Meet the Teenager Teaching Karate to Your Grandma!

Can we use our seemingly “random” talents to help others, all over the globe? With inspiration from two things he loves in life—karate and his grandmother—15-year-old Jeffrey Wall is bringing movement, community, and fun to nursing homes all around the world!

Do the best, most impactful things we can each do stem from combining what we love most? For Jeffrey, that means creating a space for “Super Nanas” to flourish! And, of course, teaching them how to land a solid punch.

Courtesy of Jeffrey Wall

When Jeffrey Wall got his blackbelt in karate at 13, he knew he wanted to find a way to use his skills and passion to help his community. Soon, after he saw how much his own grandma loved their mini-karate classes, he realized that other seniors may benefit, too!

So, off he went to the nursing home, where not too long later, Golden Age Karate was born—bringing anywhere from 5 to 10 “Super Nanas” and “Super Grandpas” to their hour-long classes. As you’ll see in this fantastic video directed by Sindha Agha, they simply cannot get enough! Jeffrey’s classes haven’t just helped them physically but have brought them a unique joy. Just take a look!

Ever since the global pandemic put in-person classes on hold, Jeffrey has taken to YouTube to keep bringing his program to seniors—and also kids—all around the world. Check out his channel and share it with someone you think would love it in your life!

You can also connect with Jeffrey over on Instagram.

And for more content from Zendesk, head over to their Vimeo channel!

Sharing what you love with others!

When we share what we love with others, we can expand what others think they’re capable of. And that’s a powerful thing! Have you ever had a teacher who was so excited about a subject that you originally thought was pretty boring, that you ended up actually interested in it, all because of the energy and enthusiasm they brought?

As Jeffrey brings his love of martial arts to nursing homes, he not only helps his Super Nanas and Grandpas improve their physical health, but strengthens their confidence in themselves, as well. We all have this capability; some talent that we can share with others—whether it’s carpentry, coding, or creating terrible drawings of pets—that can help others embrace new parts of themselves, too. And there’s no confidence as great as realizing we’re capable of more than we ever thought!

For more great stories of people using their passions to help others, don’t miss these from our archives!

As always, my friend, stay open to new possibilities. You never know what your love for fishing or playing music can do!

• Sam