13 Apr FightLikeaGirl:BroganWalker
Gaining confidence: Elite Muay Thai School instructor Brogan Walker, center of back row, is shown with some of her students at the Chalan Pago community center, where classes are held. One of her students is Ysef Neth, who stands next to Walker on her right. Ralph T. Rivera/For Pacific Daily News
Gaining confidence: Elite Muay Thai School instructor Brogan Walker, center of back row, is shown with some of her students at the Chalan Pago community center, where classes are held. One of her students is Ysef Neth, who stands next to Walker on her right. Ralph T. Rivera/For Pacific Daily News
Written by
Ralph T. Rivera
For Pacific Daily News
Filed Under
Sports
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With domestic violence grabbing headlines and bullying in school a constant concern for parents, it’s become somewhat of a challenge to seek out ways to combat these issues.
That changed for many individuals when Muay Thai practitioner and kru (instructor) Brogan Walker stepped foot on the island and set out to build a program that teaches students the many positive aspects of the martial art. Her pragmatic approach focuses on character building and physical fitness.
A native of California, Walker finds life on Guam very enjoyable. She began her martial arts career as a student of karate. She later began training in Muay Thai and has since added jiu-jitsu to her list of martial arts credentials. She opened the Elite Muay Thai School more than a year ago and by all indications has been highly successful in teaching the martial art to dozens of her young and adult students.
“I’ve been training in the martial arts for a very long time and can’t see myself doing anything else. Opening up my own school has always been a goal of mine. Martial arts is my passion and teaching kids the art of Muay Thai is very rewarding.
“Teaching kids can be very challenging because of many factors, but that only motivates me to work harder. I want them to learn the history of Muay Thai along with paying homage to the art. At the end of the day, they learn something valuable and that really is the goal of my program,” said Walker.
There’s a proverb that personifies kru Walker’s approach to helping her young students, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
The monthly fees at Elite Muay Thai School are relatively reasonable. Ysef Neth, 12, of Ordot, was highly interested in joining a class, however, his family lacks the resources to pay the fee. Enter good neighbor and family friend Eloise Sanchez. After hearing of the family’s dilemma, Sanchez took it upon herself to pay the fee for Neth.
When asked what motivated her do this, she responded: “I sensed his desire to join the class and from my personal experience, knew kru Walker’s program was a good fit for Ysef. I felt that he had the potential to do well in the class and that is why I wanted to help. He’s a very respectful young man and the benefits he is receiving from Muay Thai will be with him for the rest of his life, and it will help him to grow into a strong citizen, so to me, that was worth the investment.”
Neth enjoys the many aspects of Muay Thai. He especially likes how it teaches him to gain the confidence in avoiding trouble in school. He said that practicing the martial art was not a means of learning how to fight; rather, he looked at it as a way to build self-confidence and mental toughness, traits that help him to make wiser decisions in dealing with whatever difficulties he encounters.
“I like coming to class because kru Walker is a good instructor. Not only does she teach us how to kick and punch, but she also talks to us about the importance of staying in school and how to handle situations that happen in and outside of school. I learned that you don’t have to fight to prove you’re tough and that avoiding or walking away from a fight is the right thing to do,” said Neth. “In this class I’ve learned confidence as well as being humble. It’s also fun because kru Walker makes it a fun class, but also a disciplined class. I like it here and I hope to do this for a long time,” he added.
For women only
In addition to providing instructional classes to kids and adults, kru Walker also has a women-only class that she holds on Saturdays. These sessions are relatively new, and kru Walker encourages women from all walks of life to come out and participate in the sessions. It brings health and wellness benefits that are essential in living an active lifestyle. The instructional classes are predicated on the importance of helping women build self-assurance along with teaching basic self-defense skills.
“Part of the reason (for having a women-only class) was because of discussions I’ve had with family and friends about the domestic violence problem on the island.
“I think it’s time for the community to unite and put a stop to not only domestic violence but violence overall. My goals are to teach them to defend themselves as well as help them build self-confidence,” said Walker.
“By teaching them these skills, they can walk about with a sense of confidence that they will be able to handle any situation,” she added.
For more information on Elite Muay Thai School, contact kru Walker at 929-0993 or visit her website at www.facebook.com/EliteMuayThaiCamp.