When Ian Gayola asked his Shaolin Kempo instructor if he could compete in an upcoming tournament, it wasn’t the first time William Miller had received such a request from one of his pupils. What made this instance so unique was the fact Gayola is 90 percent blind. “It was a fantastic thing, it blew us all away,” Miller said. Not only did Gayola compete, he placed first in the adult men’s white and yellow belt division. “I was trying to over-prepare myself for it,” said Gayola, 17. “Sensei Miller was teaching me techniques on how to get shots in first, so I just had to go for it and I ended up winning first place. It was pretty good.” Miller, who is married with four children, owns and operates the United Studios of Self Defense on 1749 Garnet Ave. He gives back to the community by voluntarily donating his time and dojo to young members of the San Diego Braille Institute. He teaches many of the blind youth in San Diego to feel more confident in an overwhelming world. “It’s all about giving back to people who appreciate it and are more in need of it,” Miller said. “It feels great.” Miller has been dealing with his own health issues since 1991 and had his first heart surgery in 1997, but he said his health complications pale in comparison to those who are forced to live without a sense most take for granted. Miller has always enjoyed working with children and about 10 years ago he started volunteering to help local sight-impaired youth. As a teacher and mentor, he has seen some pupils grow from 9-year-olds up to 18-year-old young adults. “I’m excited to see where these kids go with their lives,” he said. The youngsters who train with sensei Miller learn about much more than just self-defense. They become more confident in physical aspects like balance and awareness of their surroundings. But they also learn the importance of self-discipline and taking chances into the unseen. Miller said most people with sight don’t know how to fall properly, so imagining how difficult that would be for the visually-impaired is easy to understand. Miller tries to explain to them that the ground is actually quite often a safe place to be. “It’s about realizing the ground is your friend, not your enemy,” he said. “Its something you walk on and it’s fairly stable. If you fall, embrace it instead of putting down your wrist and breaking it.” In addition, this group has fun, which is apparent in their smiles and questions after class. “To see these kids really laugh and enjoy themselves is great,” Miller said. “To be treated very much in a normal state versus special is really big to them.” Ian Gayola’s younger brother, Egilrae, 13, is also attending classes at the United Self Defense Studios. He’s hoping to someday follow in his brother’s footsteps by competing in tournaments too. “He knows more than I do, so he teaches me what he knows,” Egilrae said. Asked about future goals in partnership with the Braille Institute, Miller said he would like to raise enough money to take his group of special students to China and train with the Shaolin monks. For more information about the United Studios of Self Defense, call (858) 274-1229 or visit www.ussdpb.com.