Craft
On top of being co-owner of Sanctuary Jiu-Jitsu, Ryan Lewis is also a woodworker extraordinaire – and all around renaissance man. The majority of the woodwork that you can see around our academy – namely the front desk, benches, logo cutout, and vanities in the bathrooms – were conceived of and built by Ryan at a local makerspace, the Bodgery.
Occupy Madison
Through his work at the Bodgery, Ryan met some local builders that are involved with a homeless outreach organization called Occupy Madison. The main goal and accomplishments of Occupy Madison is to build tiny homes for the homeless, situating them on unused lots in the city. It is a great and immediately effective way to get people a permanent address so they can get back on their feet. It is nearly impossible to find work if your entire focus is to provide the most basic of needs: a roof over your head.
Team Building
During COVID team activities have been considerably reduced, so Ryan had a fantastic idea that could bring the team together while also giving back to Madison and some of its more disadvantaged residents. Coordinating with our members and Occupy Madison, we were able to volunteer our time and build an entire tiny home from the ground-up.
It was an incredible experience, and all of the people – from Occupy Madison and the Bodgery – overseeing the project were very patient, kind, and knowledgeable; taking us (some of whom had zero carpentry experience) through the building process step-by-step.
A Rising Tide
It is important for us to remember that in Jiu-Jitsu we will, as individuals, reach a greater potential if our training partners are available and healthy. The same is true in regards to the larger communities in which we live. The more our fellow community members are healthy and housed, the more we are all able to flourish; a rising tide lifts all boats.
A Good Start
We’re very happy to have started 2021 on a positive note, bringing the team together, and giving back to the community of Madison. We will be looking to do more of these projects into the future, so keep an eye out! Thanks to Occupy Madison and all of our members who were involved in the build!