ABOVE Dewitt Davis at his
school in Lyons. RIGHT At
Dewitt’s American Ju Chi
Do Extreme Martial Arts
school, students learn selfdiscipline,
respect, and
acceptance. Students are
also taught how to have
a healthy appreciation
for nature along with their
martial arts training.
62 Toombs County Magazine
white belt and train up to a degree of
black belt.”
Dewitt didn’t just want to learn; he
wanted to teach. “In order to receive
your Instructor’s stripe, you have to do a
major and a minor and go through all the
programs.” And in addition to physical
training, “you also learn people skills as
well as the business side so you can open
up your own school. The association or
federation wants you to have people skills
with kids and other adults before you are
certified to represent them to the public.”
While training to become a certified
instructor in Taekwondo, Dewitt also
trained in a Karate style called Shotokan.
He then went to Jacksonville, Florida, to
train in Midori Yama Budokai with Master
Leo Wilson. “He and his wife brought a
Japanese style to America,” said Dewitt.
“It was the chance to have a broader
experience and training in martial arts. I
wanted to train in many different styles
before I started my own school.”
In addition to Taekwondo and
Shotokan, he also trained in Karate, Tai
Chi, Jiu Jitsu, Aikido and with Master Ed
Parker in Kenpo. “He was one of the first
to teach Kenpo in the U.S.,” said Dewitt.
After years of training, he received
his Instructor Certification from the ATA
(American Taekwondo Association) in
Atlanta. But training, he learned, was
about much more than rank. It was about
personal growth. As a child, he said, “I
was taught to respect anyone older and
those in authority. My parents provided
structure, ethics, and morals. But in
martial arts, I learned self-respect, and