Guard Up: Grand Master Launches Self-Defense Column

Grand Master Evan R. Henry, founder of New Creation Taekwondo who is a sixth-degree black belt, launches a new self-defense column focused on awareness, mindset, and protecting your family before a punch is ever thrown. The column will appear exclusively in Atlantic City Focus.

Caught Off Guard

I've watched too many of our people get caught off guard – in a parking lot; by a stranger at the door; on a boardwalk that should feel like home; in their own living rooms; in their own cars; and/or on their own blocks.

You weren't put on this earth to be a target for people to hurt you and your family. This column was strategically created by Atlantic City Focus to raise awareness of self-defense that we call Guard Up. Self-defense isn't a hobby! It is an absolute responsibility we must take for ourselves and the ones we love! That's the purpose of this column.

It's an honor to do this. However, before I go any further, I want to thank Atlantic City Focus for giving me this platform, opportunity, and responsibility of bringing awareness to you. To Mark Tyler and the entire team, thank you for building a paper that reflects our community to itself with truth and care. To the readers, thank you for the seat at your table. A community paper giving a Grand Master space to talk about protecting our people is not a small thing. I don't take it lightly. I plan to earn every column.

Why I'm at This Keyboard

They call me Evan R. Henry, a Grand Master; sixth-degree black belt; five-time state taekwondo champion; three-time regional champion; world-Class taekwondo competitor; founder of New Creation Taekwondo. On TikTok, folks know me as The Grand Master Pastor. That's the résumé. Now let me tell you what this column will be.

I'm not selling black belts through a newspaper. I'm giving you the truth about how to protect yourself and your family before a punch is ever thrown. Most weeks we'll talk about awareness – reading a room; spotting a threat (before it spots you); understanding how predators pick their targets (so you won't be one). Other weeks it's mindset, home safety, or travel safety. And when the moment calls for it, we'll talk about the discipline it takes to stand your ground. Awareness first! Everything else follows.

Raised by Four Men

I've been teaching taekwondo since I was 10 years old. Before I was ever a teacher, I was a student. I was raised in this art by four men:

• Grand Master Kyong H. Kim, head coach of the 2000 Team USA Olympic Taekwondo squad, sharpened me as a competitor and shaped the Grand Master I am today.
• Master Joe Dweck was my first taekwondo teacher, giving me my first black belt in taekwondo.
• My uncle, Henry Gilbert Mays, Jr., known in the ring as Hurricane Henry Mays, Maryland light heavyweight champion and Baltimore Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, taught me the sweet science and the heart of a fighter.
• Last but not least, my parents, Sergeant First Class Edwin R. Henry, United States Army, taught me military discipline, real-world awareness, and how a man protects his own. My mother, Yolanda D. Henry, taught me to be self-aware of how to present myself to the world in different situations. I am so thankful to my parents for raising me together in the same household with my sister Majiyah. The lessons I learned from them are countless. What you read here was forged by all of these influences in my life!

Warriors of a Different Kind

I built New Creation Taekwondo to raise warriors of a different kind. Children who couldn't look me in the eye have grown into confident young adults on my mats. Women who came to me shaking have left standing tall. Fathers have remembered they were built to cover their homes.

I've trained students of every age, and students with special needs that other schools wouldn't sit with. Every one of them left stronger than they came. The threat is real. The answer isn't panic. The answer is preparation.

Atlantic City Is My Kind of City

Atlantic City is my kind of city. Loud. Alive. Honest. A city that's been through it and still shows up in the morning. So is South Jersey. So is Philly across the bridge. Our people are strong. But strong isn't the same as ready. This column is about being ready!

A Few Promises Before We Start

I won't waste your time. I won't promise a shortcut. Real awareness takes reps and honest work. And I won't forget for whom I write – Our elders. Our sisters. Our brothers. Our children. Our community. Every word here is pointed at your protection. This isn't a one-man show. I'll also be bringing in other voices such as other Grand Masters; self-defense instructors; law enforcement; and security professionals. Additionally, there will be fighters from every style and discipline with different backgrounds, but the same mission. When they show up on this page, listen closely!

Reflection

What would happen right now if trouble walked through the door? If the answer isn't clear, this column is for you. Come back next week. We have work to do. Guard up!

For speaking, Seminars, or self-defense training, contact: Grand Master Evan R. Henry, Founder, New Creation Taekwondo • Senior Pastor, Infinite Hope Global, Bachelor's Degree in Pastoral Leadership, Newburgh Theological Seminary. Follow @TheGrandMasterPastor on TikTok. Call Business number: (848-217-2202).

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