HARROGATE, Tenn. — By the age of ten, international boxing champion Owen Beck knew just what he wanted to do with his life. His impressive stats seem to prove the wise career choice. Beck won 95 out of 100 amateur matches before going on to earn 31 professional wins, pummeling 22 opponents to the mat in knock-outs.

Beck says he now feels enough confidence to admit he was molested as a young boy.

"It's something that I've never mentioned to many people but, if I can help someone who is being abused speak up, then I feel I must speak out."

Beck, who won the Jamaican National Boxing Championship eight times and the Caribbean Championship six times, is also a multi-metal winner, tagging the gold in the World Junior games, the gold in the Winter Games (held in Alberta, Canada) and the bronze in the Commonwealth games.

The multi-talented Jamaican athlete also found time to perfect his soccer, basketball, cricket and track & field abilities.

His close friendship with Middlesboro-based Isshinryu master Mike Taylor led the modest champ to devote many hours to the dojo and the eager students who are learning the close body form of martial arts taught at the local Elks Lodge.

Taylor, a busy attorney and fifth degree black belt, has taught the form four years, and says he plans to continue as long as his body allows.

"I was 13 years old, and getting beat up every day in school," said Taylor. "I got off the school bus one day, after being beat up by five kids, and walked across the street to a new Karate school that had just been opened.

"I went in and asked them if they took kids. And that changed my life, because I had lost all confidence in myself — even in my academic abilities," he said.

Taylor says after about six months, he regained his confidence.

"I was fortunate in that most everyone taking Karate there were either college graduates or college students. It was life-changing for me to realize you could be a tough guy and still be intelligent," he said.

Taylor now enjoys using his expertise to teach those who are being abused in and around school or in the home.

"It makes me feel good that we are able to put these kids back in touch with their self-esteem, and let them realize they are better than what they thought they were," said Taylor.

On any one night, about 25 students can be seen learning to punch, strike and block as a means of protecting themselves from those who would do them harm.

Frank E. Smith, dean of students at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, says the new collaboration with CEASE and Taylor has brought a very timely program to LMU, especially after the recent alleged attack of a young woman on another college campus.

"We wanted to offer our students something that would truly enhance their lives. These self-defense sessions are a great partnership for all three entities," he said.

Christina Graham, president of the Kappa Pi Omega sorority, says the program has created a lot of excitement.

"A couple of our sorority members took some self-defense courses and it got the rest of us involved in partnering with CEASE to bring Karate to LMU," said Graham. "We've only had a couple sessions, so far, but we are already seeing more confidence from those who are participating in the program."

Graham says Kappa Pi is already planning a third self-defense session sometime in February, 2010.

Meanwhile, Beck is preparing for his next match, when he will flex his muscles against Germany's number one contender.