• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Write
  • Intern
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact

The Austinot

Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.

  • Things To Do
    • Things To Do This Weekend
    • Things To Do This Week
    • Things To Do This Weekend With Kids
  • Discoveries
    • Austinot Loves
    • Activities
    • Day Trips
    • Local Business
  • Food & Drink
    • Food
    • Drink
  • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Film
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Theatre
  • Culture
    • Arts
    • History
    • Museums
  • Et Cetera
    • Non-Profits
    • Podcast
    • Archives

One World Karate Strikes Disability with Hope and Empowerment

December 4, 2013 by David Thomas 3 Comments

One World Karate Student in Austin

This young student has learned to use her braces to her advantage (Photo credit: Dan Carroll)

When I think of karate, I think of “sweep the leg,” the infamous line spoken by the Cobra Kai sensei from The Karate Kid. Others think of Bruce Lee movies. Most of us can see ourselves roundhouse kicking a mugger in the chin and saving the day. For most, learning karate or any other martial art is achievable. But to others, it seems like a pipe dream.

One World Karate Transforms Lives

Imagine being in a wheelchair with your muscles permanently in knots, or the frustration of being incapable of understanding the world around you.

Imagine being beset with these challenges and wanting to learn karate. How disheartening to not only you, but to those who love you.

People with special needs and their families are an overlooked and marginalized minority in our society. Sure, they are afforded handicapped parking spots and wheelchair ramps, but what are we doing to help them feel like members of our society? Dan Carroll teaches them karate.

Dan Carroll One World Karate

One World Karate Founder, Dan Carroll (Photo credit: Caroline Carroll)

Inspiring Change

One World Karate Classes Austin

Students look forward to classes at One World Karate (Photo credit: Dan Carroll)

Dan, a 33 year martial arts veteran, holds a 4th Degree black belt in Bando, and is certified to teach Taekwondo, Jujitsu and Tai Chi. Inspired by two special needs siblings, he opened One World Karate in May 2012. It’s a school designed to teach martial arts to those with special needs.

I asked him why he chose to dedicate his life to this purpose. He put it like this: “Karate by its very nature works on the neurological shortcomings that many special needs people face. It takes very small tweaks of any martial arts to be essentially what children need for their development.”

He believes that since it helped him as a child with ADHD, marital arts can help others with developmental disabilities.  Behavioral, occupational and physical therapists have discovered that martial arts can be used as a multifaceted approach to therapy and development. The discipline also gives the kids something to look forward to – a goal to reach each week. It helps them continue moving forward in life, despite their daily challenges and frustrations.

Dan Carroll One World Karate

Dan Carroll teaches martial arts to special needs students in Austin (Photo credit: Dan Carroll)

One World Karate’s curriculum is designed to improve on students’ strengths and downplay their weaknesses. “For some of my students, learning a short form is akin to you and I lining up and sprinting for 200 yards,” says Dan. That put things into perspective for me. Sprinting is a chore for me, a distance runner with bad knees. A 200 yard sprint would be a feat.

Dan’s belief in the therapeutic properties of martial arts is so strong, he founded One World Martial Arts Federation. Currently, course curriculum and instructional videos are being developed for any school that wishes to teach karate to special needs students.

One World Karate Classes in Austin TX

Sometimes, basic martial arts forms may seem formidable, but the students are up to the challenge (Photo credit: Dan Carroll)

Get Involved

One World Karate is located at 9101 Burnet Rd., just north of 183 inside Little Tesoros Therapy Services. Classes take place on Monday, Friday and Saturday. Information regarding classes, private lessons and scheduling can be found on One World Karate’s website.

It’s good to know that someone in Austin has special needs people in mind. I’m grateful that someone like Dan is willing to take time to share his knowledge and continue teaching martial arts traditions, while helping others. Thank you for believing in the members of Austin’s special needs community, helping them grow, learn and achieve.

 

@The_DT_Show asks:

What do you think of One World Karate’s mission in the Austin community?

