As foster kids we're called fighters and survivors all the time. So much so, that it begins to lose its meaning, its impact. Granted there are in fact thousands of those foster youth who are survivors, fighters. Some continue their fight through advocacy, some academia and some turn to athletics.
Then there is Darryl Phipps, who continues his fight everyday. He fights his martial arts opponents. He fights stereotypes. He fights for a sport in the entertainment industry. But his toughness enemy comes in the form of memories of a childhood so horrific, so unfathomable, that he may never see the end of the battle.
Darryl K. Phipps though born in Queens, NY grew up deep in the heart of Texas. The small town of Cleveland, TX gave him a sense of security that was shattered daily inside his abusive home he shared with his sisters Tisha and Chimene Jasmine Lewis.
He grew up without his father, a steady stream of male figures would fill that void, good or bad, as they appeared and disappeared from his mother Karen's carefree life. He would have to fight them as well.
When the person who is meant to protect you is the one trying to hurt you, what are your options? For a scared 10 year old isolated with a commanding mother and equally scared little sister, the only option was to fall in line, or else.
When nothing in your life has been normal, it becomes your "normal". Each day, each beating, leads into the next. Bruises don't sting to the touch after a while. Scars and words fade was the months pass. Your "normal" becomes routine, almost expected. It builds a fiery rage in the abused stomach, a rage that cannot be released. The consequences of that could be devastating.
So Darryl lived two lives through his childhood. One where he was a smart quite shy boy who was kind to everyone around him. Withdrawn. Serious. But at home, it was a different story. Volatile. Aggressive. Violent. The mood of the house resonated through its occupants. Tension was the ambience. A powder keg ready to explode.
And when Darryl was 11 years old, it finally did. Explosion was an understatement.
It was a typical tension filled day when in a rage Karen Phipps began to rail on Tisha. The screams, thuds and familiar sounds filled the house. An 11-year-old Darryl was forced to not only witness but also become an unknowing participant in the horrendous beating death of his sister.At some point during the chaos of the unprovoked attack, Phipps' mother, blinded by rage, forced the terrified Darryl to momentarily hold his struggling 7-year-old sister in place. The beating continued on without him, he was too young, too small, too scared to defend his baby sister against the monster bearing down on her.
One life taken. One life changed forever. One life in a cage.
The trial was over before it began. The court sentenced Karen Phipps to 99 years in a Texas Penitentiary. In the 20 years since that verdict appeals have been made, attempts at freedom have fallen short. One appeal sites the improper use of photos during the proceedings. Another put the blame on the shoulders of Children's Protective Services. The rationale being that no one from CPS had ever taken the time to educate Karen on how to properly discipline her children.
With their mother behind bars and no available family with whom they could stay, Darryl and his sister Chimene Jasmine Lewis, entered the Texas foster care system.
Initially, it looked like everything was finally going to be okay. The nightmare appeared as if it might fade away.
Their first placement was the Hutchinson Family in Houston. It was good to have structure outside the walls of school. The family was heavily involved in Boy Scouts, an activity that suited Darryl. He began to excel. Darryl found safety in structure. The discipline aspect of life had not been a problem for the young boy about to embark on his high school journey.
Life was good for a little bit, then middle school came with all its obstacles and trappings. For Darryl, the rage inside lay dormant with the support of the Hutchinson's but that would change in the cold halls of middle school.
Kids are cruel to an undersized black middle-schooler in Texas. Kids can be really cruel. He hadn't experienced bullying or ill will until that point. Instinct took over. The fighter came out. The rage was unlocked.
The fighting began. The principal's office became a frequent stop. Suspensions began to pile up. Frequent dismissals from school early for behavioral issues led to caseworkers getting involved in his discipline. A shelter followed by 2 years in a residential treatment center, in the form of a ranch called New Horizons located just south of the middle of nowhere was the prescribed solution.
He flourished in his new environment. Regular therapy sessions helped to slowly extinguish his inner rage. The constant structure reintroduced Darryl to the security that he craved. Surrounded by other kids in the same situation he found himself.
As he spent his days and nights on the ranch, he moved to a more introverted personality. He'd always been a shy boy but he was becoming a loner as a teen.
There is a danger in solitude. People need other people in order to develop properly. Social interaction is a crucial component in a young man's journey to independence. Retreating into himself left him feeling unrelatable. It was this loner mentality he carried back with him to high school and placement in a foster group home in Goldthwaite, Texas then a traditional foster home placement in Brownwood, Texas.
