San Francisco Tenderloin police officers hold judo classes for neighborhood kids
In the quaint community room at the San Francisco Police Station in the Tenderloin District, Officer Thomas Smith trades in his police uniform for a judogi.
"Saw a need here in the Tenderloin, because the Tenderloin may be the smallest district in San Francisco, but it has the most amount of kids here," Smith told CBS News Bay Area.
Smith, along with other police officers, are spearheading a free Judo program with the San Francisco Police Activities League that had recently launched in the Tenderloin community.
"Before being a police officer, I actually taught Judo at a youth center that I went to as a kid," Smith said.
And now, he's teaching students how to defend yourself and your family, while also building self-confidence.
"I've been doing jiu jitsu for almost four years and I started doing boxing almost a year ago," Alba Biltagi, a student, told CBS News Bay Area.
Every Wednesday, Smith teaches students ranging from seven to 17 years old.
He reminds his students the master of perfecting the human character, which is one of the key lessons of the Japanese martial art.
"There was a tremendous need to give kids a place that is safe to go," Smith said.
