When Woodland Hills martial arts Master Simon Rhee met his new student, Jim Harris, he knew it would be difficult for him to participate in the arduous sport of Tae Kwon Do, which requires great skill and agility. Jim Harris has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a blinding degenerative eye disease, which has robbed him of much of his eyesight.

The master black belt, world champion and teacher to the stars took a special interest in Jim, realizing that this training could have multiple benefits for someone suffering from degenerative blindness. Master Rhee, who also choreographs elaborate fight sequences for motion pictures, reached out and made a difference to his student. “He taught me how to combat fear with faith, how to convert anger and rage into peace and calm, to turn despair into hope... he helped me find my way home,” Harris remarked while presenting the “Touch One Life” Award to Master Rhee at the 2003 Vision Awards in Los Angeles, the first award of its kind to be presented at the 30 year-old awards ceremony.

Now, the nation’s martial arts studios have been invited to do what Master Simon Rhee did in honor of Jim Harris and RP International, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting blindness which hosts the Vision Awards. Master Rhee hosted a “Kick-a-Thon” at his Woodland Hills training center, where he and his generous students engaged in a marathon of kicks in a fundraising effort. The event raised $3,800.00 from pledges the students gathered from friends and family, with the proceeds going toward RP International’s quality of life programs and toward research for a cure for blindness.

Martial arts studios in every city have been asked to likewise “kick for sight,” and many have already answered the call. Individuals who would like to participate should contact their local martial arts studio and ask about the Kick-A-Thon to Fight Blindness, or they can call the corporate office of RP International at (818) 992-0631 for information about participating studios. The studio whose members perform the most kicks and raise the most dollars will be specially featured on the RP International “Eyes of Christmas” broadcast on Christmas Eve.

Other participants will also be featured on the broadcast on the martial arts “Wall of Light” tribute in the broadcast.“The Eyes of Christmas,” an annual tradition since 1994, features a motion picture audio described for the blind and vision impaired, including Charles Dickens’ “Scrooge,” described by veteran CBS newsman Mario Machado, and “It’s A Wonderful Life,” described by Former President George H.W. Bush. “The Eyes of Christmas,” hosted by “Voice of the Dodgers” Vin Scully and veteran Daily Variety columnist Army Archerd, was established by RP International founder Helen Harris as a quality of life broadcast for the nation’s blind, and also includes audio greeting cards from top celebrities from films, television, music and sports, and from the nation’s governors and leaders.

RP International was started by Helen Harris and her family 31 years ago.Unfaltering for these years, the Harris family has given endless hours to find a cure or treatment for RP. Three of the five family members, Helen and two of her sons, are afflicted with Retinitis Pigmentosa, and this drew the family together to publicly fight degenerative blindness.They hope that this first-ever nationwide “Kick-A-Thon” will not only bring the martial arts community together to join them in this fight, but that it will also bring attention to the incredible ability of these studios to benefit their members by engaging them in physical activity while fighting depression and boosting self-esteem through their teachings.

“I’ve never taught a student like Jim before,” stated Master Rhee, “and so this is a learning experience for both of us, which is very exciting.His progress is great, and I am happy to be able to help him. I hope that all of the studios across the country will add ‘martial arts for the blind’ as a way to help those living in a disease darkened world that inhibits this type of fast body moving activity. If the blind can learn this, they can be self-assured again, learn self defense, and also benefit from the incredible combination of the mind, body and spirit philosophies we teach,” he added.

For further information, please call 1-800-992-0631, fax to (818) 992-3265, or visit www.RPInternational.org. All Americans are invited to participate in honor of the 37 million blind and the 20 million patients newly diagnosed with macular degeneration, who might have sight saved through the programs of RP International.