Believing Through Achieving recently hosted a webinar titled “Transformative Therapies: How Martial Arts Elevates ABA for Kids and Parents Alike”. We invited professionals within the ABA and Occupational Therapy fields as well as teachers and parents/caregivers to get a small taste of what our platform consists of and the simplicity of implementing it in both a therapy setting and at home.
For those of you that were not able to attend, we wanted to succinctly summarize what we discussed during this event as it was another opportunity to not only demonstrate the success of our program thus far but to also share some of the testimonials from parents of our students.
We’re going to present this just as our webinar was presented; more of a conversation that I’m leading with you. So, let’s dive in and learn more about how online martial arts can transform therapy both in a professional setting and at home.
I’ve been a martial arts instructor for over 30 years. In that time, my colleagues and I trained individuals at the highest levels—bodyguards, law enforcement, military personnel, professional fighters—so I thought I knew what it took to make someone strong and successful in martial arts. My approach was to break down the individual and rebuild them — through intensity, discipline, and fear, pushing them beyond their perceived limits.
But early in my career, I made a mistake. As I began to teach more and more students with autism, because I was wholly unfamiliar with their needs at their time, I didn’t recognize the difference that was required in my approach. I saw students who wouldn’t make eye contact, who had poor posture or who looked away, and I assumed it was defiance. So, I continued to push harder, thinking that eventually, I could break through. But I was wrong. The harder I pushed, the worse it got. I didn’t realize that it wasn’t disrespect, but rather an automatic stress response and everything I was doing up to this point was essentially backwards for these students.
That realization forced me to change. Alongside my colleagues, we dove deep — talking to experts, researching, and essentially learning the most we could about how to teach students with autism in the most effective way possible. What we discovered was this: martial arts have been shown to be among the best forms of movement therapy. There are several different research papers out there on this, and we’ll list them at the end of this for your review. Unfortunately, martial artists generally have shown themselves to be the worst form of teachers for individuals with autism. Martial arts could provide immense physical, mental, and emotional benefits, but… not under these conditions.
Now, we all recognize the yin/yang symbol. It represents balance, a way to symbolize an equal transfer of energy that complements both sides in harmony.
In martial arts, there is the individual (the student) and the art. In the past, I broke down the individual in service to and to honor the art. But I’ve realized that in this situation—with this audience, with these clients — we need to break down and build up the art in service and in honor of the individual. Like the yin/yang, we can balance our curriculum with the instruction that is required to reach those who need it most, and that is the foundation of our online platform.
We have the knowledge and experience to create a new, innovative method of martial arts that not only provides physical benefits but mental and emotional ones as well. As experts in the field, we have completely redefined it as it is known traditionally. But all of you (ABA/OT professionals, parents, teachers, and caregivers) are experts on the individual, the student. If we work together, we can create something powerful. By combining our expertise, we can build a system that truly benefits individuals with special needs in ways never seen before.
Top 5 Mistakes when Implementing Movement Therapies
As we began to analyze and test our platform both within our existing studios and within the platform itself online, we realized that there were a few challenges that continued to appear.
- Lack of Consistency
Many students – neurodiverse and neurotypical – struggle with at home learning. A clear, consistent pathway is essential to keep them on track and engaged. To ensure that the lesson plans were clear within the platform, we created video guided lessons that provide supplementary information and training tips so any student will not only remain engaged but can find the answer to any question they may have during training. It’s clear what to practice, and how to continue to build skills over time.
- Inability to Control the Training Environment
Traditional dojo environments often don’t have the ability to tailor their lessons or their environment to those who have visual or auditory sensitivities. In addition, it’s often overwhelming to be in a large class and can negatively impact retention. The solution has always been private or one-on-one lessons, but these are costly and often out of reach for many. We solved this issue by putting our platform fully online where students can access it 24/7 wherever and whenever they are most comfortable, allowing them to train in an environment that is fully tailored to their needs.
- Lack of Predictability in Lessons
For many students, unexpected lessons and practice during a traditional class can cause extreme anxiety. Since routine and predictability is ideal especially with our neurodivergent students, we decided to lay out our entire curriculum from white to black belt on our platform. Students can look ahead and see what is coming up at any time so they can prepare – if they choose to skip something and work on another skill set, that’s ok. The flexibility we have built into our curriculum is ideal for those who prefer to self-manage the learning process and is also geared towards therapy environments where specific exercises and challenges can be used to achieve a goal set by the therapist.
- Failure to Break Down Movements into Manageable Steps
Martial arts are a complex, multi-hemispheric practice that requires an immense amount of coordination and focus. Without breaking down the movements, it can quickly become overwhelming, and students can feel discouraged. We managed to break down the movements into their smallest, most granular level so that anyone of any skill level can begin and build slowly at their own pace. Coupling this with our clear lesson layout provides a linear pathway where students can progress when they’re ready and build confidence along the way.
- Relying on Subject Matter Experts Instead of Teachers
Unfortunately, not all martial arts instructors understand the needs of neurodivergent students. Expertise in martial arts does not guarantee expertise in teaching, especially for those who might require specialized support. This is why we have empowered caregivers – therapists, parents, etc. who truly know and understand their students – to become their instructors, fostering a productive environment of trust, patience, and meaningful growth.
