Presti Karate Video Story

What you need to know:

• Karate, meaning empty-hand fighting, is one of many styles of martial arts.

• John Presti is highly involved with martial arts and discusses the benefits of karate that he has experienced and witnessed.

• In addition to teaching self-defense, karate has many physical benefits.

• Karate improves mental agility and increases confidence.

• Practicing karate helps students build character by teaching life skills.

When John Presti was 12 he was getting bullied at school. His parents wanted him to learn how to defend himself, so they put him in karate classes. Presti feels that it was the best thing that ever happened to him and he has been involved with martial arts ever since, totaling almost 53 years of training. He now owns Presti Karate Centers, is on the board of directors for the United Fighting Arts Federation, and for 35 years he has worked closely with Chuck Norris, organizing testing, seminars, and events.

Karate, one of many different styles of martial arts, originated during a time when people were not allowed to use weapons.

The word karate is made up of the Japanese characters kara 空, which means empty, and te 手, which means hand. Combined, karate 空手 means ‘empty hand’. Shotokan Karate of America states that “Adding the suffix ‘-do’ 道 (pronounced ‘doe’), meaning ‘way,’ i.e., karate-do 空手道, implies karate as a total way of life that goes well beyond the self-defense applications” (Benefits of Karate Practice).

“I’ve learned a lot of different things from my martial arts training,” Presti says.  

Karate is an activity that impacts physical and mental health as well as additional areas of one’s life. At Presti Karate Centers, Presti ensures that his classes set his students up for success in all of these aspects.

“The style we teach, which we call the ‘Chuck Norris System’, has Tang Soo Do, has Jujitsu, has some Aikido, and Krav Magaw,” Presti says. “So we have a combination of everything and it works out good because it gives you the stability of discipline and then it gives you the actual street confrontation stuff and then it gives you actual tournament stuff.”

One of the most well-known benefits of karate is that it teaches self-defense. 

“Karate prepares you to defend yourself from aggressors by giving you the senses to react quickly and effectively in dangerous or life-threatening situations. [. . .] You will not just learn about ways to defend against an attack on the street or in other situations, you will also learn attitudes and strategies for avoiding the worst-case scenarios” (Martin Jutras, The Karate Lifetsyle).

“They condition themselves, they learn how to take a punch, they learn how to fall better, and get up and confront the person,” Presti states. 

Presti also says that karate will enhance one’s speed and agility as well as improve strength.

“I feel like it’s a practical set of skills to have, I feel like I’ve gotten better coordinated, balanced…” says Gabe Steiner, a 2nd-degree black belt at Presti Karate Centers.

Gabe also states that he’s noticed an improvement in his endurance.

Estelle Steiner, also a 2nd-degree black belt at Presti Karate Centers and Gabe’s mom, says that although she is not a natural athlete, she has seen results from the exercise, including improvement in coordination and overall physical health.

Karate also has many mental benefits, such as teaching and improving reaction and thinking skills.

“Mentally it makes you rethink losing your temper. It makes you think things out, I mean you have to think fast,” Presti remarks. 

Additionally, karate teaches mental discipline. Estelle has witnessed Gabe learn how to work through frustration and she feels that it has given him a sense of persistence and perseverance. She also saw Gabe’s confidence increase, which Presti says is one of the biggest mental benefits of karate.

When students learn how to protect themselves “they start feeling proud and when they feel proud the confidence kicks in,” Presti says. “They walk a little bit more proud, their head is up,” he continues. 

After starting karate because of being bullied at school, Presti has experienced this firsthand.

“I got confidence at an early age, when I first started, after I realized I was projecting a more positive image about myself,” he states.

The discipline and an increase in confidence help improve other areas of one’s life, and Presti has seen this happen with his students on numerous occasions.

“They do better on job interviews and a lot of places, when they see they’re involved in the martial arts, they hire them. A lot of colleges see that they’re in martial arts and they take them a little bit more serious. And they will end up with a good job because they learned about morals of work, hard work,” Presti states.  

He says that most people think karate is just about fighting, but he counters that it is more about teaching life skills. 

“I get some parents come in here and say ‘Well he’s not learning how to hit harder.’ He does know how to hit harder, believe me. He’s hit me. And I said ‘We’re learning how he can be a better person.'”

As a dedicated instructor, John Presti strives to see his students succeed in all areas of their lives, as karate benefits many diverse areas of one’s character, including physical health, mental agility, and life skills.

Works Cited

“Benefits of Karate Practice.” Shotokan Karate of America, 15 Feb. 2011, ska.org/karate-benefits/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Martin Jutras, The Karate Lifestyle. “What Are the Benefits of Karate?” What Are the Benefits of Karate? | The Karate Lifestyle, www.thekaratelifestyle.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-karate/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.