Syd H.

Martial Arts, Self Defense; Arts and Crafts

New York City

• I started martial arts when I was 6
• Acrylic paint is my favorite medium
• I make most of my own jewelry

Hello! I'm Syd Hartstein, a martial arts coach of 3 years and a teaching artist assistant for 5. My specialty in martial arts is focused on practical self defense, rooted in the To-shin Do art. I teach multimedia crafts of all kind, from painting to photography, beading to 3D crafts. Additionally, I have some experience running classes in ecology and history. I have been a martial arts practitioner for 16 years, and began to instruct at my hometown studio for the last few years when visiting during my undergrad. Fostering a creative and team oriented environment for students of all ages (though primarily K-12) to develop a mind-body connection, discipline, and confidence. I believe in a supportive environment, focused more on collaboration than competition. My experience teaching art comes first from a love of it. I began to volunteer and then assist at the elementary schools in my home district, developing programming suitable for K-5 children that ranged in sophistication and complexity throughout the grades. Creativity is one of the most important skills for kids to engage with, and I believe that grounding education in craft and art helps them to connect the material to the worlds both around them and within them.