3. 2. 1. And time was up. On the final blue, silicone-padded block stood 6 participants, triumphant in their victory. 

On January 27th, six special needs individuals and their parents traveled to San Jose to attend a workshop co-hosted with The Praxeum, an indigenous martial arts and parkour organization. The Praxeum teaches Guardian Art, an indigenous fighting art that heavily emphasizes teamwork and collaboration. In this workshop, special needs individuals were able to learn the fundamentals of Guardian Art, as well as participate in a game that pushed them beyond their limits. Watch as these students overcome obstacles and conquer every challenge laid out in front of them. 

The Praxeum initially opened in late 2004 in Fremont, California. Starting from a few students, the gym eventually began hosting classes of 30+ kids at a time. With the mission of spreading Guardian Art and aiding underserved communities, The Praxeum’s connected nonprofit, Guardian Saga Support, partners with other organizations to host workshops. In recent years, the organization moved to San Jose, where it is still thriving today.

The workshop began with the teachers, Commander James Rhoe and Shadow Akhil Doddapaneni, setting up a course for the attendees. In a single file line, the participants began to parkour over blocks and traverse up a padded wall. There, they were able to freestyle and travel down any way they wanted. As they went through the course, the teachers gradually made it harder, moving the blocks further and further away from one another. As Helen, one of the parents onlooking the event, describes, “I like how the workshop allowed the kids to tailor the difficulty to their capabilities.”

For the students involved, this activity allowed them to work on their physical capability by maneuvering over different obstacles, while also having a clear beginning and end. In just under four rounds, each of the special needs individuals rapidly improved and were able to fluently glide over the obstacles.

Once the first event was over, the attendees grouped up to play Chaos in the Boneyard. Chaos in the Boneyard is a game in which the entire group of students had to travel across the gym without touching the floor in under three minutes. If one of the participants fell, the entire group had to reset, raising the stakes even further. As Akhil, one of the instructors, describes the activity, “It took a little while for them to get used to the rules, but once they did, they excelled.” Maneuvering over the sea of blocks, triangles, and other obstacles, all participants had to make it to the final checkpoint next to the tower. 

This game was fully targeted at not individual success but the success of a team. It didn’t matter if one individual was able to clear the full course in a few minutes, since the game required that every single one of them reach the end in the given time frame. As Helen further states, “The collaboration aspect is not something other events are able to provide. Such as [in the game], how it forced the kids to work together to achieve a goal.” As the participants attempted the course again and again, they helped each other across obstacles and gave others words of encouragement. As Helen further elaborates, “I really liked how [this game] allowed the kids to cooperate. It allowed them to think of other ways of achieving their goals.”

The unique training Guardian Art provides aims to improve team coordination and communication skills, both of which greatly benefit many special needs individuals. With this unique training, the organization hopes that in the future, the next generation of guardians will include everyone, regardless of their differences. The success of this workshop hinged not only on the dedication of the teachers but also the students who constantly poured their entire effort into these activities. This workshop demonstrated these students’ capabilities to not only work under pressure but to flourish as a team and help each other achieve success. The goal of the workshop is to set the participants up for success in the future. As Akhil further describes, “[It] felt like I was doing something worthwhile.”

Ultimately, the workshop also allows students to have fun and build a stronger community. Tiffany, one of the participants, states that her favorite part of this workshop was “getting to know other people,” and being able to collaborate in a different way with new friends. This collaboration aims to connect individuals both within the FCSN community, as well as those outside of it, such as volunteers or other practitioners, to raise awareness for the special needs community. 

In the future, The Praxeum hopes that there can be more similar workshops, or an established class. One issue with this first workshop was the time constraint that the facility established. Due to other classes going on, the workshop was only an hour long, and did not let the kids collaborate for that long. As Helen states, “We really hope that this can become a recurring class. One workshop does not allow the kids to develop much.”

When asked the question: “Would you attend this workshop again?” Tiffany’s response is concise—“Sure—I really enjoyed the experience.”

If you are interested in a similar workshop, or event, please contact isaache64@gmail.com.