Our son is often the smallest, youngest kid among his peers, which bothered him, as he was teased because of it.  Visiting dojos and do jahngs for trial classes, he sat on the sidelines and chose not to participate - until yudo at OSA.  He warmed immediately to Instructor Sethi, telling us after his first class that she is “small and mighty,” and he could be too.  We enrolled him in yudo to help him build confidence, to be able to defend himself if necessary, and to learn when to walk away.  After 1.5 years, in addition to building incredible strength and stamina, we are impressed at how he has become more confident and comfortable in his own skin.  He has toughened up significantly, both mentally and physically.  Though his stature is the same, he is rarely teased and, when he is, he takes it in stride.  In addition, he takes responsibility for his own actions, and he takes the challenge to “behave like a black belt” seriously.  His current teacher even told us that she relies on him to set an example and to help others who struggle with discipline.  He adores yudo, Instructor Sethi, and the blue / red belts who have helped out in class or sparred with him in testing.  He trusts completely that if Instructor Sethi tells him he is ready to try something, he can do it, and she takes care to ensure everyone stays safe and has a blast.  My husband does not watch the classes as often as I do, but, when he goes, he comments every time that it is remarkable to see the significant changes in the maturity and capabilities of all the kids in class - not just ours - even over short periods of time.  While other activities have come and gone, our son remains excited and motivated to continue at OSA, and we are extremely happy we found the OSA family.