It was about this time that a familiar face reappeared in Phipps life. Henry Heath was a friend of the family, he made it his place to make sure that an eye was kept on Darryl.
On the occasions that Darryl's missteps landed him in high water, it was Heath that would rush to his aide, explaining Phipps' sorted past to an angry principal. Time and again Heath would come to the rescue. Darryl's inability to deal with change and Heaths' desire to always be there both came to a head during Phipps' sophomore year.
After yet another incident, Heath made the trek to defend Darryl. It was the same routine he'd run through all through freshmen year. This would be the last time, Heath couldn't do it anymore. It was time for Darryl to take responsibility for Darryl.
But he wouldn't be left on an island alone. Heath Henry had a bigger plan for the angry young man. They would find a way to channel all those emotions in a productive way. Darryl had already shown an ability to rise to a challenge. Despite his issues, he was still on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout, but what could he do that would utilize his positive response to discipline and still allow him to release anger?
Heath went to the Thomas family, Darryl's foster parents, to explore the possibility of martial arts. It seemed like the idea was going nowhere fast. Why give an angry young man the tools necessary to become a dangerous young man? Heath emphasized the benefits of martial arts, discipline, routine, and having to understand yourself in order to be successful.
He made a strong argument. Phipps started the search for a dojo. Alas, when he found one, neither the county or his foster family had funds available for him to attend. He was discouraged, but no less hungry for the chance. He managed to find a free class at a local Boys & Girls Club. He was hooked!
He took to the lessons of Sensei Bobby Brewer. He found worth in the life lessons mixed in with learning the art of Kaju Bujutsu Kwai, (a military art). He began to build on the foundation laid through those years of therapy in residential care. The anger subsided slowly. The visits to the principal all but stopped. Heath Henry's plan of giving Darryl an outlet for his anger was a success. There were no more fights....well there was one more fight that year. The outcome would bring the lone wolf to the front of the pack.
The new Darryl Phipps, sophomore year, was still a loner but less of an outcast and more of a wallflower. His focus was now on his studies and improving in martial arts. That training not only took over his life but turned out to be quite handy one afternoon on the grounds of his high school.
Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. Walking out of school Darryl saw a massive crowd. Curiosity brought him face to face with two girls enthralled in a heated debate that quickly escalated into a fist fight. As the two girls, one pregnant, tussled a weapon was brandished, suddenly the girl with child was fighting a knife-wielding combatant. Darryl jumped into action. He quickly relieved her of the knife, then took her to the ground, detaining her until authorities arrived. The pregnant girl suffered only a minor injury and the baby was born healthy.
Suddenly the big man on campus title belonged to Darryl. There was no hiding anymore. He quickly became a member of the football team, finding acceptance among the school's elite. It was a nice change from feeling unwanted.
Darryl would go on to have a successful finish to high school. A local celebrity whose name could regularly be found in the town paper for Martial Arts Tournament wins was on his way to becoming a fifth degree black belt or for an interest in the school's acting.
He aged out into junior college where he continued to hone his skills. He joined the Texas State Guard rising to the rank of corporal specializing in hand to hand combat, special operations training, disaster relief and more specialties.
As his life improved, so did his confidence and in turn his acting improved. It improved so much that it caught the attention of a talent scout who implored him to make the move to New York or Los Angeles. At that urging he sold everything he owned, including his car, then purchased his ticket to the Big Apple.
Things moved quickly for Darryl when he arrived in NYC. He was quickly accepted to the Williams Esper Studio acting school, one of New York's most acclaimed schools. In addition to that he was asked to teach the martial arts that he loves so much at New York City's top Dojo Modern Martial Arts NY.
True to his form, Darryl now holds the distinction of the city's top instructors. This summer Darryl K Phipps was inducted for a second time to the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He holds more belts than a Madison Avenue fashionista, including 6x Grand-Champion in forms and sparring as well as, 2 x world champion in forms and sparring in 2003 and 2004, to go with more titles than most competitors his age.
All of this while piling up the acting roles, his most notable work to date has been acting on a show that went nationwide on the Oprah Winfrey Network called, "Unfaithful Stories of Betrayal", the episode titled "Wake Up Call". He also had a part in the award winning film, "Change". He's currently shooting two movies, with eight more projects on tap. A long way from the nightmare childhood that shaped him, though the memories and dreams linger.
Always the fighter, the only difference now is he fights for the right reasons.
Owner/Editor - Chris Chmielewski