These kids are kicking cancer  literally! Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg meets with his class which teaches martial arts relaxation and meditation techniques to children facing cancer and other serious illnesses (AP photos)
These kids are kicking cancer literally!

The young people who learn martial arts at a studio north of Detroit are not considered students.

Their instructors use a different word.


That's because the techniques these children learn will be used not to take on an opponent from a rival studio. Instead, they will be used against deadly diseases. The illnesses ravage their bodies and threaten their lives.

Called Kids Kicking Cancer, the program is based in Southfield, Michigan. It helps sick kids learn to use martial arts-style breathing and relaxation techniques. That helps them to manage stress, anxiety and pain. Those issues stem from their illnesses and treatments.

It was founded by Elimelech Goldberg. He is a Jewish rabbi. He also is a first-degree black belt in the art of Choi Kwang Do.

Goldberg is known to the children as "Rabbi G." He was motivated to start Kids Kicking Cancer by the memory of his daughter, Sara. She was diagnosed with leukemia just before her first birthday. She died from the disease. That was a little more than a year later.

"My daughter, at 2 years old, contributed so much to this planet, because she brought in this light. And now that's the light that I'm privileged to help spread to the rest of the world," Goldberg said. He spoke before he led a class of 16 preteens and teenagers. Each suffers from cancer, sickle cell anemia and other ailments.

One child in the class of "little heroes," as Goldberg calls them, is Jayson Harris. He is a 9-year-old from Detroit. His cancer is in remission.

"Being in class is like a second family to me," Jayson said. Then he took his spot on the mat. Moments later, he drove his fist into a striking pad. It was being held by instructor Michael Hunt.

The training also is designed to teach the kids to take control of their situations. Or as Goldberg says, to teach them to be victors instead of victims.

Hunt, 27, was the latter. That was before he joined Goldberg's first class. The year was 1999. He had already undergone a year of chemotherapy. It was to treat a cancer of the muscles. He had to have four ribs and a tumor removed from his side. Hunt later had two steel rods surgically implanted. Each was placed on either side of his spine.

Being a part of Kids Kicking Cancer allowed him to cut down on the medications. He was taking them to manage the pain. As a trainer, he is an ever-present reminder to enrollees that the program can help.

"I'll tell them my story. And they're like, 'Oh, OK. Now, I know I can do it,'" Hunt said.

Critical thinking challenge: Which experiences made Michael Hunt both a victim and victor?

Assigned 31 times

  • AmareM-Phe
    2/25/2015 - 10:58 a.m.

    I think this story was a little interesting accept for I got the first answer wrong and I proved that it was right

  • RomanB-Phe
    2/25/2015 - 11:43 a.m.

    That's really great that poor, sick kids are fighting back those horrible diseases I'm very happy for them. I hope they get better and also there is a hospital called Saint Jude that treats kids who have very bad illnesses such as cancer I hope they check that out.

  • ethana1-Old
    3/02/2015 - 01:00 p.m.

    the experiences that made Michael hunt a victim and a victor was that his daughter died from cancer and what made him a victor was that to teach kids maral arts.

  • Alexander1234
    3/04/2015 - 10:58 a.m.

    Michael Hunt was a victor because he had cancer and 4 ribs removed, and he was a victim because he joined a program that helped him out.

  • John0724-YYCA
    6/24/2015 - 04:57 p.m.

    I think that it is a good idea for them to learn martial arts to fight the diseases they have because then they could be normal like us without having to stay away from us because the disease might come to us and it will be fun to play with more kids. When they learn martial arts they use relaxation which helps them fight the diseases they have.

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