Thomas Rambo has always felt connected in some way to martial arts. Without it, he would not be here today. Both of his parents have a martial arts background, crossing paths through it.
“My mother was an instructor in South Korea, and my father met her there,” Thomas recalls of their journey, which included becoming black belts together and later entering marriage and parenthood. Martial arts was part of his story from the beginning, and he found enjoyment in its many disciplines at an early age.
As Thomas grew older, however, other interests took hold and martial arts took a backseat as something part of his past. Then he became a father and when his son, Ben, turned six, martial arts found its way back to the front.
“Ben expressed an interest in and learning martial arts, so we looked around for a school to join,” he says. Thomas knew from personal experience that the right school would provide a supportive environment for Ben to grow into not only a disciplined young man, but also a confident one.
The school? Victory Martial Arts in Las Vegas, where he and Ben have been enrolled together as students for six months now. It was their first choice, and Thomas is thankful for his foresight into the decision to trust the skilled and highly trained professionals at Victory Martial Arts.
“This is Ben’s first school, and he seems very motivated,” he shares, noting that this is a testimony to the instructors who pour so much into helping their students succeed. “The teachers are very encouraging,” giving a nod to Master Freeland and Mr. Hopkins and Fontenot.
They regularly attend classes on a weekly basis; every Monday and Wednesday. This consistency reinforces skill learning but also the importance of dedication, something Thomas stresses can’t be taught just anywhere. He appreciates martial arts for the conversations it opens to bigger life lessons, in and outside the classroom.
“Some of the things that they teach in class are great to bring up outside of school,” he says. “Like honesty and responsibility, it makes it easy to bring up some of those things at home, when we need to talk through those things.”
For Thomas, the martial arts structure itself is another advantage when it comes to motivation, particularly for Ben. “The colored belts are really easy goals to set for him,” says Thomas. “We can strive for those goals and we understand what we need to do to accomplish those goals.”
Meeting these goals is one way for Thomas to show Ben that “the things that are difficult are rewarding, we stick with it.”
Amber Chambers is the director at Victory Martial Arts and notes that families, like Thomas and Ben, who train alongside each other at the school gain more than a common interest and physical strength together. “They build unbreakable bonds, shared discipline and a lifelong commitment to becoming their best together.”
On a deeper, more personal level, reconnecting with martial arts has not only strengthened his relationship with Ben but his late father as well, allowing Thomas to honor and keep his memory close. “We started with Ben at Victory right around the time we lost my father,” he reflects, recognizing the significance early in his grief journey. “It has a lot of meaning there, martial arts is something that we can do together that I shared with my father.”
What began as something for him and Ben to enjoy has turned into something far more meaningful than Thomas could have imagined–even all those years ago as a first-time student himself. He knows that one day, Ben will realize it, too.
“I just enjoy spending time with him,” he says. “It gives him self-confidence and being able to participate is awesome.”
“It has a lot of meaning there. . .[martial arts] is something that we can do together that I shared with my father.”