Worksop martial arts classes praised for working ‘miracles’ on children’s confidence

Endeavour Martial Arts, based at the Vesuvius Business Park, has been commended by parents after seeing an increase in focus, confidence and purpose in their children.

Academy owners Tom and Megan Cutforth, aged 30 and 27 respectively, have graded hundreds of students to blackbelt and beyond since they began teaching martial arts in 2015.

Children as young as aged four can get involved in ‘little champions’ sessions, followed by basic, intermediate and advanced classes which cater for all ages and abilities.

Jo Thomas, 41, said the academy has been ‘like a miracle’ for her son Dylan, who joined last year.

“He's got a real passion for it now,” Jo said. “That's what he wants to do when he leaves school – he wants to work as a martial arts instructor.”

She said Dylan, 10, was not always the bubbly and popular boy he is now, having struggled with his self-confidence.

Jo, from Worksop, said: “Dylan’s always struggled with confidence and always wanted me to do things with him – it was becoming a bit of a worry.

“All his friends were trying out the martial arts sessions so I thought ‘I’m going to push him to do this’.

“I think he only joined in for the last 10 minutes and he hasn’t looked back since, he just loves it. He’s like a totally different child.

“He’ll go places now without me, he’s trying new things, he’s starting to come out of his shell. Even his teacher can’t believe the difference.”

The classes have also worked wonders for Amy and Andrew Holden’s son Matthew, who was affected ‘quite badly’ by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving him struggling with anxiety.

Matthew, aged six, has been attending the ‘little champions’ class for a few months, which has seen him shift from being a ‘shy little boy’, to full of excitement for each class.

Amy, of Grafton Street, said: “As soon as I messaged Endeavour, I knew I’d made the right decision in getting him into martial arts.

“They were so on-board and supportive of Matthew and there’s nothing they wouldn’t do to accommodate. They just seem to know with Matthew when to step in and give him that extra support, and when to just hold back and let him get there on his own.

“It’s just really built him up and they’ve been so supportive of him and really worked alongside him to build his confidence.

“I can't thank and praise them enough for everything that they've done to help him.”

Tom has said it is down to stories like those of Matthew and Dylan that keep him and Megan teaching.

He said: “Martial arts can really boost the confidence of young children starting school, and it gives teenagers something to do outside of homework and coursework.

“It's not a job for us – we just do it because we enjoy it and to hear those kinds of stories. If we can help as many people as possible it's a win win.”

To find out more about Endeavour Martial Arts, see endeavourmartialarts.co.uk