09/21/2011: "Taken" and the Kenpo Ohana Charity Benefit Camp

Off-day/Make-up day


"Taken" and the Kenpo Ohana Charity Benefit Camp

As many of you know, I run a martial arts program, Victory Karate.  If you were ever wondering, this is where the "VK" of "VKfit" came from.

This Saturday, we are having the Kenpo Ohana 2011 charity benefit camp at the Trinity Baptist Church in Downey, California. "The Ohana" is a special gathering of martial artists, coming together to help raise funds to support these 3 charities:

1. Missionaries in India who rescue children from the slave trade,
2. Missionaries in Asia who run an orphanage and school,
3. The Royal Family Kids Camp, who ministers to abused children.

We have some of the best instructors literally in the world volunteering their time and knowledge to teach seminars, and we have people coming from near and far to share in the experience, all to help these children in need. Martial artists who train to defend themselves and their loved ones, gathering together to help these innocent children who have no means to defend themselves: It's a natural fit. I am honored to be one of the co-directors for this event.

Some of you might be interested in the story on how I got connected to an event such as this, especially given the special purpose for the gathering.

I wish it was just because I have a beautiful little baby girl, and as a protective dad, I wanted to provide a way to offer something to other children born into much more difficult circumstances.  I wish it was just because I have good friends I support in Southeast Asia who help run a school for orphans and rescue children from being trafficked, and wanted to do even more.  In all honesty, it was a simple movie that brought it all together.

Last year I watched a movie called "Taken".  In this film, actor Liam Neeson plays a former CIA operative whose high school daughter vacations in Paris and is then suddenly kidnapped by human traffickers linked to organized crime.  Neeson's character must then use his unique "set of skills" to track down his daughter within the next 96 hours, or else lose her forever. 

On the surface, this seems like just another rudimentary action flick.  It has plenty of gun fights, fist fights, car chases, and explosions.  But I found it to be much more.  A whole lot more.  Watching this movie as a father with a young daughter of my own really swept me into this film.  I completely understood the lengths to which Neeson's character went to track down his daughter.  The odds and the obstacles did not matter.  He was going to get to her and save her.  Period.

Here is one viewer's take on the movie:

"Taken" doesn't attempt to be a deep character study, nor tell some underlying fable; it's an old school, man on a mission film. It awakens a visceral emotion in the viewer, we want to see [Neeson's character] save his daughter and make those connected pay."

I found this film absolutely exhilarating.  It was quite the thrill ride in just the way the viewer previously described.  But after it was over, I also found myself quite disturbed.  Extremely disturbed.  The movie actually left me with a dark cloud overhead for the next few days. 

And then the pieces began to come together.  "Taken", while completely fictitious and over-the-top in its delivery, was based on the very real issue of human trafficking and sexual slavery.  Rather than a 2-dimensional picture of some unknown child in a commercial or on a postcard, the movie gave a character the audience could care for and want to save.  That wasn't just Neeson's character's daughter that needed to be saved; that was my daughter. 

Next came the realization that this was exactly what my friends in Southeast Asia were combating.  This gave me a renewed respect for what they were doing there.  I knew the work they were doing before, but now I was really able to connect with their mission.  And that made me want to do more.  But what?  As a martial artist of 30 years, I've trained to defend myself, my family, and the innocent.  But here was a situation where I felt absolutely helpless, with so many children faced with a life not of their own choosing, with no one to defend them.

Shortly thereafter, I was contacted by Pastor Chris Stewart of Trinity Karate for Christ in Downey, California.  The purpose?  To put on a seminar to raise funds for children in need.  More specifically, to support missionaries overseas who run an orphanage and school, and rescue children from being trafficked and enslaved; and a local camp retreat that ministers to and mentors abused children.  As you can imagine, I was already all in before Pastor Chris even asked me.

As Pastor Chris and I developed the concept further, the vision grew and eventually became the Kenpo Ohana 2011 charity benefit camp that everyone will get to enjoy this Saturday.  The response to this event has been tremendous.  Senior presenters wanting to support the cause readily volunteered to donate their time.  Those unable to make it, regardless of the circumstances, gave whatever support they could.  Even in this difficult economic time, people wanting to participate made flight plans to travel and make sure they were a part of this event.  The overall response has been amazing and yet very humbling.

In the end, I look forward to a great event.  I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.  I look forward to seeing friends reunited after not seeing one another for decades.  I look forward to everyone doing what we all love to do - training and learning.  It's going to be fantastic, and I'm sure we will all have experiences and stories we will be able to pass on to the next generation of martial artists.

But ultimately, I look forward to that which I may never see, but are the real reasons why I am doing all of this: To save even just 1 child from a life of bondage and servitude, so that child may grow up to love and serve others in the community, and then save at least 2 other children from the same plight; and to give the gift for even just 1 child to go to camp to receive love and positive affirmation, so that child may grow up to love and serve others in the community, and then sponsor at least 2 other kids to go to camp.  Multiplication is a good thing.

See you at The Ohana!

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