The Cave of Adullam

At Jason Wilson’s martial arts academy in Detroit, the students’ emotional well-being is prioritized over athletic prowess. Here, these young Black boys are given the rare and invaluable experience of being seen and cared for as the vulnerable beings they are. Over several months, this documentary follows Tamarkus, Gabe, Daniel, and Kevin as they courageously confront their inner demons. Jason is more than just a martial arts sensei to these fragile tween boys who are silently suffering an array of hurts and fears and guides them to course correct at a crucial juncture where their trauma might otherwise calcify into darker behavior. Living out his mantra "it's easier to raise boys than repair broken men," Jason teaches emotional intelligence instead of discipline, setting these children on a path to become whole and healthy adults.