Portland martial arts program helps kids build confidence

A program at The Salvation Army Clackamas County Corps offers an outlet for exercise and engagement.

Once a week in Portland, Oregon, Rylie Govern files into a room with more than a dozen other kids and parents taking part in The Salvation Army Clackamas County Corps martial arts program.

For many of the kids and parents, the program provides a vehicle for exercise and exposure to different types of martial arts, said Lt. David Culley, organizer and instructor of the program. Yet for others, like 12-year-old Rylie and her 11-year-old brother Tristian Meyerriecks, the program also serves as an outlet to socialize, release pent-up energy and build new confidence.

“My kids both have autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], and it causes them to get bullied quite often,” said Debbie Hays, who adopted Rylie and Tristian three years ago. “In this environment, they feel totally accepted for who they are.”

First started in 2022, the program has now seen more than 30 students complete at least one season, with many of them moving up through the ranks of the traditional Taekwondo belt system, which includes white, yellow, orange, green and purple belts. The program has become a resource for students to get active and navigate the everyday challenges that come with growing up in the modern age, Culley said.

“We hear kids saying ‘Oh, I was bullied today, someone called me something,’ or ‘Someone got in my spot in line and it really bummed me out,’ he said. “When I notice kids low that day in class, I know that they went through something that in their mind was hard, it was challenging, it was tough. My goal in class is to provide them an opportunity to thrive, to succeed, to be the example—to encourage others and to be encouraged.”

Born initially as a pilot during the pandemic, the classes were a dream of sorts for Culley, who grew up studying and practicing martial arts his whole life. When he and his wife, Lt. Sarah Culley, landed in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, for training to become Salvation Army officers, the opportunity presented itself for David Culley to offer something: Enrichment and exercise through martial arts. 

“There was very little happening for anybody outside, in school or extracurriculars,” said David Culley. That prompted him to start outdoor, masked-up classes to get people outside and moving, he said. When the Culleys were assigned to the Clackamas County Corps in Portland, Culley knew he wanted to start a program there.

“The whole martial arts program promotes being kind and doing our best, while having fun and learning skills—it hopefully will last them all their life.”

Debbie Hays, mother of two participants

Kids and adults attending the martial arts program will find Sarah Culley practicing along their side on the floor. A brown belt in martial arts, Sarah Culley is not an instructor for the program, but sees the opportunity as a ministry of her own to be in class, said David Culley.

“She plays an intentional role of asking kids questions in class and is the eye to the kids who are feeling down when they come in,” he said. “She’s a wonderful martial artist, her true purpose in her mind, I think I can say, is she wants to be the support for the students.”

Hays said her children received significant support from the Clackamas County Corps and those in the martial arts program when she finalized the adoption of Rylie and Tristian in 2023.

“Everyone in the program helped celebrate that and accepted my kids for who they are and where they are in life,” she said. “They’ve made them feel welcome and that they belong.”

While Hays said Rylie and Tristian have both struggled with a sense of belonging at school and other sports, at The Salvation Army they are treated like family. And they get continuous encouragement to keep working at their practice.

“The whole martial arts program promotes being kind and doing our best, while having fun and learning skills—it hopefully will last them all their life,” said Hays.

For Tristian, one of the most important things about martial arts is the joy he gets out of it. 

“Martial arts is fun because Lt. David makes it fun,” said Tristian, who now holds an advanced purple belt alongside his sister. “Martial arts gives me exercise and teaches me how to protect myself.”

Rylie has also found the sport beneficial. “I’ve always been very social—[the program] it’s helped me make even more friends, which I like,” she said.

Now the two siblings are preparing for their next challenge: Training to test for a blue belt. 

See the program in action in the video below:

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• The Salvation Army offers a welcoming and supportive environment where you can connect with your faith and find peace.