You Can Teach Martial Arts…TODAY!
After our collective epiphany where we realized that YOU are the most effective instructors, we decided to gear our system towards becoming a partnership where our expertise in martial arts and your expertise in people come together, just like the yin/yang we mentioned earlier.
It has been nothing less than remarkable to watch therapists teach our material to their students/clients easily, with no prior martial arts experience. They bring their own methods of motivation, temperament, and communication making each lesson unique, engaging, and most of all, beneficial.
We also know that safety is paramount. Since each of our lessons are broken down so minutely, the expectations are clear and there is no ambiguity that could potentially cause injury especially when implemented by someone who doesn’t have any prior martial arts experience. At a community center in East LA, we currently have a teen who has grown up in the center teaching our program to younger children safely and effectively, creating an environment where confidence and relatability build into a sense of growth and empowerment.
We have seen firsthand that true success lies in blending martial arts principles with ABA techniques, creating a comprehensive holistic approach. In Sacramento, we recently collaborated with school districts to bring our program into adaptive PE. Educators saw firsthand the cost-efficiency and developmental benefits of martial arts—and perhaps for the first time realized that martial arts can be taught effectively by non-martial artists, thanks to our streamlined and structured approach.
While the benefits of integrating martial arts into various settings are clear, the consequences of not taking this step can be significant. Without our innovative approach, schools, therapy practices, and homes risk missing out on a powerful tool to enhance physical, cognitive, and emotional development. So, what’s really at stake if this opportunity is overlooked?
Consequences of Not Moving Forward
Not moving forward with our integrated martial arts approach means missing an incredible opportunity for holistic growth—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Many professionals already refer clients to martial arts studios, seeing their potential as an adjunct therapy. But there’s a better way: by empowering you, the ABA professionals and caregivers to teach martial arts directly, we create consistency in messaging, techniques, and goals. This consistency builds executive functioning, strengthens developmental milestones, and nurtures confidence in a way that no random dojo can replicate.
Without this integration, children miss out on the structured physical activity they need—a critical concern given the rise in childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Martial arts combine physical, mental, and emotional growth into one practice, wrapped in executive functioning training, and offers benefits far beyond traditional therapies.
Furthermore, the online nature of this program creates a virtual community. Students aren’t isolated; they’re part of a global network, united as martial artists.
One of the most empowering outcomes we’ve seen is the shift in identity—from being labeled as autistic to being a ‘purple belt’ or a ‘blue belt.’ This new identity reflects hard work, resilience, and achievement, giving students a positive, powerful sense of self. To miss this opportunity is to miss a pathway to both individual and community-based growth.
We believe in making the therapeutic benefits of martial arts accessible to all, which is why we’ve moved our entire white belt curriculum in front of the paywall. No enrollment or payment is necessary to begin exploring our program and experiencing the benefits firsthand.
We encourage you to reach out to one of our Co-Founders, Robert Diamant, before accessing the materials. Robert can walk you through the platform, guiding you through the introductory web pages and helping you make the most of what we offer. After this brief introduction, you’ll have full access to the white belt resources to explore at your own pace.
This is our commitment to you: we’re here to empower you with these tools, without any barriers to entry. Join us in bringing a powerful, therapeutic martial arts experience to those who need it most.
References – Martial Arts and its Positive Effects on Individuals with Autism/Neurodivergent Challenges
- Ansari S, Hosseinkhanzadeh AA, AdibSaber F, Shojaei M, & Daneshfar A. (2021). The Effects of Aquatic Versus Kata Techniques Training on Static and Dynamic Balance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(9), 3180–3186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04785-w
- Garcia, J. M., Hahs-Vaughn, D., Murray, M., Perry, C., Brazendale, K., Rice, D. J., & Fukuda, D. H. (2024). The physical and psychosocial benefits of a family judo program for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A pilot study. Disability and Health Journal, 17(3), 101631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2024.101631
- Huang, Jiafu & Li, Xuecheng & Zongwei, Chen & Zou, Liye & Healy, Sean & Tse, Choi & Li, Chunxiao. (2023). Effects of Mind-Body Exercises on Health-related Outcomes in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 10.1007/s40489-023-00412-
- Kurniawan, Rama & Sianti, Ega & Annisaa, Annisaa & Rohana, Suni. (2022). Karate: Effective tools to improve social, emotional, and executive functions of students with autism. Jurnal SPORTIF Jurnal Penelitian Pembelajaran. 8. 29-43. 10.29407/js_unpgri.v8i1.17684
- Li L, Li H, Zhao Z, & Xu S. (2022). Comprehensive Intervention and Effect of Martial Arts Routines on Children with Autism. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2022, 9350841. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9350841
- Monkar, Nidhi & Su, Wan-Chun & Bhat, Anjana & Srinivasan, Sudha. (2021). Effects of Creative Movement Therapies on Social Communication, Behavioral-Affective, Sensorimotor, Cognitive, and Functional Participation Skills of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 12. 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.722874.
- Phung JN, & Goldberg WA. (2019). Promoting Executive Functioning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Mixed Martial Arts Training. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(9), 3669–3684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04072-3
