A martial-arts mentorship program that helps young people build the discipline, focus, and confidence to succeed in school and in life.
Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for kids, youth, and young adults — emphasizing the importance of a good education, strong character, healthy family values, structure, self-esteem, leadership, and being a positive role model to all. Knock Out Drop Outs is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit built around that belief.
It starts with relationship. We work to build trust with each student so they know we are here to help them, never to devalue them. From there, martial-arts training becomes the vehicle for focus, discipline, and self-respect — the kind that carries into the classroom, the home, and the rest of their lives.
Knock Out Drop Outs is the work of Hanshi Tony White — an 9th-degree black belt and Hall of Fame instructor who has spent his life on the mat and, increasingly, in the lives of young people who need a mentor. The program is built on a model proven in Union County, North Carolina under a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, where students showed measurable gains in behavior, attitude, grades, and attendance.
For Hanshi White, this work is personal. Helping children become confident in their abilities is his passion, and bringing this program to Chester County and the surrounding area is a way of giving back to the community he calls home.
Structure and routine that students carry from the mat into their schoolwork, their homes, and their daily decisions.
The ability to set a goal, stay with it, and push through difficulty — a skill that changes how a student shows up in class.
Students learn to own their effort and their progress, supported by instructors who hold them to a standard and believe in them.
Real, earned confidence that comes from doing hard things and getting better — the kind that can't be handed to a kid, only built.
Call us or fill out the contact form and tell us about the student. Parents, teachers, and counselors are all welcome to refer a young person.
Visit the center, meet the instructors, and see the environment firsthand. There is no pressure and no commitment to take the first step.
The student starts training in a structured, supportive program built to meet them where they are and grow from there.