The children call them Mason Sensai and Andy Sensai, "sensai" coming from the Japanese, meaning teacher. Andy and Mason, really named Mason Tootell and Andy Harris, are two CWRU medical students who also happen to be martial arts instructors. They teach inner-city children the ancient skills of self-defense mixed with lessons of respect for others, conflict resolution and good health.

"What makes you a better person?" Harris asks the children as he reviews lessons from the summer. "School, friends and family," is the reply Harris coaxes from the 50 or so kids who have gathered at the Boys and Girls Club gymnasium on Woodland Avenue. "What takes you away from those things?" he asks. "Drugs and gangs," he reminds them.

"We're working together to become better people," Harris tells the kids at this session.

Tootell teaches Shotokan Karate and Harris teaches Budo Taijitsu (Ninja martial arts). Harris also is formally trained in Apache warriorship and is a member of an Apache clan.

"Karate, Budo Taijitsu and Apache warriorship are all traditional warrior paths and have similar philosophies," Harris said. "Our discussions with the children have used all three warrior training philosophies and their applications in everyday life without directly discussing any one culture. Our discussion topics have included violence and alternative resolutions to conflict; why to train in the martial arts; importance of family, school and friends; dangers of drugs and gangs; appreciation of diversity; and the role of a warrior in modern society."

Chaz Vernon, 12, says of the training he's received, "It's not to be used against others but to help and protect." He and his brother Cedric, 11, and friend Sapphire Simpson, 12, agree the sessions are fun and enjoyable.

During the summer, Harris and Tootell taught 15 to 25 kids per class during three classes each week at Boys and Girls Clubs on the east and west sides. The east side classes are held in conjunction with Healthy CMHA, a health and fitness program offered jointly by the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, the Health Museum of Cleveland and CWRU.

The martial arts project is made possible through a grant from the St. Luke's Foundation of Cleveland to CWRU's Office of Urban Health, which supports projects by medical and other health professions students in Cleveland's underserved urban communities.

"Volunteerism, as demonstrated by Tootell and Harris, is of the highest order and is critical to the mission of the Boys and Girls Club because it really does take total community involvement to build strong citizens," said Gregory Ashe, president of the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland.

Tootell said the kids who kept with the training improved their listening skills, self-discipline, focus and respect for their teachers. This is evident from their behavior in class, their involvement in discussions and assistance in class set-up and clean-up (without being asked).

"Furthermore, we connected with many of the students in more subtle ways," Tootell said.

"For instance, several kids insist on bowing to their teachers before asking for assistance, and some even ask for hugs after class." "For example, three girls had their father pass a message to us that they chose not to attend so they could assist their grandmother, who had caught pneumonia," Harris added. "This last example exemplifies the lessons we taught on the importance of family, service to their community and accepting responsibility for their choices and respect for their teachers."

"The end goal of both medicine and of the martial arts is the empowerment of others," Tootell said. "In medicine, we hope to empower our patients so that they can make healthy lifestyle choices. In martial arts, we empower our students to make healthy decisions and also teach them how to protect themselves in case no other option is available."

"We believe that children are the most important people in any society because they are the future. If the adults fail to teach and raise the children properly, then the society fails," Harris continued. "When we came up with this program, we decided to take a proactive role in the shaping of the children in Cleveland, many of whom were in dire need of positive male role models. That, in essence, was the goal of this whole project, and the martial arts were simply the medium we used due to our training backgrounds."

"And last, but not least," Tootell said, "we've had a lot of fun and a wonderful bonding experience with a lot of great kids we would not have had a chance to do so with otherwise."