Local Boy Tackles 100 Acts of Kindness for His Green Belt

[Mike Oliver]

Local boy demonstrates that the martial arts are about much more than punching and kicking by taking on a city-wide “acts of kindness” project

Sacramento, CA Aug 21, 2010 – Kristoffer Brown, a 9 year old Sacramento resident, has been studying the martial arts for 14 months now. Five months ago he successfully tested for his orange belt by demonstrating a 400 year old form and doing multiple rounds of sparring with his fellow students and teachers at Zen Martial Arts. He will soon face his toughest belt test to date, the green
belt test.

According to Kristoffer, the most challenging requirement of his upcoming test will be getting his friends and family to do 10 acts of kindness each so that he can break his goal of 100.

“Karate teaches you that respect and patience are required in life,” said Kristoffer. “Practicing patience and respect are acts of kindness.”

Kristoffer’s martial arts teacher, Mike Oliver, uses a method called Project Based Leadership Training to teach his young students, experientially, about leadership. “Kristoffer’s project requires him to take his martial arts out of our dojo (school) and put it to work in the world,” says Oliver. “This is a part of an international movement in the martial arts community to teach children life skills.”

After Kristoffer completes his acts of kindness project Oliver will make the kindness log available on his school’s website. Kristoffer will film a short instructional video with his instructor’s help designed to teach other kids how to implement their own 100 Acts of Kindness Project.

Kristoffer wants to become a black belt one day but not just to become great at punching and kicking.

“I want to be a black belt because I want to know how to defend myself well,” says Kristoffer, “and I want to become a better person.”

For more information or to get a copy of Kristoffer’s acts of kindness journal, contact Mike Oliver of Zen Martial Arts at 916-678-0565, or by e-mail at [e-mail]

To see how Kristoffer is progressing with his project, you may visit the school’s website at digitaldojo.zenmartial.com .