COLORADO SPRINGS — Kids with autism face several challenges on a day-to-day basis. But one local martial arts school is opening its doors to help those kids tackle challenges, all while finding a place of belonging.
Cavalry Family Martial Arts and Fitness has teamed up with a local autism center to offer a free seminar this Saturday at 10 a.m. for kids with autism.
The purpose of this class is to help these kids gain confidence within themselves. During the class, the kids will be doing a number of self-defense drills that will be presented in a fun way for them to enjoy themselves, all while learning how to protect themselves. Those at CFMAF Martial Arts want these kids to leave the class feeling empowered. One of the class’s instructors Mr. Jake has worked here for 20 years. Jake says his experiences through these classes have helped me not just gain physical strength, but also the emotional strength he needs.
“I have autism myself so it’s kind of helped me. I’ve that kind of social barrier connecting with other people. But having this shared interest, having something that I was good to share with other people, helped me bring up my confidence, helped me show myself that I have something that I’m good at,” said Jacob Costley, “Mr. Jake,” Martial arts instructor at CFMAF.
“I’ve had my experiences with bullying in the past. I just want to make sure that we can help them both not only keep themselves safe with bullies, know how to take care of that problem but also, they have the emotional fortitude of bullying. So, we always make sure that we give every kid a sense of self-worth in this class.”
The class is set to start at 10 a.m. at CFMAF on Saturday. The class is aimed to focus on what kids with autism CAN do, rather than their limitations. Those here are encouraging parents to take advantage of this opportunity. To sign up your child for this free seminar, visit here.
