Robert Hogle and three other black belts line up in front of a karate class of about a dozen people. Meanwhile, ranking sensei Sid Rayford observes his students from the flanks, greeting parents and friends as they settle into the chairs lined up against a wall of the intimate dojo.</p><p>The three black belts take turns leading the class in a series of stretches. When it's Robert's turn, he slides effortlessly into a deep leg split. The class responds with varying degrees of flexibility.</p><p>Sid walks over to the chairs and with a smile casually greets Bob Rice, Robert's legal guardian. It's been years now since Bob and Robert first stepped into the Rayford Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo school in downtown Merced.</p><p>Bob has driven his 32-year-old son from their home in Chowchilla to Sid's dojo two or three times a week for the last eight years.</p><p>In November 2011, Robert received his black belt. "Feels great!" Robert said referring to the effects of karate on his development. "I don't have to worry about nothing bad. It's different. I feel more happier. Control is good too."</p><p>Robert was born mentally handicapped. And as a youth, he suffered severe verbal and physical abuse at the hand of his biological father.</p><p>"He kicked me with his boot in the head, bloodied me up and took me to the bathroom, beat the hell out of me, and got mad because I got blood on his clothes," he recalled. "After he hit me, he said it was my fault and banged me on the sink, knocked me through the room."</p><p>Bob took custody of Robert after the two met in a mental facility where Bob was working and Robert was a ward. At first, Bob said, Robert was extremely violent and hard to control. There were several instances when Robert hit people.</p><p>Robert's psychiatrist warned against having him study martial arts, Bob said. And after one karate instructor turned Robert down, Bob was surprised when Sid agreed to train him.</p><p>Robert immediately began to improve after he started training. "When we first met Sid, from week to week there were changes," Bob said. "It's just incredible when you know his history."</p><p>Robert had one violent outbreak after first joining the karate school, but none since.</p><p>"Everyone was saying, 'Oh no, this kid has an anger problem and can't control himself,' " Sid noted. "My experience with martial arts is if it's taught properly, it can take an individual who has anger issues and self control problems and actually correct them. I've seen it time and time again."</p><p>At the heart of Robert's problem was self-esteem. "There were very few social venues for him to interact in," Sid said. "And that played a huge part about how he felt about himself. All he had was himself."</p><p>Amy Rayford, Sid's wife, and the second-highest ranking black belt in the dojo, worked a lot with Robert in the early stages of his development.</p><p>At first she was afraid of Robert. "He didn't have a care or concern if he hurt somebody," she said. "It was just this anger and rage. When he would punch and block, it was like, 'Oh my gosh, just get out of his way.' "</p><p>Today, she tells Robert to execute techniques as he's almost next to her. "He knows before I wouldn't dare say that," she said. "Because if I would have said, 'Kick at me,' he would have kicked me through a wall. Now I say kick at me, he pulls his leg just a couple inches before it hits me. He's incredibly strong but he knows to have that gentle touch."</p><p>Robert had a hard time expressing how karate helped him develop. But he repeatedly said that training with Sid and Amy made him "happy." He also agreed with Sid's analysis of why karate was able to help him, "because I was part of other people and not just myself."</p><p>It has taken Robert a long time to earn his black belt, which consists in large part of memorizing and performing long complicated combinations of moves. However, his surprising drive and dedication has not only paid off for him, it has profoundly touched his instructors. "A karate school without Robert is not a karate school in my mind. He's family," Amy said.</p><p>Sid has trained more than 40 people who earned black belts, but his greatest achievement has been Robert's personal development and accomplishment. "He's the one that went the furthest to get what he's got," Sid said. "Handing him that black belt, I have to say &#x97; and my son trained too for a long time &#x97; it meant more to hand that to him than anybody else because he overcame so many more obstacles than other people did. He's the success of my school."</p><p>It's not entirely clear what has fueled Robert's unflinching dedication to karate, but his development is unquestionable.</p><p>Perhaps being treated like an adult, and not like a special education student, has helped Robert act more like an adult, Sid said.</p><p>"You don't have to worry about messing up," Robert said. "Like sensei says, we don't get good, we just get better."</p><p>Reporter Joshua Emerson Smith can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or <a href="mailto:jsmith@mercedsunstar.com">jsmith@mercedsunstar.com</a>.