Waltham martial arts school becomes a hub for Thanksgiving donations

Being a great martial artist requires superb judgement, the basis of which is good character, said tae kwon do black belt candidate Minda Brokhoff.

And in tae kwon do philosophy, particularly at Perry's Tae Kwon Do Academy on Moody Street, having good character means service and giving to the community.

"There's a perception that what we do is all about kicking and punching - but kicks and punches are just a vehicle to build character," said Reginald "Reggie" Perry, the academy's owner/director.

In that vein, Perry required all of his students who are candidates for the tae kwon do mastery status to help provide 40 needy families in the area with full Thanksgiving dinners before taking their black belt test in December.

Perry's Turkey Brigade, as Perry calls the group of eight black belt students, brought in their families and friends to assist in preparing and packaging the dinners, each of which included a 10-pound, partially thawed turkey, potatoes, yams, vegetables, bread, cranberry sauce and an oven pan to cook the turkey in.

They had to raise at least $145 each to purchase turkeys, vegetables, stuffing and other ingredients and coordinate food collection and distribution, Perry said. They raised more than $1,250, he said.

"My students who are ready to become black belts have learned not only the physical discipline of tae kwon do, but also to put service above self," said Perry, who has operated the school at 308 Moody St. for a decade.

The students, Weston resident Adam Amiji, 12, Steven Chan, 11, of Lexington, and adults Brokhoff, of Watertown, Christie Lee of Waltham, Diane Snow of Belmont, Ilya Bass of Weston, and Carlos Vazquez of Waltham, sorted through tables full of food Wednesday in the academy's training room, and prepared meals for the families.

Then Waltham-based Riverside Early Intervention and Thom Charles River Early Intervention delivered the food to 40 families, mostly in Waltham.

"I'm very excited. ... Being able to help families in the local community where we actually work out is great," said Brokhoff, of Watertown.

Lee, of Waltham, said the program is "a great tradition to support."

Amiji, of Weston, who brought macaroni and cheese, and Chan, of Lexington, who brought baby corn and salmon, said they were happy to be able to contribute.

Raising the $145 for the Thanksgiving Day feasts was "a really good challenge," said Snow, of Belmont.

Snow noted that Perry "raises the bar" a little bit every year, by increasing the number of families the academy assists, for example.

For his part, Perry said he made 20 sweet potato pies and purchased 20 apple pies for the families.

Bass, of Weston, said the Turkey Brigade is a great initiative, and loves the example it provides for his children, Simon and Jacob, who are also students at the academy.

"I feel great they can be a part of it. We are very fortunate, so it's good to remind the kids that it's important to help others," Bass said.

Helping families is not only a good way to give back to the community, but also a great opportunity to bond with other students, which is part of the pledge students take, said Vazquez, of Waltham.

Tae kwon do students vow to honor ideals that include keeping friendships with fellow students, and building a "strong, and happy community."

"It's good, because it teaches you responsibility and respect, and how important it is help people in our community," Vazquez said.

Joyce Kelly can be reached at 781-398-8005 or jkelly@cnc.com.