Seehafer Vows to Make a Difference
Thom Seehafer, who owns Kenpo Karate of Woodland Park, is
dedicated to instilling confidence in kids who are bullied. This month,
Seehafer launches classes to teach kids self-confidence - and a few tricks via
the martial arts.
Passionate about providing an outlet for teenagers who are
bullied, in school or over the Internet, Thom Seehafer is trying to do his part
to prevent what he calls a control game.
Seehafer relates bullying to suicide. “I think kids need to
understand the impact of what bullying does, understand verbal abuse and what
suicide is all about,” he said. “They need to understand why ‘Johnny’ is no
longer here.”
To honor October as National Bullying Prevention Month,
Seehafer, who owns Kenpo Karate of Woodland Park, has initiated the Kid Confidence Program. “I think kids are afraid to stand up for themselves,” he
said.
Based on the Super Hero theme, the program is designed to
instill confidence in teenagers who suffer the effects of bullying. “It’s the
super powers kids have, the use of their voice, their body language and their
eyes to deal with situations,” he said. “Non-aggressive works to a point.”
The program is free during the month of October. “I would like
the kids to do martial arts because it does build reaction and confidence,” he
said. “The program is interactive and includes role-playing, bringing to light
what suicide is and how it affects all ages.”
Thinking about kids who are bullied, Seehafer gets angry,
pretends to be Super Hero. “Whether you are big football star and I’m a fat
little kid – it’s a control game – and I’m going to stand up to you – you might
knock me in the head but I’m going to stand up to you,” he said.
An auxiliary bonus to the martial arts at Kenpo is the potential
relief of boredom. “I am trying to get a program going for kids – they need
something to do in the winter,” he said. “The aquatic center may be a bit of an
answer but kids have nowhere to release their pent-up aggression, to realize
their potential and how to stand up for themselves.”
A few days before October, Seehafer explains his passion, his
drive to help kids. “I do not know if it is something in the back of my memory
that I may have repressed,” he said. “I get very emotional sometimes because it
triggers a button in me. I don’t remember being a victim, so to speak, but I do
know what it feels like not to have anyone to listen to me. The martial arts
gave me an alternative for my anger and aggression.”
Seehafer is disturbed by the statistic that Colorado ranks 5th
in the nation for the number of suicides of young people. “When I read that
eight- and nine-year olds are taking their own lives, it gave me a springboard
to use this school to impress on people that we are all here for a reason,” he
said. “I want to help escalate the learning process and get kids to tap into
their importance, their reasons for being here. I want them to be happy with
who they are.”
To help get the message across, Seehafer has been working with
FACT – Families and Communities Together - and SATURN - Substance Abuse
Threatening Underage Residents Now. “SATURN is helping first-time offenders
make better use of their free time,” he said.
For information about the classes, call
(719) 930-6365.
