Boxing and martial arts have a purpose beyond winning fights, students at Lincoln School in Joliet learned recently.

Dr. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Will County Regional Superintendent of Schools, said the Will County Boxing Association, which runs a gym in Joliet, "offers a positive after-school program for students. I would eventually like to see all our students involved in some after- or before-school program. I believe it is important for children to have some connection with outside community organizations," Bertino-Tarrant said.

Physical skills can translate into a way of life as practice helps develop character and focus, members of the Boxing Association told sixth- through 12th-graders at Lincoln, the Regional Safe School for students facing expulsion or multiple suspensions.

Through traing and practice, "you find a way to fix yourself," said Joseph Awinongya, a professional boxer who trains youth boxers. "Be a champion in school," he said. "Stay in school because life is not easy. You guys may think life is easy, but life is very, very hard," he said.

"We're here to talk to you all about character," said Derek Drey, 21, who plans to attend Joliet Junior College. "Boxing shapes your body," Drey said. "You guys can change your life."

The Boxing Association is performing a service for the young people of Joliet's East Side, said Tony Pena, a member of the Joliet Elementary District 86 School Board.

Pena said Awinongya "has done something nobody else has done. Life is like boxing," he said. "It's a one-on-one situation/ Boxing will help you look in the mirror, build your self-esteem," he said. "We're trying to give you the opportunity to change, to do something good for yourself."

"The gym is a great place to vent," said coach Delwin C. Fields, adding that physical activity is an "outlet to turn my energy positive." Positive energy can overcome the mistakes of the past, Fields said. "All I see is winners out here."

Octavius Webb, 20, said he is turning his life around after going off-track as a college student on a football scholarship. "Boxing keeps me focused on making a better life. It helps me with my anger," said Webb, who attends Joliet Junior College.

Sixteen-year-old Adrian Palacios is successfully blending sports and study, Awinongya said. Palacios, a student at Joliet Catholic Academy, expects to attend college on a wrestling scholarship. He doesn't neglect his schoolwork, Awinongya said. "Adrian has to get A's and B's."

But boxing isn't a boys-only sport, as Fields demonstrated by sparring with Jaecee Burkart, 17. Fields said Jaecee, who is home-schooled, is one of the best. "A woman can be a boxer," he said.

The gym also offers a martial arts program, which emphasizes mental strength as much as physical prowess, instructor Quinton McCottrell said. He said martial arts originated among Chinese monks, who, for a while, were the only ones allowed to practice those skills because they could be trusted not to use them for personal gain.

"It builds character, but it's also a culture," McCottrell said. "Martial arts build discipline, character and focus."