Testimonials 

Hi Master Bonthuys sir!

I did this E-mail to say a great big thanks for giving me the chance to become a Ohdokwan member. I really appreciate it. I think that I will become a great black belt one day, for you and Mrs. Bonthuys and your sons are really helping me and giving me everything I need to become a healthy black-belt.

I am sure not to ever quit until I get 6 tags on my cool black-belt! Please tell Mrs. Bonthuys, and Mr. Bonthuys JR, that they are really helping me to become much better at training with them and you. I really love the thought of keeping me, my family, and my friends safe.

I am gonna' teach kids tae-kwon-do like you!

From Liana Rose Boulton +++

P.s I'll never be as good as you though sir!

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Dear Mr Bonthuys

As our time in England is about to come to an end, we are writing this letter of gratitude for all that you and your academy have done for our son Caelan.

Before Caelan came to the academy, he showed very little interest in anything, other than the usual 10 year old electronic paraphernalia. After a couple of sessions at the academy, we could actually see the difference in him. Caelan has become more respectful and helpful, he also is eager to please others, not just us as his parents. Teachers and other parents have commented as to what a well mannered and considerate person he has become.

Caelan has never lacked in confidence with his friends and people that we were friendly with, but when it came to outsiders, he was invisible. I am very please to say, no more! Little by little he now has the confidence to which we owe to you, and the academy.

We all try to equip our children with the knowledge and the skills to help them along their way in life. Now I can safely say that Caelan has an excellent start on his journey. With the help you and your instructors have given him, the guidance and the skills such as respect, and determination, we all have entrusted in him, may he become the person that we all strive to be.

Sometimes we all get lost in the trivial things of everyday life and forget to stop and take notice of the people and things that have crossed our paths, to which helped us and now make us notice what we can do for ourselves and others. Some things money just can’t buy. That is what you have given us as a family.

Caelan and ourselves have made new friends and hope that this is not good bye, but till we perhaps meet again. We will be keeping in touch with you, to let you know how we all progress in our new life in Canada.

With sincere thanks and best wishes to you, your family and all the academy,
The Burnett Family

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Dear Mr Bonthuys

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for the training that you gave myself and the youth facility team at the Andover Depot yesterday. As a play development officer, I often find that I am out on site alone and often in very remote places. The work that we covered during the day was a real eye opener. I can't say that I enjoyed the feeling of panic which came over me at times but I think that it was something that I had to face.

As a result, I feel that I will be in a much better position to deal with a nasty situation should one arise ( And please god, I hope it won't ), and I also feel that it has highlighted a personal flaw which I need to work quite hard to overcome if I am to make a difference to my inter personal skills. Having the natural urge for flight means that I do not deal with confrontational situations very well and have a tendency to go from a very naive straight straight into panic when faced with any sort of challenging behaviour. This can result in flustered defensive behaviour even in the most controlled environments, such as a business meeting. It is now clear that by staying alert and aware of my environment, I could control this flight impulse and moderate my state of mind from panic to Action.

I would recommend this course not only to lone workers but also any person who has to commute alone or is an active independent person.

I thank you again.

Rae Adams
TVBC Play Development Office

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Dear Mr Bonthuys

As the proud parent of two young sons attending the Ohdokwan Black Belt Academy, I wish to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for the supreme excellence and high quality of tuition that the Academy has provided.

My wife and I have noticed a considerable difference in our sons' attitudes in becoming more helpful and tolerant towards others. This is of course down to the professionalism and expertise of yourself and your team of excellent Academy instructors and the Leadership Programme that you provide.

We feel that the Academy is helping them to go forward in their young lives, and is teaching them to strive for the best quality of life.

May we once again thank you and your Leadership Academy for your help and commitment that we and our sons have received from you and your team during this last year.

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Mr & Mrs Wedge

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Dear Mr Bonthuys

I am writing to thank you and the members of Ohdokwan, Black Belt Academy for all the care and support you have shown for myself and my son, Arran, during the time we have been coming to Ohdokwan.

Arran is quite timid and at times had felt vulnerable after being bullied at school (fortunately the school reacted quickly to this) however it still left him feeling vulnerable, also at the same time Arran was attending Occupational Therapy for not only his balance but to look at ways to strengthen his upper body.

Having come along to an introduction on a Saturday with Arran, I was most impressed, not only in respect of how professionally your school is run but also your holistic approach to each family, the warm and friendly way in which you and your team give support and encouragement.

Further to this due to the nature of my work it was impossible for him to attend anything on a regular evening and therefore with the option of two out of four sessions, meant he did not miss out.

