YOUTH PROGRAM
Help at-risk youth beat the odds by giving them a safe place to train their bodies, minds and spirits.
Old School Muay Thai offers accessible, after-school and summer programming to Toronto’s at-risk and new Canadian youth, providing a place to belong during these critical and often unsupervised hours. The study of disciplined self-defence raises an individual’s self-esteem; the core fitness training inherent in the study of Muay Thai will promote good health practices and physical fitness alongside the Muay Thai tradition of “giving back” to the community.
We currently run three 90-minute classes a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. We would like to increase this to five weekly classes in the near future.
We have active partnerships with WoodGreen Community Services, Pathways to Education, the Peaceful Warrior program, and we are always pursuing new relationships with like-minded community organizations. Youth are identified and introducted to our program through these partnerships. Classes are lead by our volunteer instructors and Kru James Hines.
Old School’s youth program provides a solid and proven good physical education component for youth (including education about good nutrition) and at the same time providing them with the knowledge to protect themselves in a situation demanding self-defence, and the discipline to avoid physical conflicts in any other circumstance.
Our experienced instructors offer youth training in the discipline of Muay Thai. In a typical 75-minute class, approximately half of the time is spent on cardio and core fitness; the other half is used for Muay Thai techniques and skills training, pad work and drills. Each session can accommodate about 25 students.
Where do your donations go?
We need your financial support in order to establish an environment filled with positive role models who can mentor our youth through martial arts programming which promises to inspire them toward personal fulfillment, physical health, and ultimately encourage integration into the community at large as citizens with respect for themselves and others.
Here are some possible ways to donate:
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Membership fees for an individual student
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Membership fees for a group of youth
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Equipment
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Support special events
Why underprivileged youth?
I wanted to give back to the community, and training the youth is a perfect fit. Through the discipline and self-knowledge engendered through the study of Muay Thai, they gain the self-awareness and leadership skills required to then, in turn, support their community. Through self-growth comes more opportunity to continue to build on growth, and to give good out, mentor and lead in turn.
– James Hines of Old School Muay Thai, as interviewed by Laura Del Farra in “Creating Change – Kru James Hines, Old School Muay Thai”
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