Filed Under: Discoveries, Local Business Tagged With: burnet

Best of The Austinot

We always have unique content on The Austinot and we love to give things away. You know, like concert tickets, gift cards, and other cool stuff. We only send out our “Best of the Austinot” newsletter twice a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of The Austinot here!

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest
guest
3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Angie Bacia Bookout
Angie Bacia Bookout
8 years ago

What a great article. It is so wonderful to see a place where children can feel that nothing has to stand in their way. Children being able to focus on their strengths and have a place and time where their disability isn’t considered an unbeatable obstacle is amazing. Kudos to One World Karate!

0
Reply
David
David
8 years ago
Reply to  Angie Bacia Bookout

I’ve never considered martial arts as a form of therapy until I spoke with Dan. What he has done for these kids is definitely good.

0
Reply
One World Karate
One World Karate
8 years ago
Reply to  Angie Bacia Bookout

Thanks for the Kudos! I definitley love what I do.

0
Reply

Connect with Us

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of A...

    Please enable JavaScript

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of Austin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Things to do

Things to do in Austin this week

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of August 8, 2022 include EPIC Sunset Bat Paddle, Carpenter Hotel BBQ Pool Party, and more!

Austin is now among the fastest-growing metroplexes in the US! Keeping up with the growth, luckily, there’s plenty going on in Austin all days of the week. There are things to do on Monday in Austin, of course, things to do in Austin on Saturday night, and everything in between! Some of you may be […]

Horse Riding Lessons in Austin - Texas Trail Rides

Horseback Riding in Austin: Horse Riding Lessons For Adults and Kids Near You

If you’ve always been captivated by cowboy movies about the Wild West and are looking for adult horse riding lessons near me, Austin is the place to be! There are a ton of places that offer horseback riding in Austin with a range of adult horseback riding lessons, including picking your own horse, learning different […]

Things to do in Austin

Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of August 5, 2022 include Saturday Family Funday, Back to School Bash, and more!

If there’s one thing about this city, it’s that there is always something going on. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of August 5, 2022, there’s plenty of fun to be had, including the First Friday Ghost Tour, Disney’s Newsies, and more! Top Pick for Summer Camps […]

Things to do in Austin

10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of August 5, 2022 Include Queer Yoga, Grounded Dance Cardio, and More!

  For summer camp information, check out our page for Best Summer Camps in Austin for 2022!  If you would like to discover more Things to do in Austin this Week & Things to do in Austin with Kids this Weekend, check out Facebook for immediate notifications.

Classic Game Fest 2022 in Austin

Classic Game Fest 2022 in Austin: A Can’t Miss Celebration of Retro Videogames

  Remember the good old days of videogames? You and your friends huddled around a tiny CRT TV kicking each other in Street Fighter, battling Bowser in Super Mario Bros, or blasting demons in Doom. Modern videogames offer best in class visuals and expansive experiences. But there’s nothing quite like blowing into a cartridge, slamming it […]

Recent Posts

  • 10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of August 8, 2022 include EPIC Sunset Bat Paddle, Carpenter Hotel BBQ Pool Party, and more!
  • Horseback Riding in Austin: Horse Riding Lessons For Adults and Kids Near You
  • Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of August 5, 2022 include Saturday Family Funday, Back to School Bash, and more!
  • 10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of August 5, 2022 Include Queer Yoga, Grounded Dance Cardio, and More!
  • Classic Game Fest 2022 in Austin: A Can’t Miss Celebration of Retro Videogames

Welcome to The Austinot

We are all about Austin: the vibe, the people and the uniqueness of the city. We love to explore. Get to know us! We’ll respond if you comment. Heck, we’ll probably invite you to come and hang out with us!

Follow along to help support and learn more about local businesses, artists, and events.

-The Austinot Team

Privacy Policy

Trending Posts

  • What’s Up With the ‘Live a Great Story’ Messages Around Austin?
  • Guide to Austin’s Dirty Sixth Street
  • 10 Best Lakes in and around Austin
  • Austin’s Speakeasy Secrets (Shhh): Floppy Disk Repair Co.
  • 20 Restaurants Open Late in Austin – Best Late Night Food Places For Tasty Eats

Copyright © 2022 · Log in

wpDiscuz