I have seen, as have my family and friends, not only a change in Arran's stature but his over all confidence.

It is with great sadness that we have to leave Andover and therefore I would like to thank you for making such a difference to my son's development over the last year.

With thanks and best wishes.

Angela Hall

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Dear Mr Bonthuys and Ohdokwan,

I am writing to tell you how great the Ohdokwan Black Belt Academy is, and also how it has improved over the time that I have been training!

I am a SWAT team member and I am also a Leadership student. My family and I have seen some great changes in myself with a huge increase in my confidence. Also I have improved my behaviour at home and School. Now I have positive friends and not negative ones that were taking me downhill. Also since I have been coming to Ohdokwan I have got more confident in my learning both at the Academy and at School.

I want to say that the Academy and the Instructors have helped me in all aspects of my life.

I now want to be an Instructor too to help others.

The Academy is spot-on perfect!

Thank you.

Patrick Wedge
Age 12 years

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Mr. Bonthuys.

Tonight was one of the toughest workouts I've had in my life. On par even with Mr. Sewell's relentless kicking drills!

The car ride home I felt fantastic [As I always do after training] and my body was exhausted but I had none of the other symptoms I've become so used to.

I've battled against asthma since childhood. Everybody now sees the confident, high-kicking red belt. But nobody in the Academy knew me when I was 15. Nobody saw the sickly child who struggled in his PE class or who had an asthma attack after his first sparring session on the beach.

I'd resigned myself to living with this condition. Until I began training at Ohdokwan.

To this date I've trained with the ITF, TAGB and the WTF. None of them could have given me what you have. The confidence to take my training to the level it should be. To push myself and never stop my training and become the martial artist I am today. I would never have believed that I would overcome something that's stopped me all my life [And still would be in all probability. It's easy to quit when you don't have the support you need to carry on.]

3 years or even 1 year ago, I would never have made it through tonight's lesson and I would not be the person I am today.

So thankyou Sir, for everything.

Taekwon

-Shaun McLorie- 2nd Kup.

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Dear Mr Bonthuys,

I wanted to write this testimonial as a thank you for all that you have done for our family:

I have two sons who are both Leadership Students at the Ohdokwan Black Belt Academy.

The youngest had wanted to take up a martial art of some kind for a while, and his chance came when Ohdokwan came to support our village Fete. Members of the public were invited to participate in an introductory lesson within the display, and he had his chance to try it! He thoroughly enjoyed himself, and was invited to a free month trial at the Academy in Andover.

My son was hooked and then enrolled onto the Positive Start program. He progressed well and then decided to set the goal of becoming a BLACK BELT LEADER, so we upgraded his membership.

His confidence in himself and what he can do has been tremendously boosted; he has become fitter and has toned muscles (which he did not know that he had!). He has learned to respect others as well as himself – through the discipline and guidance of the martial arts and the academy instructors.

My other son has always been the less confident of the two. He also started on the Positive Start program after watching his brother a few times – and decided that he wanted to try it for himself. He has now discovered that he has a natural flair for the martial arts and has become very keen to progress further. The change in him is amazing. His confidence is so much better and he now feels much better about himself with his self-esteem. He will now hold eye contact when talking to people (even people that he has not met before). He now speaks much more clearly (he used to mumble his conversations).

Teachers at his old school used to tell him and I that he was uncoordinated. They should see him now!!! Since progressing up to the Leadership program he has come on in leaps and bounds… He has become fitter and more agile than he has ever been in his life!

The Ohdokwan Black Belt Academy always makes you feel welcome – whatever your ability. If you are unable to do something you are not made to feel stupid – but are supported by the excellent instructors who help and guide you to achieve your very best.

My boys are 12 and 16. If they are like this now, what great adults they will make...

Joining this academy is also a great way to make new friends!

Mrs Christer
Shipton Bellinger

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Dear Mr Bonthuys

Thank you so much for the training session you conducted for my team at our quarterly staff meeting. It is clear that the discipline and focus of the martial arts world is very relevant to people in business. We ask them to focus on a goal, and work to achieve it. Your exercise in breaking the blocks taught everyone that even if the goal seems at first to be daunting, with enough self-belief it becomes possible. We still refer to those principles in our daily business activities, weeks after the session. My experience with most training is that the effects are diluted over time – not so in this case ! I look forward to another energising session with you and the team.

With Best Regards
Tim. Director & Regional General Manager (Europe, Middle East & Africa)
Codan UK Ltd

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Now that our block of Tae Kwon Do sessions is complete I would like to thank you for arranging such a super experience for our children.

