Oklahoma City Metro School Teaches Martial Arts To Homeless Youth

An Oklahoma City school for children experiencing homelessness is introducing a new summer activity to its lineup: martial arts. 

School administrators at Positive Tomorrows and martial arts instructors said it’s not just something fun to do, but also teaches valuable life lessons. 

A typical martial arts class costs $150-$200, but instructors with the Come-Up Foundation teach for free. 

"We're making sure they get these normal childhood experiences," Positive Tomorrows president and CEO Margaret Creighton said.

Creighton said structured classes where kids learn new skills are important to the students, and that martial arts in particular preaches values of self-control and confidence through learning self-defense. 

“Life brings a lot of challenges, and when you are training something like this... you realize you can do tough things and get through them,” instructor Emmanuel Rivera said. 

The Come-Up Foundation goes to multiple other schools in Oklahoma City, and has plans to expand its reach to 15 total schools across the Oklahoma City metro. 

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