How Marital Arts Has Helped Me Through My Life

By Dominique Zaino

At age thirteen years old, I have accomplished many things in my life time with the Martial Arts. I am currently a first degree black belt in the style of Japanese/Okinawan GoJo- Ryu and Kubudo. I have been studying the Marital Arts since the age of three, along with my brothers Tony and Joey Zaino. Not only do the Martial Arts give me self discipline and respect but it also teaches me manners and patience. All these things are good values to have in life. Martial Art training has kept me in shape as well and has helped me with every other sport I participate in.

Besides staying busy with the Martial Arts I am the head captain of the cheer leading squad for Jupiter Middle School of Technology, I do gymnastics at Keeping Flippin Gymnastics studio, I am head anchor and assistant director of my Jupiter Middle Schools news crew, and I am trying out this year for Jupiter Middle Schools county track team.

Martial Art training has helped me with everything I do in life. When it comes to school the Marital Arts gives me confidence to study hard and do my work efficiently and to get good grades. It gives me great manners around others and respect around elders.

My whole family studies the martial arts as well. What I like most about the marital arts is it brings my family together. Unlike team sports or other youth activities Martial Art training is something that we can all do together giving us fun family time. We all work as one team and always get to spend time together. When we travel to an event or a performance show my family and I have a great time and make the trip fun and almost like a mini vacation. The Marital Arts

The Martial Arts always keep me focused and ready when things come unexpectedly. My dad, Danny Zaino, who has been studying the martial arts for over 30 years, is the co founder of the national martial arts karate team “Team Pepsi” which has been running for 7 years. Team Pepsi is what I love most in the martial arts because we are a professional karate team that always puts on entertaining and exciting shows. When we perform we always leave the audience with smiles and a great show. My dad always encourages my brothers and me in the martial arts and that’s why I think I have the skills and technique I have today.

My mom Theresa Zaino runs the Team Pepsi equipment and makes sure our shows run smoothly and the team has everything set and ready to go and do an awesome show. She is the karate mom and helps me in the marital arts by giving me confidence and is always keeping her head up high and her hopes up for the team. More than that, my mom is a role model to me and the other girls on the team.

I like being a part of Team Pepsi because we get to do it all, from performance shows, kick boxing, and competing and that is what makes me an all around great martial artist. What I also love to do in the martial arts is competing. I love the dragline feeling when I’m competing and when you win, it makes you feel like your training as really paid off and it is exciting to reach a new goal.

As you can see the martial arts has really helped me through out my life and keeps me on the right track. As my dad always says it keeps you busy and away from drugs and alcohol and keeps your mind focused to get good grades in school. No matter what happens, I will always stick to the martial arts because it makes me an all around better person and you never know what it might do for me in the future.

About the author: Dominique Zaino is a news anchor for a show on the Action Radio Network and a nationally ranked martial arts champion. She is a featured performer on the world famous “Team Pepsi” Karate Show Team. You can learn more about Dominique by visiting www.battleofthearts.com

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