Wendi Barker, owner of Tiger Martial Arts in Freeland, began her first karate class in Boston at age 30, after her son RJ was born with spina bifida.

Though she couldn’t relieve her son’s physical pain, she realized that she could take control of her own actions and life path.

As she worked toward earning her black belt, Barker simultaneously gained courage and a sense of self-worth which she had struggled to obtain throughout her life.

Before she began karate, Barker said, she was extremely shy, and found it difficult to interact or make eye contact with others.

“Now you can’t shut me up,” she laughed.

Today, she’s helping students aged 4-67 to obtain the same sense of confidence.

Tiger Martial Arts is more than a karate studio. It’s a safe space for stress relief and education, where exercises in kerikata (kicking techniques) and ukekata (blocking techniques) are accompanied by discussions of subjects like bullying, being thankful and respect.

“A dojo is like a family,” Barker said. “Everyone wants each other to do their best.”

Martial arts instruction is individualized, which Barker said is especially helpful for kids who may require additional attention or who may not do as well in group sports like soccer or baseball.

“It’s more personal,” she said.

Barker worked as an instructor in Boston for about six years before her sensei retired and the school closed. After visiting her mother, who lived on Whidbey, Barker noted that the South End lacked a dojo. She recognized an opportunity to make her dream of opening a uechi-ryu style karate studio a reality.

Uechi-ryu is quite common on the East Coast, she explained, recalling that market research indicated that there was a dojo every 20 miles in the area where she had lived.

The traditional Okinawan style is considered “hard” and defensive.

“We’re not as flashy as Taekwondo but we get the job done,” Barker said.

During the first year of business, Tiger Martial Arts attracted 100 students, a number which has remained steady throughout the years.

“It’s amazing that a female sensei can come to an island… and run a school successfully for 10 years,” Barker said. “It shows what a great community we have.”

The average dojo lasts only five years, she said.

Barker is the instructor, though she has four main assistants and a handful of additional helpers. As students progress in rank, she explained, it is required that they help lower-ranking students in order to obtain their black belt.

One of her assistants, Joel Worster, has been with the school since the beginning.

“When he started he was a shy little kid,” Barker recalled. “You couldn’t even get him to give a peep, and now he’s leading class.”

Worster began teaching two years ago, and said that it is a continuous learning experience.

As he helps others, he also learns from them, he said.

The dojo is more like a second home than a workplace, he said, adding that he intends to continue to practice karate throughout his life.

Another student, red belt Nolan Smith, has been with the school for eight years and noted that it has greatly improved his self-confidence, and his ability to defend himself in a variety of situations.

Character development, confidence and self-defense are perhaps the most prominent components of Barker’s philosophy as a sensei.

Students at Tiger Martial Arts partake in a variety of community service efforts, including projects like beach clean-ups, food drives and Christmas card drives for nursing homes.

In addition, Barker teaches self-defense to women and teenage girls at the dojo and at South Whidbey High School. Barker received the Ruby award from Soroptomist International of South Whidbey Island for work in this field.

As for the future of the dojo, Barker said she would like it to “continue the legacy.”

For more information on Tiger Martial Arts, visit www.tigermartialarts.info.