Julie Bowerman, a martial arts instructor for the city of Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department, adjusts the gi and belt of 4-year-old student and Kissimmee resident Bo Brightman. Bowerman was recently recognized by the Southeast Martial Arts Association as Assistant Instructor of the Year.

What started as a happenstance activity for St. Cloud’s Julie Bowerman has become a life’s passion — and now a source of recognition.

Bowerman, who for nearly three years has taught a children’s martial arts class for the Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department, was named Assistant Instructor of the Year for the state of Florida through the Southeast Martial Arts Association shortly before Christmas.

For 32 of her 40 years, Bowerman, who teaches the Tang Soo Do discipline in her class, has been involved in the martial arts. She has competed throughout Florida and was ranked as high as No. 3 in Florida in her age group during her teenage years, but said the latest honor may be her greatest martial arts accomplishment to date.

She said that adding to the honor is that it started with a nomination from the parents of her students.

“I was very surprised, I had no idea they were working toward that for me, or that they held me in that kind of regard,” Bowerman, who tested for her third black belt in 2009, said. “I’ve known people who have been nominated for awards like this, but this is a big, big honor.”

Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department Director Dan Loubiér said having an award-winning instructor in the fold benefits both the city and Bowerman’s pupils. And it doesn’t hurt that her husband, James Boulton, teaches the martial arts class with her.

“It is a tremendous honor to have this highly skilled couple instructing and keeping our children and adults safe,” he said.

Bowerman, who by day is an assistant manager for the Osceola Flea and Farmers Market, started in martial arts by chance in Kissimmee when she was 8.

“My mom wanted to sign me up for an aerobics class, but there were none in my age group. The next closest thing was karate, and after doing it a little I found out I liked it and was good at it.”

She took her karate to a competitive level after just a few years, reaching a point that she was competing almost every week all over the Southeast, leading to her ranking as a teenager. She still competes, “a handful of times a year,” in certain Tang Soo Do events.

“I do it to see if I can still do it,” she said.

She credits the martial arts for her meeting her husband, who also has his own extensive martial arts résumés and has won many awards in Tang Soo Do and Phillipino stick-fighting.

The couple team up to teach the Parks and Recreation Class, and both have extensive backgrounds in all martial arts styles, ranging from Chinese GoJu to Okinawan GoJu-Ryu.

The discipline of Tang Soo Do is one of the oldest forms of martial arts. A Korean martial art, it teaches empty hand and foot fighting for self-defense. But Bowerman also stresses the traditional side of the art, the side that teaches people to live healthy and harmonious lives. In the two classes Bowerman and Boulton teach (one for ages 3-5, the other for ages 6 and up), the stress is on teaching the little students respect for parents and other adults.

“We try to preach the motivation, to build up their confidence, and keep it fun,” Bowerman said. “Karate isn’t always about kicking and punching, it’s a mental discipline and for self-defense rather than offense. We teach it less as a sport and more as a way of life.”

Bowerman and Boulton teach about 15 children per month. She said her husband has inquired about starting an adult's program and a women's self-defense class through the city if there is an interest.

They offer their class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the city recreation center on Palm Avenue. For more information about Tang Soo Do or to register for the class, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 407-847-2388.