Zeke and Luther Star Adam Hicks Talks Confidence and Martial Arts

After watching Adam Hicks play his outlandish character on the Disney skateboarding comedy Zeke and Luther, one might believe that he has never suffered from a lack of confidence in his entire life. After all, the ability to fill the role of Luther- a zany skateboarder- with the masses watching is something that most simply could not pull off; it takes self-esteem to be that loose on stage. But what most people don't know is that the 16 year old actor we see today didn't always have this much self-belief. Until he got involved in the martial arts style of Tae Kwon Do at an early age, that is.

"To tell you the truth, I did not have confidence worth anything before the acting," he told About.com Martial Arts Guide Robert Rousseau. And that lack of esteem was quite obvious on his first day of Tae Kwon Do around a decade ago. "It was so bad my mom had to come out with me onto the mat," Hicks remembered. "I wouldn't leave her sight." But a funny thing happened to him as he continued to attend class; something that martial arts enthusiasts and practitioners have heard time and time again before. He began to morph into a much more mature version of himself.

"Tae Kwon Do builds your confidence," he said. "It actually turns you into a man."

Eventually Hicks achieved black belt status and his confidence soared. And it's just that confidence that has allowed him to begin to excel in the fast paced and often humbling on screen world he now finds himself in, one where he is regularly put in front of the masses to speak.

"We used to do a lot of sparring, and sparring is improvising and using your mind and being aware of different scenarios and different ways to get around things, and it's the same with acting.," he said. "I do a lot of acting where I have to be put in different scenarios. I have to think fast, I have to be aware, and I have to make the right decisions."

In the end, as many have found, taking up a martial arts style like Tae Kwon Do was one of the good decisions Hicks made early on. Ask him and he'll tell you. He owes a lot to the arts.

More From Adam Hicks

Favorite Martial Arts Movie: Enter the Dragon

Favorite Martial Arts Movie Actor: Bruce Lee

Favorite Martial Arts Move/Technique: Roundhouse kick

Favorite Athlete: Rodney Mullen (professional skateboarder)

If he could meet any one person who would it be and why: "Probably Obama. Because I really like Obama. I'm a great supporter of Obama. I feel he's done a lot of great things."

On where he hopes acting takes him: "I would love to strive for the sky, as far as I can go. You never know. You never know what's going to happen. That's just something I'm just going to have to find out in the future."

Note: Zeke and Luther was recently picked up for a second season.