PHOTO CREDIT
OUR COMMUNITY
TMA students take the “anti-bullying pledge.”
Anti-Bullying Crusader Through martial arts, Matt Sikora helps kids take a stance against bullying.
M
artial arts can help teach youth how to defend themselves against bullying. They improve self-esteem, learn discipline and build physical strength, among other traits, while practicing the sport in a safe and supportive environment. “I love to see the brand of confidence that it gives somebody,” says Matt Sikora, owner and founder of West Bloomfield’s True Martial Arts, which offers regular anti-bullying programming. “They can walk with their head held up high that they are confident and that if anything were to happen to them, they could defend themselves.” Teaching kids how to be
32
|
NOVEMBER 25 • 2021
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
mentally and physically resilient, especially against bullying, has long been a building block of the Jewish-owned martial arts school, which teaches everything from karate to Krav Maga, a form of self-defense developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. With more than 300 members, True Martial Arts, opened in 2009, sees people signing up as young as age 4 to adults in their 50s and 60s. “We provide great self-defense training and character building-type training,” Sikora, 35, of Birmingham, says. “Martial arts is very autonomous.” People sign up for the sport for a variety of reasons, he explains, from parents want-
ing their children to build confidence to kids struggling with discipline or behavioral issues who need extra support. Others simply do it for fun and socialization, or for the physical health benefits. MARTIAL ARTS AND ANTIBULLYING EFFORTS Sikora, like many other youth who gravitate toward the sport at a young age, has been practicing martial arts since he was 5. “I grew up as a very serious martial artist,” he says. After receiving a business degree from Michigan State University, he decided to follow his passion by opening True Martial Arts as a place to teach the ancient practice to others in the com-
munity. In his more than 10 years of teaching martial arts, Sikora has noticed firsthand the impact the sport has on people, especially on youth who may be experiencing bullying directly or indirectly. “I really fell in love with martial arts,” he says, “and then later really fell in love with the results that we’re seeing in our students and the impact that we’re making.” Multiple parents have come forward, he says, explaining that martial arts have helped their children navigate bullying. While self-defense should always be used as a last resort, Sikora explains that by practicing the sport, youth gain
