Martial Arts Training and Self-Esteem Development at The Guardian Baltimore
Updated: July 7, 2024, 1:45 PM EDT
Mind, soul, and body. Chef Carlos Raba and his wife Claudia use their unique combination of cooking and jiu-jitsu to help their neighborhoods. And now I'm here to tell you more about their nonprofit, The Guardian. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you for being here. Thank you. I watched this whole segment on the Today Show. You guys were amazing. Tell us about the Guardian project. The Guardian is a 501 C C3 that provides free jiu-jitsu training to youth ages 6-17 in Baltimore. It's after school. We provide free burritos to the kids through our partner, Clavel. And then we provide them with uniforms, called Gs. When the kids outgrow them, we send them a new jiu-jitsu teacher to train them every time. It's great. You're a chef and a black belt in jiu-jitsu, so you're also a cook? Yeah, I've been doing jiu-jitsu for about 11 years. They grew up cooking, so the kitchen is a part of their lives, and they're both very methodical. They're disciplined. Yeah, very disciplined. So we're also teaching the kids the discipline of jiu-jitsu. And we're also teaching them to have fun and get rewards. I mean, when they come at the end of class, we give them a Clavel burrito. So it's a win-win situation, right? Yeah. They get to exercise and eat, and we get to talk about how this type of martial arts impacts kids, especially in that age group. It's 6 to 17 years old. Well, in jiu-jitsu, you put yourself in situations that you wouldn't in other sports, because you're trying to defend a choke or an armbar. So it wakes you up and you become aware of what's going on around you. That's what happens with the kids. You see them progress a little bit faster. And they also mature a little bit. Right. It helps them mature, make decisions, understand that it's okay to feel uncomfortable, for example, and know what's a safe environment and distance. So it's self-defense, but it's also an outlet for emotions, right? Yes, it is. It's very important.It's very important here in the city. We have a lot of kids who don't know what to do after school, and families who don't have access to programs and sports. And it's a shame that there aren't more opportunities. So I'm hopeful that at least Guardian Baltimore will provide a safe environment for Jiu-Jitsu, with instructors and of course adults who train and volunteer with them. It's really exciting to see the relationships that they've built with each other, like the community has grown so much. Right, it's not just the instruction. They have time to spend one-on-one with the kids, so it creates a lot of opportunities to talk. I imagine. Right. Yeah. They're experiencing those things. Yes. And for the adults, we have adult programs that build organic relationships between the kids and the adults because they see each other through interacting. Um, classes and connections. So, for Jiu-Jitsu, I have a lot of instructors. So sometimes it's an organic instructor relationship because both are interested in the same subject, which is definitely Jiu-Jitsu. And we provide them with a free uniform, called GHI. Yes. Let me tell you how it affects the sense of pride that the kids have in wearing this and learning from a master. Well, you know. Well, I would say that the responsibility of wearing this uniform, you know, having something to work towards, that jiu-jitsu is an incredibly difficult sport, mentally and physically. Uh, it's really awesome to see them when they receive their uniform, and they're excited to learn how to tie the belt. And then being with their peers and their mentors and their instructors and, oh, we feel like we're part of a team. And, uh, it's really cute and cool especially to see them put the stripes on their belts. You can see that they're really trying hard. Everyone that's training, I mean, as we say, it's discipline. They're responsible to clean the geese. They have to tie the geese. So they have a responsibility as well. They have to be responsible. You start giving them responsibility and the coaches hold them accountable. How often do you meet? Oh, for the kids, how often do you have the kids? Yeah. How many days a week, five days a week. This program, if your child wants to sign up for this, it's free for ages 6-17. And we offer this five days a week. Yes. That's amazing. I know we've been serving for five years. Yeah. That's incredible. Yeah. Really? You started this in the middle of a pandemic, too. It was hard. That must have been hard. Oh, it was so hard. It was hard. But community support builds community and you get community support too. 500 1C3, people actually donate and you see the difference we're making for kids. And you're doing this while running two restaurants. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah, I put in the effort. I mean, I got good help, I got good people. You know, a lot of these community organizations are all about care. Right? At the end of the day, it's about putting your whole heart and soul into something that you really, really, know and care about and it's right in front of you and you know when you get there. We always encourage people to come and see our youth classes because you leave really inspired. They're really dedicated, because they really put in that effort, every single time, for that hour. And it's really amazing to see a kid who didn't even say hello at first, suddenly become more confident. And then after a few weeks, all of a sudden, they feel like they've come out of their shell. They've just come out of their shell, they're feeling better, they're building relationships with their peers that they might not have been able to build in school. And you've talked to parents, and parents have noticed a change in their kids that have taken one, two or even more classes. Right. Right, I think it's hard, especially for kids who, like you said, have a hard time coming out of their shell or have a hard time dealing with emotions, whether they're introverted or extroverted, across the city, especially with human beings in general, because we're so similar in so many ways. No matter what block we live on or what. And it's about having that connection and really trusting other people and learning to help each other get better. I mean, you can't do jiu-jitsu alone. You have to do it with a training partner, right? It's not about violence. This isn't about learning things that could hurt other people. This is really about discipline. And that's what you did. It's very, very important, because you have the power. You can empower yourself and stop a difficult situation. I mean, you have the power to take somebody down and really take control and wait for help or get help from somebody. So we teach kids. We don't teach like boxing, like, if they hit you, hit them back. That creates a little bit of environmental violence, but not in Jiu Jitsu. You can. We teach kids to know the environment first, not at a safe distance. And if they continue to bother you and bully you, OK, you can take them down, or you can tell them, “I know, stop.” Jiu Jitsu does a lot of that and it really helps with that kind of thing too. This is really great. So, if anyone wants to know more about this, or if they're watching this and they want their child to participate, what do you do? So, they go to our website, which is Guardian Baltimore. ORG. And they can find out more about how to register for the program. You know what we expect from adults as well.We have another disclaimer they can fill out to sign up. Great. We welcome you back to Sunday Brunch and we welcome you back to 11 Fitness. Bring your kids. Yes, we do. Yeah. Great to see you all. Thanks for coming to HAVI.
Martial Arts Training and Self-Esteem Development at The Guardian Baltimore
Updated: July 7, 2024, 1:45 PM EDT
Guardian Baltimore is a free Jiu Jitsu training program for Baltimore-area kids ages 6 to 17. Jen speaks with co-owners Carlos and Claudia Raba about the social-emotional rewards families experience in the program.
Guardian Baltimore is a free Jiu Jitsu training program for Baltimore-area kids ages 6 to 17. Jen speaks with co-owners Carlos and Claudia Raba about the social-emotional rewards families experience in the program.
