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"My son has participated in the after school Karate program (3rd and 4th grades) offered by Fonseca Martial Arts. He started off as a new student and has recently earned his yellow belt. I am very proud of what my son has been able to accomplish. However, more importantly, he is very proud of his own accomplishments. He has enhanced his sense of pride and self discipline. I truly believe the Karate program helped to enhance these qualities. He is very excited about his accomplishments and already has his eyes set on the orange belt.

Fonseca Martial Arts has had a very positive impact on my son as will as the rest of the children in the program. The patience, the discipline and time the instructors spend with the children is very positive while still providing fun. I would highly recommend this program to any parent who would love to see their child have fun and build upon their own personal character at the same time. It is wonderful to see a child set goals for themselves and to go after them. What wonderful preparation for their future!"

Sincerely,
Adrienne Powers
(mother of Dawes After-School Karate Club)

Dear John

I wanted to express my appreciation for the work you and your staff have done here at Dawes School in our after-school program. Your program has provided a wonderful opportunity for students to try something new and different without even leaving our building, which I know their parents also appreciate! Your staff is always timely and pays close attention to the students, their safety, and their development both physically and emotionally.

As a result of participating in the karate program, our students have gained in self-esteem and confidence. They have concrete goals to work towards and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishments. Through your program the students practice many of the same skills we work on here during the regular School hours, specifically working towards goals, self-discipline, and listening. In your program they get all of that while benefiting from exercise!

We are happy that we have been able to maintain this program here at Dawes for the past year and look forward to continuing our relationship with Fonseca Martial Arts

Sincerely,
Karen Bradley
Principal

Evanston/Skokie
School District 65
1500 McDaniel Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone:847-859-800
Fax: 847-859-8707

Hi John

RuthAnn and I want you to know how happy we are that Elliott found FMA and that it has become such an important part of his life.

I know compliments can be embarrassing, but wouldn't it be a terrible world if people only spoke up when they had complaints? So please bear with me for a moment.

I'm sure you can imagine that sparring can be a nerve-wracking thing for parents, but you and the other instructors you've brought in have given us confidence that Elliott is really prepared, and that he is as safe as he could possibly be given the nature of this sport. We just can't believe how much Elliott has learned since July last year.

But it's not just the sparring instruction that's really good. Elliott’s katas have never before looked as good as they do now, at least to my untrained eye. I think that's partly because learning how to spar has helped Elliott with kata (he had never been taught anything about sparring until coming to Elite), and partly because what you teach him about kata is taught in such a way that he understands it and can put it to immediate use, which was frequently not the case in the past.

On top of all that, you have created a positive, healthy environment at the Dojo that is adding to Elliott’s life in ways that go well beyond sports ability.

Karate can become a pretty big financial commitment for a family, but as far as we are concerned it’s worth every penny, at least at this Dojo.

One more thing: since we really believe in what you're doing with this Dojo, we would do anything we possibly could to support it. I hope you know you can count on us if you ever need anything from the parents of your students. Please don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks for doing such a good job.

Sincerely,
Scott + RuthAnn

Scott Taylor
680 Vernon Avenue
Glencoe, Illinois 60022
(847) 835-1602
TaylorsWWW@aol.com

"Our kids were so enthralled with John after his program that they lined up for autographs!

It is rare to find a person these days who can relate in such a positive and enthusiastic manner as to command the respect and attention of kids ages 3 - Grade 6. John did just that at his presentations with our clubs. The kids were excited about the subject, eager to learn, and responded well.

The club adult leaders even got into the action! A great time was had by all. This is one event the kids and the leaders agreed must be repeated!

Thank you, John for turning a "Friends Night" into a memorable occasion for everyone. I would recommend you and your teaching on "What To Do About Bullies" to anyone working with children."

Vickie E. Warner
Children's Ministries Director
Oak Brook Community Church

Dear John,

I am writing to thank you again for Chris’s birthday party. Christopher’s party at the Dojo was a tremendous success. Chris, and Elliot couldn’t have been more helpful. Christopher’s friends thoroughly enjoyed the karate games the Sensei’s created. Christopher was in seventh heaven being the center of attention, and sharing with his friends his knowledge of karate.

Christopher’s study of karate at Fonseca Martial Arts has been a tremendous experience for him, resulting in his increased confidence, coordination, respect and sense of responsibility. He thoroughly enjoys his karate sessions, and always looks forward to them.

Thank you.
Laurie Werner
847-869-5392

Dear John,

In my quest to find a martial arts school that was right for me, I visited most of the other dojos in Skokie and found many of the classes had only one or two people. I visited yours several times and found it fit my needs perfectly. My search was for a larger class size, where the emphasis would not be on me to compete.

I was extremely pleased with what I saw; and how you, the instructor, made everyone feel a part of each class. For me, at 64, and one of your older students, being able to participate at a comfortable level was important and I can do that.

That being said, I would not hesitate to recommend Fonseca Martial Arts to anyone wanting to get involved with martial arts.

Sincerely,
J.R. Graves
773-447-3992