Sterling kickboxer: Lessons in life and limbs

When a hand becomes a fist, it’s not always looking for a fight.

Sometimes, it’s helping young people find meaning in their life.

If that sounds like a mixed message, it’s not. It’s a mixed martial arts message, and the man behind a local ministry is spreading the word.

Juan Castillo of Amazing Grace Church in Sterling has combined a combat sport and religion and turned the seemingly unlikely duo into a dynamic, life-changing experience at Muay Thai Ministries.

Muay Thai was developed about 600 years ago as a means of defense, using a person’s entire body as a weapon. It’s known as the “art of eight limbs,” as it uses eight points of contact: fists, elbows, knees and feet. It’s the national sport of Thailand, and in recent years, its popularity has spread to the Western world, and it’s even become an Olympic sport.

But for Castillo, it’s way to help young people.

Castillo, who often goes by the nickname “Lalo,” is a former kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter who believes that Muay Thai’s methods and the disciplines behind it can be a part of the greater good. Not only can it help improve body, spirit and the mind, he said, but it can also bring people closer to Jesus Christ.

His fighting days behind him, Castillo has turned to training teens in the art of kickboxing through the church’s Muay Thai Ministries — but it’s more like preaching in the long run. Sure, there are kicks and punches, but not without lessons from the scriptures and stories from the Bible.

“I never won a belt, championship or anything like that, but I have the knowledge, and I know that there was a reason for it, and it’s for this, to work with kids,” Castillo said. “The best way to find meaning in your own life is to help others find meaning in theirs, and that’s what I’m doing here with the kids.”

Lessons in spirit, patience, respect, integrity, humility, perseverance and basic core values are taught. Mental training includes lessons in memory retention, confidence, self control, problem solving, adaptation and resilience. Physical training helps student improve balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance, strength and muscle tone. All that may sound like a lot to take in, but it’s not all that different from what other self-improvement programs teach — it’s just done with pads.

Taking part in the program not only teaches a sport, but life lessons as well, Castillo said.

“When your center of belief is strong, all of the appendages — arms, legs — are strong and can do their job,” he said. “When the core is strong, everything else is strong.”

While Muay Thai is a way to gain physical advantage over someone else, that’s not the ministry’s goal. Violence is absolutely not tolerated and is not what Castillo wants to teach; in fact, if he finds out a student is using Muay Thai in a violent way, he or she is pulled from the program.

“I stress to the students that come here that it’s a fitness program,” Castillo said. “I’m not training people to fight.”

Castillo, who fought his last bout nearly a decade ago, was trained by local fighters Trirong Khuntangta, Brent Sisson and Nick Meier, and was a regular at the former Combat Zone gym in town. His experience eventually led to occasional private lessons. Toward the end of 2020, he began thinking about ways to combine elements of faith and fighting into a ministry, and he pitched the idea to Amazing Grace’s then-pastor Loren Schlomer.

Muay Thai Ministries, which is an arm of the church’s Crossfire Youth Ministries program, had its first class in January 2021, and has averaged about six to eight kids per session, including two of current pastor Kristy Pipes’ kids, Makaylee and Brayton. Dan Pipes, Kristy’s husband, also helps out with the class; when Castillo is doing one-on-ones with students, Dan is coordinating the rest of the students as a group.

The ministry has had a profound impact on not just her own children, Kristy said, but others as well.

“It can make them feel good about themselves and getting a hold of something,” she said. “There’s so much that comes from this ministry. That’s really what we want: these kids’ wholeness, spirit, soul and body — we want them to be whole in every single way, and this is one outlet that can help provide that and help train them in those areas.

“There’s power in the word of God, and that’s what trains us to live correctly. Our heart is to reach the young generation. Young people go through so many things these days.”

The Pipes’ children had taken part in Castillo’s private lessons before the ministry began. Kristy said that, particularly with Makaylee, the training and lessons learned from training with Castillo helped make her more comfortable with who she is and more confident in herself.

“Makaylee fell in love with it,” Castillo said. “That’s where the idea came to bring it to Pastor Kristy. If one youth likes it, then maybe it’s a good idea to implement this as a youth ministry.”

Part of the basement of the church’s youth center, located across the street from the church, was remodeled into a training area when the ministry began. Lined up in the middle of the room, hanging from the ceiling, is a banana bag, boxing bag, double-end ball, and speed bag. Castillo, who plans to add another heavy bag and another speed bag in the coming months, is always thinking ahead, looking for ways to grow the program and make a difference in more young people’s lives.

“It’s still in its infancy, and we’re still coming up with new ideas and plans for the future of this ministry,” Castillo said. “The Lord provides it; it’s not something that just organically happens. It’s a God-planned idea. I didn’t make this happen, and it didn’t just fall on my lap. It’s something that I’ve been praying for God to give me something to do: ‘Give me something to do, give me something to do.’ And, boom, here comes MTM.”

Classes run in 8-week sessions, with 2 weeks off in between. The second class of the year began March 19, but students can join at any time. The first class is free, and after that, the cost is $35. Proceeds go toward the ministry’s upkeep and equipment, and T-shirts for students to wear the help promote the ministry and church.

On the 1-year anniversary of the ministry in January, Castillo asked each of his students a very important question: What have you learned from it all? The answer was almost unanimous, and something that Castillo hopes remains in the future.

“They have confidence in themselves,” Castillo said. “They have their head up now, [especially] the ones who used to walk with their head down. They had this built up confidence in themselves.”

Want to learn more?

Want to learn about how kickboxing can improve the mind and spirit? Classes, which run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays, run in 8-week sessions at Amazing Grace Church’s Grace Center, 509 Second Ave., Sterling.

The cost is $35 for an 8-week class, or $5 for single classes. Proceeds go toward ministry expenses.

Amazing Grace Church meets for worship every Sunday at 10 a.m.

Find Amazing Grace of Sterling on Facebook, go to revivalfires.net or call 815-625-9300 for more information.