Honor in Legacy

Honor in Legacy: Oom Yung Doe Seattle is a martial arts school specializing in working with students with disabilities, and was incorporated as a non-profit in 2016. The mission of Honor in Legacy is to promote the values of diversity and inclusion while providing educational services and support for individuals in the Greater Seattle area to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We define diversity in its broadest sense, including differences in gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, generational history, culture, socioeconomic class, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship status, geographic origin and physical or intellectual ability. We opened our school for populations generally not included in the martial arts space. For the first two years we worked with students ranging from ages 5 through 10. Many of the students had diagnoses of ASD, OCD, PTSD, Trauma, ADHD, and others. Today, we regularly teach approximately 30 students with 40% having some form of disability. One of our parents notes that her son began our classes when he was 12 after a doctor recommended them due to a physical birth trauma. He is now 15, over 6 feet tall,and has the muscle growth to stand with proper posture. His balance has improved as well as his performance in school. Recreational outlets are important for all kids- but there aren’t dedicated programs for all populations. Our team is dedicated to making exercise available, safe and healing for all who walk through our door. We have a core group of experienced instructors, a nutritionist and an internship program for our students. When they reach high school age, we offer them the opportunity to learn about leading classes and work toward being an instructor. Our interns learn how to work with those with special needs, which we hope translates not only to better understanding and empathy for those with differences, but also increasing the numbers of those entering careers that focus on inclusiveness and special needs.

We teach adaptive martial arts for primarily the disabled and neurodiverse community. We also provide supplemental nutrition for those who cannot afford it and have created a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth.