Martial arts is defined as “any of a variety of martial arts and techniques, primarily of East Asian origin, such as kung fu (pinyin).” Isao), judo, karate, and kendo,” says Encyclopedia Britannica. There are over 180 martial arts styles, ranging from striking and standing techniques such as karate and taekwondo to grappling and ground techniques such as sumo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
“Budo is more than just learning kata and doing all these movements together. Budo is like one big family. It doesn't matter who you are. We are family. We We love each other and support each other,” said martial artist Natalia Silk.
Silk, 11, is a second-class black belt in taekwondo and is working toward a black belt in karate. Silk was introduced to Taekwondo by his grandparents when he was four years old and has been practicing Taekwondo ever since.
In 2022, at the age of 10, she traveled to Wales, England to represent Team USA in the WKU World Karate Tournament. Last year she competed in the WKU World Karate Tournament held in Calgary, Canada and she won five medals.
“We started her in Taekwondo because at that age she was very small and very shy. So we wanted her to come out of her shell. Silk's grandmother, Lorraine Jackson, said, “Sometimes the smallest person in the room gets bullied, so we wanted her to stand up for herself.'' “I wanted him to stand up for himself,” he said.
Silk, who now teaches several classes at the dojo, has grown in confidence, excelled in the classroom, and started to work with children who are bullied at school, according to his grandparents.
“Everyone thinks martial arts is about fighting, but it's really not. It's really about building a person's self-esteem,” Jackson said. “They teach children to be respectful. Rules are set in the children's homes, such as children must always greet their parents when they enter the house. They teach them about good hygiene. They tell them to clean themselves and brush their teeth. They teach them to do their homework.”
His mother, Zwena Muhammad, of Indianapolis, has been training in martial arts since she was 5 years old. She currently holds her black belt in her one style of martial arts and is working toward her second black belt in karate.
It started before me. My father started it and then he brought all my brothers and me into it,” Muhammad said. “I started karate when I was five years old, earned a black belt in one school, and am currently working on getting my second black belt in karate.”
Muhammad decided to enroll her children in Marital Arts for the same reason her father enrolled her and her siblings.
“He wanted to instill discipline in all of us. He liked the principles of martial arts. So it wasn't just physical activity, but there were also principles and morals to learn. It was outside of the dojo, It was a lesson that could be carried into any situation in the classroom or in real life. So he liked that and the kind of spirituality of it. So all the extra lessons on physical activity were what attracted him. , that’s why I kept doing it too,” Muhammad said.
Self-discipline, body care, responsibility, humility and determination are all lessons that Muhammad credits martial arts for teaching him, and you can take up this martial art at any age.
“I think they're all having fun and working hard. They all have different principles and different focuses. Taekwondo was focused on kicking. Karate is a lot of different things. Some of them are on the floor, like jiu-jitsu and judo, which are grappling techniques, so it's just whatever you feel is best for you, but they all have very good principles, and they all have very good principles. has a spiritual aspect and everything has a physical component,” Muhammad said.
Contact racial justice reporter Garrett Sims at 317-762-7847.
