'Manny mats' and martial arts prove to be a winning combination for one Wilmington youth

Manny Rico is excited for his taekwondo class.

As he walks through the doors of Coastal Martial Arts Academy, the other students greet him with high-fives and fist bumps. Manny, 10, has Down Syndrome and participates in an inclusive class with students of all abilities.

Burnie Richardson, owner of Coastal Martial Arts Academy, and his wife Heather Richardson, say the kids in the class don’t treat Manny differently and enjoy having him in the group.

“Manny runs the class,” said Heather Richardson.

Manny began taking classes at the academy about a year and a half ago. Isabelle Rico, Manny’s mother, recalled he struggled a bit in the beginning. When he was unable to follow the movements, he would become frustrated and sit down.

“I think he understood, but he couldn’t really do it,” Rico said. “He couldn’t do even the simplest of things.”

One of the first challenges involved jumping jacks. The instructors found a way to break the move down for him using what they now refer to as “Manny mats,” which have brightly-colored footprints to indicate placement and movement.

Isabelle Rico said the trick was breaking the movements down so he could learn them at his own pace — something Burnie Richardson and the staff are happy to do.

“We all learn at different rates and have different abilities,” he explained. “I don’t even want to call it a challenge.”

While Manny takes classes twice a week, he also works with lead instructor Savannah Herring, 15, and her sister Emma Herring, 13, each Sunday to help him become comfortable with the moves that will be taught in class later that week.

Since Manny began martial arts lessons, Isabelle Rico says she’s seen an improvement in his grades and overall health. In addition to Down Syndrome, Manny has a heart condition, and the cardiologist has always recommended that Manny lose weight and increase his physical activity. Recently, a cardiology check-up revealed both significant weight loss and improved cardiovascular function.

Rico says she’s also seen Manny’s grades go from 50s and 70s to 90s and 100s, which she attributes to his participation in martial arts. She noted researchers have shown a significant tie between physical exertion and cognitive development.

“For example, when Manny learns a form, that muscle memory that he’s developing is literally helping his brain learn how to memorize things, learn how to grow,” she said.

“It’s just everyday fundamental exercises and complex movements that really get your brain firing and really get you thinking,” Burnie Richardson added.

Manny is also finding success on the mats. He goes to tournaments with the other students and competes in his age group with everyone else.

“Win or lose, he’s still up there,” Isabelle Rico said. “He gets in front of the crowd.”

Recently, he won first place at a tournament, and on Feb. 17, Manny earned his green belt.

Rico definitely plans to keep Manny involved in martial arts, and now she’s encouraging parents of other children with special needs to consider the sport because it is inclusive — something she says is “huge in the special needs world.” She noted Burnie Richardson has even visited Codington Elementary where Manny attends school to work with the students during their physical education class.

“This is the epitome of what inclusion should look like,” she said. “It just does my heart good to know that he feels the difference because I can see it in his every day confidence.”

Renee Spencer is the community engagement editor at the StarNews. Reach her at RSpencer@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Coastal Martial Arts Academy makes a difference in Wilmington, NC