Next school year Davila Middle School students will have the option of taking martial arts as one of their courses. Author and actor Chuck Norris is behind the program that is designed to give students a chance to fight back against peer pressure. Davila Middle School is the first Bryan I.S.D. campus to incorporate Kickstart Kids, a program Norris launched in Houston area schools in 1992.

"It's an alternative program for them to be able to come and enjoy and be a part of and not have to deal with some of the peer pressure and issues that may come up," said Davila Middle School principal Joshua Garcia.

The program includes a fully trained black belt instructor. Students will take the course during their physical education class and twice a week after school.

"The students will be able to learn that self-discipline and self-motivation. The teacher will also be an active part in getting to know the students, keeping up with their grades and working with them even after school," said Garcia.

According to the Kickstart Kids website, the program has a proven record of helping students make better choices which lead to better grades. It's the type of mentoring Garcia says is needed during the time a student attends middle school.

"They're very impressionable and so a program like this could really help establish the ability for a student to really learn those self disciplines that they're going to need to be successful. Not only in middle school but also through high school," said Garcia.