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Kids At
Risk | | | | | |
A Proposal
from Larry Tatum
 Mission: In cooperation with local city police, school authorities
and community churches offer, a nurturing environment of martial arts
instruction to children at risk in order to instill good citizenship and
honorable values in their lives.
Kids At Risk:
A
Brief Background The future rests with our children, yet we see so
many of these precious lives wasted due to criminal involvement,
dysfunctional family life, and varied forms of abuse. Many federal, state
and city agencies, together with churches, have tried and are trying to
help where they can. Some programs work; others don't.
I am proposing expanding a
program that has proven results in helping kids right here in Pasadena get
their lives turned around. The program is called Kids At Risk.
This program began about a
year ago as a cooperative effort between the Pasadena Police Department,
the Pasadena School District and the Larry Tatum Kenpo Karate
Association.
We have already had over thirty young children come through the program
over the last year. Many of these kids have known only fear and rejection,
coupled with physical and emotional abuse. They have often lost their
ability to trust because their trust has been betrayed. This leads to
withdrawal into a private and closed world of fear and suspicion. It's not
uncommon to see them react violently with no self-control because they
have never been taught to deal with the world and difficulties in any
other way.
Kids At
Risk uses martial arts training to reach these young lives that are
spinning out of control. Here is what we have found are the immediate
benefits of the Kids At Risk program: it gives them a new found
self-confidence, it instills self-esteem, it conveys self-worth, it
demonstrates that they can achieve with effort; life takes on meaning and
joy. |
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 How do we achieve these results
through martial arts training? The key is the
teacher. They are given a
private instructor who becomes a friend and a teacher. By the use of
patient and caring instruction a bond is formed and the student begins to
emulate his teacher. I give close supervision to the instructors to ensure
the quality of teaching so that the above mentioned goals are indeed
achieved.
We have found that the
kids crave this kind of individual attention and instruction. They begin
to measure their growth as they progress through the belt ranks, as each
new rank shows them where they are in relationship to their training, and
where they are going. Life begins to take on a greater meaning for them as
they see how hard work, self-discipline and consistent training bring
achievement, recognition and reward. Compulsive behavior begins to give
way to control; anger to patience and compassion.
Dr. Heather Helpner, a local
child psychologist, said, "We can tell a child what is wrong with them,
where it began, and who in their lives played a part in it, but Kenpo
Karate as taught at Larry Tatum's studio provides an antidote to the
problem!"
 Kids At Risk: A Proposal There are thousands of young
children at risk who could be helped across our country, and we have the
experience, the staff and the facilities to help them.
If you would like to become a part of our program to
help kids in your own city and neighborhood and across the country, please
call us at (818) 796-4029 or E-Mail at
ltatum1@mindspring.com
I
personally look forward hearing from you!
Yours in Kenpo,
Larry Tatum
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