The instructors were really excellent with the children keeping them active, interested and on-task throughout the sessions. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile project.

I believe the long term benefits will have been to introduce children to the concept that fitness can be fun, that doing sport is an interesting and rewarding way of spending leisure time and also (as children in our Alamein Ward are amongst the most deprived in Test Valley) some good fun!

Regards, Camilla
Headteacher
Roman Way Primary School
Andover

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Mr Bonthuys

Just a note to say 'thank you' to you for Matthew's 'Student of the month' award. He is really very proud, and his trophy is off to school tomorrow for 'show and tell'.

Matty really enjoys his Tae Kwon Do, and going the extra mile is a pleasure for him.

Thanks again to you and all your instructors for helping Matty to achieve.

Mike and Clare Castle

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Dear Mr Bonthuys

I wanted to write to express my appreciation to everyone at the Ohdokwan Black Belt Academy for the experience that you have given to me and the whole family since we became members.

As you know Thomas was experiencing behavioural and learning difficulties at primary school, to the extent that I think they were seriously considering holding him back a year. He was unable to concentrate for any length of time, and was a disturbance to other class members. We always worked hard with the school to try and overcome his problems, which were leading to him achieving well below his average age for his schoolwork across the board.

Since he took up Tae kwon do at the age of eight he improved almost from day one. The structure and discipline of the Dojang helped to re-enforce everything we were trying to teach him at home. He found positive role models and an environment where he could develop both physically and emotionally. As he progressed through the grades he enjoyed taking on the responsibility that came with the rank seniority, including helping with Little Dragons. The continual teachings about life skills that he received gave us a common vocabulary to use when discussing issues related to behaviour or social responsibility at home.

During the last twelve months Thomas' reading has improved by more than 18 months such that he is now slightly ahead of the average for his age. He is already achieving results in maths and science at the end of Year 5 that are required by the end of Year 6. While these are not exceptional results for a child with Thomas' background, from where he was two years ago they are little short of miraculous. He was also awarded the Star Pupil badge for his year for a full term, for which attitude is important rather than academic achievement. I firmly believe that the tuition he has received from the Ohdokwan academy has been instrumental in this improvement, and has helped him on his way to becoming a true martial artist who will in turn uphold the values of the Academy.

For my part, starting to learn martial arts in my forties has been a challenge, although never less than enjoyable. I have always enjoyed testing and now I have found a discipline where I can continually improve myself physically and mentally. I am as determined as Thomas to progress to the level of Black Belt such that we can enjoy our progression through the grades together. It has certainly given me a new focus, as a direct result of the positive mental attitude taught at the Academy I was spurred into successfully completing my MBA degree which had taken me five years and which I was unlikely to have completed had things remained as they were.

Finally even Emma has enjoyed her Little Dragons classes; she has developed from the shy six year old that started the classes to a very confident member of the group, and she has particularly enjoyed the learning activities.

All these benefits are of course in addition to the obvious improvement in self confidence and the childrens' ability to handle a difficult situation and ultimately to defend themselves which is an increasing concern these days.

Thank you to all the instructors who have helped us and of course to you for your vision and leadership in creating an academy with the highest standards, which is nonetheless accessible to a family such as ours in which we have such different requirements and can all enjoy training.

With Best Regards

Tim & Jill Ricketts, Thomas & Emma

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David

I was really proud of Matty today in Cheltenham. I'm not ashamed to say I had tear in my eye more than once. And whilst Matty exhibited amazing Indomitable Spirit and Perseverance today, the large proportion of Matty's achievements are due to you and your team. I am always most impressed by the ethos and Tenets of your school which you teach with great dedication. You must be very proud of the whole Andover contingent.

I would really like to thank all of you very much for all you have done for Matty, it really showed today.

It was marvellous the way ALL the Andover team encouraged and supported Matty.

Much as I hate to select individuals, could you please pass on special thanks to:-

Mrs Davies for guiding Matty (and me!) today & helping him rehearse his pattern,
Mr Reeves for encouraging Matty during his sparring,
Mr Sweatmore for sparring with Matty last Thursday,
Mr McIsaacs for coaching Matty with Dan Gun last Thursday,
And of course – you – for your encouragement and support to Matty all day on what could have been a daunting experience.

I'm sorry I had to disappear before the end, but Matty was beginning to flag (anticlimax, I expect, after the adrenalin rush!), but I hope you enjoyed the rest of the day.

Once again, my grateful thanks. I think the attached picture speaks volumes.

Best wishes.
Mike Castle