Palisades martial arts studio returns thanks to teens' fundraising
At 71 years old, it's not easy to start over, but karate master Gerry Blanck says there's no place like home, back in the Palisades.
Blanck's house and legendary dojo of 43 years were destroyed by the Palisades Fire in 2025, and he says the tragedy has turned into a little miracle for him.
He restarted his classes in a Santa Monica dojo just one month after the fire, thanks to the generosity of Master Thomas Yi.
One of his students, 10-year-old Andrew Madok, also lost his home, uniforms, belts and trophies in the fire, but his family made sure he wouldn't miss a lesson.
"Even though we lost everything, we still had things to look forward to," Andrew's mother, Nina, said.
While students honed their skills at the Santa Monica studio for the last year and four months, Blanck found an old pilates studio in Pacific Highlands for rent, but the numbers just didn't add up.
"I tried replacing all my students' uniforms, weapons, and even their trophies they lost. And then, having to live in Santa Monica, and not making it," Blanck said.
But the community refused to give up on him. First, the Rotary Club gave him a grant to help him get back on his feet. When he needed the most help, one of his former students stepped in.
Mason Cohen started at Blanck's studio in 2013, when he was 4 years old. Last year, he and friends Dylan Fullmer and Jake Yoon launched their nonprofit Build Back Pali. Their goal was to raise money to help Palisades businesses return home. One of their first grant recipients was Blanck.
"These kids… gave me $50K. They didn't give it to me. They gave it to the landlord. I couldn't have moved back. I couldn't have done it without them," Blanck said.
Earlier this month, the community celebrated Blanck's homecoming with a grand reopening. Andrew and his family are still living in a temporary home, but he says being back in the Palisades for karate makes him happy.
At the end of his lesson, Blanck surprised him with a new replacement belt rack.
