TWIN SISTERS SYDNEY and Madison Huynh have been practitioners of martial arts for most of their lives.
The sisters, who are entering their senior year at JSerra Catholic High School, realized early on that the benefits of martial arts transcend physical aspects. Martial arts also develop confidence, mental fortitude and self-control, Madison said.
MADISON AND SYDNEY HUYNH TAUGHT THEIR “STRENGTHINHER” PROGRAM TO YOUNGSTERS AT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO. PHOTOS BY YUAN WANG/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“We really liked the multidisciplinary aspect of it in that self-defense doesn’t just teach you one thing,” Madison said. “It teaches you a multitude of things.”
The Huynh sisters started with Taekwondo and then transitioned to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a more intense form of martial arts based on ground fighting, grappling and submission holds.
MADISON AND SYDNEY HUYNH ARE PICTURED WITH THEIR MENTOR BONNIE CARLSON.
They taught martial arts classes to girls in the community and then started a self-defense club as sophomores at JSerra. Then, the twins seized on an opportunity to earn a fellowship through the Dragon Kim Foundation, an Irvine nonprofit which supports youth who are pursuing their passions while simultaneously serving the community.
The foundation was established in 2015 by Daniel and Grace Kim to honor the legacy of their son, Dragon, who was killed in a camping accident at age of 14. At the time of his death, Dragon had finished his freshman year at Orange County School of the Arts, where he and some friends were designing a program which would provide musical instrument instruction to underserved members of the community.
So, the first project of the Dragon Kim Foundation was to finish what Dragon and his friends started by helping kids learn to create music.
The foundation’s mission is to give children, regardless of socio-economic background, opportunities to pursue their passions, and in the process, make positive changes in their communities.
The foundation provides six months of training and mentorship with help from its corporate partners and up to $5,000 to help the selected students turn their business plan into a reality. Those chosen for the fellowship also receive mentorship from professionals to put their plan into action.
The sisters developed a nonprofit called “StrengthInHer,” a program designed to empower underserved middle school girls in their community through martial arts training and other self-esteem building lessons.
Madison and Sydney taught their lessons to youngsters at the Boys & Girls Club of San Juan Capistrano. They also published an interactive workbook containing more lessons and activities designed to strengthen the mind and body and foster creativity.
“So, we took four strengths, creative strength, academic strength, mental strength and physical strength, and each day we focused on one, and then we did fun activities that related to that strength so that the girls can really learn from a multitude of activities,” Madison said. “For example, on the creative day, we do self-portraits and creative writing. Those are creative outlets so the girls can express themselves and we also do a nutrition lesson just to cover our bases.”
Along with lessons, the workbook featured a series of inspirational quotes from notable women. One was a quote on page-7 from poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
A quote from actress Emma Watson on page 9 reads: “Girls should never be afraid to be smart.”
To be selected for the fellowship, applicants must go through a rigorous application process. Applicants must submit a description of their project, a story about themselves, references from teachers and transcripts of their grades.
Their personal stories and grades carry the most weight, said Bonnie Carlson, a member of the foundation’s Board of Directors, who served as mentor to the sisters. Of the roughly 500 projects submitted, only about 50 are chosen for the fellowship, Carlson said.
“What I loved about their story and their project is that they were trying to teach young girls how to have more confidence,” said Carlson, retired president and CEO of the Brand Activation Association. “I loved the concept and I loved the target audience, but when reading what they wanted to do by creating individual strengths and supporting each of those. I thought it was creative, strategic and timely.”
Sydney hopes to make a career out of working with children. After developing and teaching the StrenghInHer program with her sister, that desire intensified.
“The pride that I felt in seeing these young girls’ faces light up when they shared their projects and what they’ve learned was immeasurable,” Sydney said. “We couldn’t have been able to achieve this kind of success without the help of the Dragon Kim Foundation Fellowship. This experience taught me true perseverance and reaffirmed my love of teaching. I can’t wait to see what our future holds and just how far we can extend our project to reach more girls.”