The Triangle's Home For Traditional Martial Arts
After motivating dozens of autistic youths in Hialeah to improve their focus, discipline and socialization, a karate instructor recently launched a training program for autistic youths in Doral, at the Legacy Park coliseum.
“One mother thanked me because her son, who is autistic and has problems speaking, has started to say hello to her.” Santander said. “These kinds of anecdotes tell us that we’re on the right path. The kids make progress, specially in socialization.”
Martial arts have been a part of Sensei Thomas Arcuri’s life for more than 40 years, and there are two reasons why he got involved.
“My father was a boxer in the Navy, and I also became aware of Bruce Lee back in the ’70s, so it kind of peaked my interest,” he said.
Arcuri said Lee was very unique, and his movies started a martial arts craze among adults.
After twenty years of teaching martial arts to students from age three to eighty, I have observed that the benefits to every age has been nothing less than astonishing! Some include control of aggressive behavior and the gain of self-respect, self-control, self-defense, self esteem, focus, confidence, and courtesy. As an additional benefit, the child will also excel in other athletic endeavors. Martial arts training gives your son or daughter the chance to strengthen in mind as well as body. It encompasses not just the physical aspect of the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.
Comparing that to other youth activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to be the order of the day, it’s not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.
