Community Corner

Black Belt with Autism Inspires New Nonprofit in Westport

Twenty-year-old Kyle Derman's journey to earning the rank of adult black belt inspired instructor and Dynamic Martial Arts owner Mark Wilkinson to create a nonprofit to help other children with special needs.

Mark Wilkinson knows challenge.

The owner of Westport's Dynamic Martial Arts has battled -- and overcome -- cancer twice. So when it comes to having the patience, will, and perseverance to teach martial arts to children with special needs, Wilkinson knows what it takes.

Years of determination and understanding culminated in late June, when Wilkinson's student Kyle Derman -- a 20-year-old with autism -- earned the rank of adult black belt.

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Derman came under Wilkinson's instruction 13 years ago, when Derman's father asked if the instructor would take Kyle on as a student.

"As a martial arts instructor, you take on everyone as a student," Wilkinson told Patch in a recent interview.

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Wilkinson said his first day teaching Derman was "exhausting" -- he had to chase the boy around the studio to get him to stop running.

But that deterred neither Wilkinson nor Derman. As the years went on, Derman learned skills that were initially "nearly impossible" for children with autism to master, like putting sequences together, performing verbal and physical moves at the same time.

On June 23, 2013, Derman performed 25 moves to complete the two-hour black belt test. He even managed a surprise task -- instead of chopping through one board, as he expected to do, Derman chopped through two "like an egg," according to Wilkinson.

Derman was Wilkinson's first special needs students -- and his journey made Wilkinson realize that, as an instructor, he had a gift.

"I am able to get into their brain -- children with Asperger's, ADHD -- to get them to focus, to create balance...somehow I know how to do that," he said.

Since Derman began taking martial arts classes, other children on the autism spectrum and kids with ADD, ADHD, and sensory integration disorders have come under the wings of Wilkinson and his team. He currently teaches eight children with autism and one with cerebral palsy.

"I will take on any child with special needs. I have my own way of working with them," Wilkinson said.

He wants to be able to reach more kids with special needs -- and to do so, he's launching a nonprofit to help cover the costs for those children to learn martial arts, as well as other expenses.

"Muscle Up for Autism" is currently a work in progress, but Wilkinson hopes to get the organization up and running soon to help special needs students as they age out of financial assistance from the government.

Patch will provide further updates as they become available on "Muscle Up for Autism" -- like upcoming fundraisers and events to support the nonprofit.

For now, one thing is certain: Wilkinson has Derman to thank for the idea.

"Kyle taught me all the things I needed to know to get to these children with autism spectrum disorders," he said.

"To be able to put these children into programs to enhance their ability to function in life with much better coordination, focus, balance, timing, and strength," is Wilkinson's goal in taking on students with special needs. 


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