SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) – The young people who learn martial arts at a studio north of Detroit are not considered students.
Their instructors use a different word.
Heroes.
That’s because the techniques these children learn will be used not to take on an opponent from a rival studio but against the deadly diseases that ravage their young bodies and threaten their lives.
Called Kids Kicking Cancer, the Southfield, Michigan-based program helps sick kids learn to use martial arts-style breathing and relaxation techniques to manage stress, anxiety and pain stemming from their illnesses and medical treatments.