I wanted to take the opportunity to talk to them about the after school program and other ideas that we have to assist them both in their quest to learn in the program and out of the program.
Admittedly, I do not spend much time up in Harlem and so even the walk from the subway (the 6 train) to the school was educational in that it was readily apparent that where these kids live is vastly different than where I live in midtown.
I also can admit that I have never been inside a New York public school and upon entering, and passing the security desk, it was apparent that the school was very different than the large public high school I went to in the Maryland suburbs.
My high school, for example was two floors (if I recall correctly) and this school was five -- like most things in New York everything is built towards the sky. Also, my high school had close to 1,700 students and this school had somewhere in the neighborhood of 350.
I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with the principal of the high school on this visit and he told me that the number of students fluctuates--some students (with no explanation) don't show up for a month or two and then return and in some instances the students don't return at all. I quickly learn that the day-to-day at an inner-city school -- and the challenges posed to the administration and the faculty -- is dramatically different than what I experienced at a public school in the suburbs.
I climbed the steps to the fifth floor cafeteria where I was greeted by David Grodsky the instructor -- and the the group of enthusiastic smiling kids--8 or so in total. The kids were ethnically diverse, e.g., Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, and African American, much like their neighborhood and ranged in age from 14-19.
David notes that the goal of the program is not just to teach these kids self defense and to keep them off the streets -- it is to teach them responsibility and to hopefully keep them on the right track so that they can succeed after high school. In addition, the program promotes teamwork, discipline, and self control and helps to keep the kids in shape and to combat childhood obesity. David explains that one of his goals is to create a closer relationship with the students so that he can stay on top of them if they miss class -- or miss a day of school -- because through the program he can gain more access to the students and ideally earn the students' respect.
One participant on this day was a student who participated in the program for two-years prior to graduating and he is now a student at John Jay College over by Lincoln Center. The take-away from his presence on this day--the program works.
David briefly introduces me to the group -- a group that is all smiles -- and I talk to them about who I am, what I do, why I am there, and what our goals are for the program. David notes that it is important for these kids to realize that there are people out there -- like me -- who are supporting them outside of the day to day program because, for many of them at least, they have never been given support and assistance with no strings attached.
I ask the kids if they would be interested in training at an academy in the city on the weekends or the evenings, they say yes, noting that they don't have the money to do so. I explain that this is one of the goals of the non-profit, i.e. to provide an outside opportunity for these kids to train. I also ask if they would be interested in attending a grappling tournament; the answer, yes. Hopefully, we can coordinate a trip to the Expo next month so the kids can see the Renzo Gracie tournament taking place. We talk about summer jobs around the city and the kids express how difficult it was last summer to find jobs. I tell them that this is another goal of the program, i.e. to help them gain exposure to and experience at businesses around the city.
We talk about the Everlast gear that was so generously donated and they express their excitement that they were able to receive the great gear.
I also explain to the students that likely unbeknownst to them, they are not just learning skills--they are gaining intangibles like self confidence, respect, and sportsmanship.
The students are engaged. They ask me questions about my martial arts background, about jiu jitsu in particular (what is it?) I explain the history of the Gracie family and the introduction of jiu jitsu to the mainstream with the early UFCs. Much to my surprise, the kids don't really watch much fighting on TV -- in fact, it seemed that most of them don't watch fighting at all.
With the introductions complete, the students begin their training. It starts with takedowns. Each student is told to pick a takedown and execute. There are hip throws and single and double leg takedowns.
David watches closely and offers tips and instruction where necessary. David is in charge of the Conflict Mediation program at the school and his martial arts experience helps in that role. David began training in martial arts at a young age, learning judo and kung fu. Later he trained in tai chi, kickboxing, various wrestling and grappling arts, including Russian Sambo where he earned his black belt and has been an instructor in a few gyms and was on a few fight teams. His experience is evident (as is his teaching experience) as he demonstrated a solid technical knowledge and was able to answer kids' inevitable questions, e.g., while teaching the guillotine he was asked how to defend and seamlessly moved to a demonstration of proper defense.
On this day, there is a freshman who has shown up for the first time. Initially he says he just wants to watch, but with David's guidance and the other kids' encouragement, he quickly jumps into the mix and starts to work the takedowns. David instructs the other students to help him and be conscious of the fact that he is new. The students respect David -- or Mr. Grodsky as they call him.
Next, the kids work takedowns to submissions -- first, hip throw to arm bar. Some students are better than others and they work together to perfect the move. David watches closely and, again, demonstrates the proper execution of the arm bar. This pattern continues for the next hour or so with guard passes and some submission work and now it is time to spar.
David turns on the timer and the students (only two on the mats at a time) are paired up based on size and skill and they grapple under David's watchful eye. They are intense -- as intense as students at any academy I have trained -- but they are all smiles. One student has a wide grin on his face the entire time -- even when he is taken down. Of course, he is offered a hand and helped back up.
The freshman who has shown up for his first time asks to roll with a more experienced student. David instructs the more experienced student to let the newbie try some of the things he learned this day. The freshman gets caught in a guillotine--he fights it and David instructs him to tap if he needs to do so. Ultimately he does tap and he wants to go again. The timer sounds and everyone gives the freshman a round of applause. I think he will be back.
The training ends and I help the kids break down the mats and clean up. One student says, "Mr. Justin, now that you have seen us do you still want to help us?" Apparently abandonment is not far from these kids' minds. First, I tell him he can call me Justin, he asks if he can call me J, I say you can call me whatever you want but if its bad please do so behind my back. He laughs.
I confirm my commitment to the program and tell them that after seeing them I am more committed to the program. I also remind them that David -- or Mr. Grodsky -- should be thanked because he is doing this on his own time and without compensation. On Tuesdays and Thursdays David is at school by 7 and doesn't get home until around 8 p.m. A long day even for a lawyer!
There is more work to do and more equipment, including additional mats to accomodate more kids, that is needed. Indeed, as is evident when the kids hit the pads, they need training gloves.
Despite these equipment shortcomings, all in all it was a great experience for me and I come away feeling stronger about the need to support a program like this. Clearly, these kids are really enjoying the program and reaping the benefits of martial arts training.
If you want to help support the program, please go to the New York Mixed Martial Arts Initiative.
Fight Lawyer
