. After that, everything started to seem easier, and it was all thanks to those few leadership classes where we went over goals in karate.

I Gained More and More Confidence

My experience in karate has improved me in ways both mental and physical. As I mentioned earlier, I was rather clumsy before I started karate, and although I wasn’t magically coordinated after I started, after a few classes I was tripping over myself less. I’m still clumsy, but I cannot imagine how clumsy I would be if it wasn’t for karate. Before taking karate, I was a wimp, and I’m not afraid to roast myself with the truth either. After doing daily warm-up/physical training before each karate class daily, I slowly got stronger. There were a few challenges that forced me to be stronger to an extent, but they were always fun. Karate also taught me to stand up for myself. As I advanced through the ranks, I gained more confidence. For example, whenever my elementary school teachers would ask for a “strong boy” to help them out, I would always volunteer despite them asking for a boy. Another time, during the fitness tests in gym class, a boy told our gym teacher that he was going to do all 75 sit-ups (we have a max of 75) and the gym teacher was excited for him. So I decided I wanted to do 75 sit-ups too. The gym teacher responded with “Yeah… sure. We’ll see about that.” That made 5th grade me very mad. In the end, I did all 75 sit-ups and the boy did not. I gave my gym teacher a sassy (as sassy as a 5th grader can be) look, and he just shrugged.

Overall, karate helped me gain confidence, improve my strength, gain focus, and set goals. As you can hopefully tell from this essay, karate has changed me drastically for the better. For the future of my martial arts training, I have set myself a goal to become a Sensei. I don’t plan to end my martial arts training any time soon, and I am looking forward to what my future training holds.

– Claire Orlandini, Age 12

Crabapplemartialarts.com and Crabapple Martial Arts Academy has been selected the nation’s #1 martial arts schools for SIX YEARS IN A ROW by the American Budokai International!

Founded in 2013 by Mr. C. Matthew White is a 5th-degree Black Belt in Karate and 6th-degree Black Belt in Jiu Jitsu, and Master Instructor. Crabapple Martial Arts Academy has Karate lessons for pre-school children to elementary kids ages 4 and up. These classes are designed to develop the critical building blocks kids need – specialized for each age group – for school excellence and later success in life.

Crabapple Martial Arts Adult Karate training is a complete adult fitness and conditioning program. This is for adults who want to lose weight, get (and stay) in shape, or learn self-defense in a supportive environment.

Instructors can answer questions or be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at of****@cr******************.com or call directly at 770-645-0930. You can also visit our website at CrabappleMartialArts.com.

About C. Matthew White, Shihan:  Matt is a fifth-degree black belt in a traditional Japanese and Okinawan Martial Arts – Shuri Ryu Karatedo. He is also a sixth-degree black belt in Japanese Jiu Jitsu – Shintoyoshin Kai Jiu Jitsu. He is a master instructor with the title of Shihan, which means teacher of teachers in Japanese.  Matt has a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Physiology. He has been training and teaching martial arts for over 27 years. He has owned Crabapple Martial Arts Academy since 2013. Shihan White is a motivational speaker and educator, who teaches seminars in bullying, business, and martial arts training.

Crabapple Martial Arts Academy Headquarters is in Alpharetta, Georgia at 12315 Crabapple Road., Suite 124, Alpharetta GA 30004. You can locate the Chief Instructor, Sensei Robert Reed there or directly at (770) 645-0930.