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When I moved to Flagstaff in 2022, Matthew Banks was among the first people I met. He crossed the street, introduced himself, and invited my daughters to a free lesson at Sacred Mountain Fighting and Healing Arts.
He couldn’t have known that inside the home he’d approached, we were living with domestic violence.
After only a year training with Sifu Banks, my daughter came downstairs to find my husband strangling me with a shower hose. She intervened immediately, with courage and confidence in what she’d learned. My daughter saved my life.
It took three more years to escape.
When I finally filed for divorce, terrified about
When I finally filed for divorce, terrified about protecting my children and surviving in Flagstaff, Sifu Matthew and Simu Carly Banks stood beside us. They deferred payments, offered work in exchange for lessons, and ensured my daughter never lost the place that helped her feel strong and safe during our darkest days.
They didn’t make us feel indebted. They made us feel supported.
I’m sharing this because Sacred Mountain teaches more than self-defense. They give children confidence, community, and the ability to protect themselves and those they love. What Sifu Matthew and Simu Carly give our daughters deserves recognition.
Some businesses serve their community. Others change the course of someone’s life.
The Banks family helped save mine.
I wish I could offer more than words right now. But I hope they, and all of Flagstaff, know how much better our community is because they’re here.
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