A martial arts studio in Hialeah is making a powerful move. The owner is opening his doors for free to kids whose families can’t afford lessons. Heather Walker shares why in this 7Spotlight. Inside this martial arts studio in Hialeah — every punch and kick comes with a purpose and now, a new promise — free classes for kids whose families can’t afford them. Damian Rodriguez: “We want to help people, we want to help the youth grow and make a positive impact in their life.” Damian Rodriguez and his wife opened Millennium Martial Arts Academy more than 15 years ago. It’s made a positive impact on many kids over the years — but the business was born from a tragedy that struck on his way to a karate competition. Damian Rodriguez: “When I was 13, I was involved in a car accident. I flew out of the car, I landed in the middle of Alligator Alley, I probably shouldn’t be here. Why am I still here, there has to be a purpose.” That purpose, he says, is helping other kids through karate. Heather: “How does it make you feel?” Carlos Luna: “Happy.” Kids like Carlos Luna. Heather: “When did you start karate?” Carlos Luna: “A long time ago.” For a 7-year-old, a few years feels like a long time. He’s now a yellow belt and, according to his mom, a whole new person from when he started. Mariela Luna: “It’s not just that he’s less shy, it’s that he’s more confident. He’s more independent.” Carlos Luna: “I got more advanced in my fighting.” Damian says conquering fears on the mat teaches kids how to conquer challenges in the real world. Damian Rodriguez: “The martial arts is going to teach you the discipline, it’s going to teach you the respect, it’s going to teach you the time management, it’s going to teach them so much, and I feel like for it not to be accessible to some kids, it’s not right. It should be accessible to all kids.” Which is why he started a non-profit called Diamond – to offer free karate classes once a week. Damian Rodriguez: “Via Diamond, they should be able to shine, have high integrity, they should have good values.” That’s important for any kid. But especially for a child who is having a hard time at home. Damian Rodriguez: “For whatever reason, divorce, lose a parent and can no longer afford martial arts.” Damian knows what loss feels like – his dad died in that car accident when he was 13 – and Damian says martial arts helped him heal. Damian Rodriguez: “There’s hundreds of thousands of kids in South Florida that, I think, could benefit from that opportunity, from having good quality martial arts and pressure in their life.” With a little positive pressure, Damian is helping to shape the next generation of diamonds in our community. Heather Walker, 7News. For more information about Millennium Martial Arts, visit their website here. If you or someone you know would like to apply for the Diamond program, you can sign up in person at any Millennium Martial Arts location. If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at [email protected]. ...read more read less