Eric Winfree, sitting with a wooden stick in his left hand, addressed the semi-circle of martial arts students gathered in front of him and spoke about life.

“Kali is like life,” Winfree said, referring to a style of martial arts he teaches. “What you put in is what you’re going to reap.”

Winfree, 56, is an instructor at the Syracuse Martial Arts Academy at ShoppingTown Mall. With over 40 years of martial arts experience, he has transformed his love of combat into helping students become skilled fighters.

Now, Winfree wishes to help students as a member of the Syracuse City School District’s Board of Education. There are currently four seats open for election.

This year will be Winfree’s first time on county’s ballot. Board elections take place as part of the state’s general election on Nov. 5.  He promised his late wife, Jeanne, that he would run. She died from cancer two years ago. She was a Vermont schoolteacher whose passion for education rivaled her husband’s devotion to martial arts.

A good martial art develops both sides of the brain, Winfree said during a recent Saturday martial arts lesson. He referenced two former students who graduated from the Syracuse Martial Arts Academy. The students received $250,000 and $95,000 academic scholarships, respectively, to attend a college of their choosing.

“Martial arts makes you a better thinker,” Winfree said.

The practice also teaches students to be self-sufficient, he said. Many of his former students have started businesses, some connected to martial arts. One student owns a business that makes the training weapons used by the martial arts academy.

Montell Lyles Jr., one of Winfree’s advanced students, envisions opening a martial arts school after graduating from Onondaga Community College. Lyles, who joined the academy in 2010, credits Winfree with helping him find a sense of life direction.

“I definitely wasn’t the most honorable kid but (Winfree) really helped me get my life together,” Lyles said. “He’s a great life teacher.”

As an instructor, Winfree has turned the academy into a center for community outreach. He previously ran an afterschool program designed to help younger students with their homework while incorporating a kung fu activity. He has also hired teachers to work with students. One fourth-grade boy learned how to read and saw his school grades improve dramatically after joining the academy.

The program, which cost $140, was eventually canceled after parents decided it was too expensive, Winfree said.

“(Winfree) is not about money,” said Anthony Iglesias, instructor and academy owner. “He just wants to leave the world better than he entered it.”

For SCSD, Winfree is suggesting a change in culture if he is elected. This includes encouraging positive reinforcement of students to help them better prepare for college or pursue a career outside the classroom.

Winfree spoke from experience — as a graduate of Henninger High School, he said he was not prepared to handle the demands of college academics. Now, he is promising to bring a fresh voice to the Board of Education.

“Are they ready for me?” Winfree asked. “Who knows?”

Published on November 3, 2019 at 9:48 pm