When Carlos Raba was forced to close Guardian Baltimore on March 13, 2020, the Clavel co-owner-chef was devastated.

Just a few weeks before the pandemic shut down the city, the new community gym nonprofit, which offers free Brazilian Jiu-jitsu classes to kids, had finally gotten off the ground after years of planning.

“I felt defeated,” says Raba. “I ended up with this beautiful space and started to see the kids and their excitement. When it shut down, the only thing I had was empty walls with no energy. I cried.”

Fast forward to this spring, Raba and his pint-sized practitioners are back in bloom. (He also trains adults who, along with donations, help sustain the gym.) It’s been a particularly emotional year for him, as after 23 years of living in America, he also became a U.S. citizen in March, exactly one year to the date after having to reinvent his restaurant next door due to COVID-19.

When Raba first discovered the martial art, it was nothing short of life-changing. “Playing sports kept me out of trouble in high school,” says the former wrestler and football player. “But after high school, I was missing something. I had so much energy, and when I was grumpy or angry, I’d drink with friends, because we had nothing to do. Until one said, ‘Have you heard about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?’”

Raba, who now holds a black belt in his practice, has continued to train ever since. Three years ago, he came up with the idea for Guardian, based on a sister dojo in Oakland, California, started by a friend from Bethesda. “What we have in Baltimore is kids with nothing to do but hang out on street corners,” he says. “I wanted to give them a passion that has helped me.”

“I HAVE A KID FROM GILMAN ROLLING WITH A KID FROM EAST BALTIMORE.”

Raba, who was raised in Sinaloa, Mexico, before coming to the U.S. at the age of 16, grew up with his own share of struggles. His mother, an accomplished journalist, fled Mexico with the help of Amnesty International in 2000 after Raba’s father was murdered during a home invasion. Raba and his older brother were offered political asylum, too, although life in America, where they soon found themselves in a Detroit shelter and, later, homeless in Washington, D.C., wasn’t exactly easy either. Thanks to a chance meeting, they were taken in by a young lawyer who worked at an immigration law center in Georgetown, and they stayed with her for several years.

“Without even knowing us, she put us in her car and took us to her home in Takoma Park,” he recalls.

The lesson of giving back—something Raba had also seen as a child in Mexico—is one he’s never forgotten.

“My grandfather was a doctor who gave free consultations to lower-income families,” he says. “My grandmother was a nurse who adopted kids. It’s natural for me to want to help.”

At Guardian, kids ages 4 to 17 can train for free, and Raba gives a free “gi,” or uniform, to every student who enrolls.

“The program is for anyone,” he stresses, being particularly proud of the gym’s diversity. “I have a kid from Gilman rolling with a kid from East Baltimore. Both have struggles, but very different struggles. Both can learn from each other about life.”

In the coming months, Raba hopes to offer not only a safe haven for his current roster of 20-some kids to train and do homework, but a space that will expand their world in other ways. He’s thinking about forming a poetry or photography club, or running a barista class with his friend Kris Fulton, the owner of nearby Sophomore Coffee. He’s also considering offering an incentive to keep kids coming to the mat.

“If you come and you’re consistent, you’re going to get a burrito a week,” says Raba, whose taqueria is mere steps away from Guardian. “The burrito might be the thing that gets you in the door, but I’m hoping they’ll get hooked on Jiu-jitsu.”

OPEN

Taharka Bros. Ice Cream: Tonight, the team from this homegrown sweet shop will celebrate the grand opening of their new R. House location with a lineup of guest scoopers—including 92Q radio personality Pork Chop, rapper and “Secretary of Shade” commentator DDm, and our own New York Times best-selling author D. Watkins. Taharka, which also operates a stall at Broadway Market in Fells Point, will take over the Remington food hall space that formerly housed Little Baby’s Ice Cream, which closed all of its shops last month. “We could not be more excited about this new location, especially given that we make the ice cream at our factory in Hampden so close by,” founder Sean Smeeton said in a statement. “R. House offers a unique venue and a chance for us to host events that help promote a positive image for Baltimore.”

Though Taharka has become known for its scrumptious scoops (Honey Graham, Key Lime Pie, and Coffee Oreo are among its standout flavors), the local business is equally celebrated for its socially conscious philosophy. Since rolling out its hot pink “Change Maker Mobile” in 2015, Taharka has used its ice cream as a vehicle for change—employing Baltimore City youth, hosting events to raise awareness for social justice issues, and creating innovative flavors that pay homage to community leaders.

Sizka: The old firehouse at the intersection of O’Donnell Street and South Linwood Avenue in Canton has a whole new look. The property that was most recently Firehouse Coffee Co. has transformed into this new Japanese fusion restaurant. Now in soft-opening mode, the refreshed space features a black-and-white aesthetic, wooden floors, and a long sushi bar. The menu—from team behind Niwana Restaurant in Charles Village—offers tons of colorful sushi rolls, omakase (chef’s choice) meals, and entrees including salmon teriyaki and barbecue-marinated short ribs.

NEWS

Acropolis Restaurant: Dinner service on Christmas Eve will be the last to savor the stuffed grape leaves, whole branzino, and lamb souvlaki platters at this 33-year-old Greektown staple. Owner George Avgerinos—who inherited the business from his father, the late Dimitrios “Jimmy” Avgerinos—announced last week that the family had sold the restaurant and would be closing for good after the holiday. “This type of business becomes your life,” he wrote in a message posted to Facebook. “And Acropolis and all of you have been such a huge part of ours. We take this step, not to lose a legacy, but to continue it with our loved ones and families.” In keeping with that sentiment, Averinos added that the family is continuing its catering services and he hinted at a possible new location in the future. (Read more about the family business in our upcoming February issue.)

EPICUREAN EVENTS

12/19: Christmas in Mexico
Don’t be surprised if you see a line snaked around the block at The Charmery’s flagship location in Hampden tonight. Master creamer David Alima has once again collaborated with his pal Carlos Raba of Clavel to serve festive fried ice cream to the masses. This year’s treat, “Adornos Navideños,” will top fried scoops of The Charmery’s Pure Vanilla flavor with raspberry sauce and a leche drizzle to resemble an edible ornament. A portion of all the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Guardian Baltimore—Raba’s yet-to-open jiu-jitsu youth center in Remington.

12/23: Navidad en Baltimore
In yet another holiday-themed collaboration, the teams from Fells Point favorites Ekiben and Cocina Luchadoras are coming together to host this epic pop-up next week. Swing by Ekiben on your lunch break to start the holiday feast early with Chinese red-braised short rib tamales, soups, and other Chinese-Mexican fusion fare—which, judging by previous collabs, we can only expect will sell out quickly.

As Carlos Raba enters Sophomore Coffee in Old Goucher for his second cup of the day—by his own admission, he runs on the stuff—the baristas behind the counter greet him with a hearty welcome. It’s a salute reserved for regulars, and in this area, the Clavel executive chef is a fixture. Just as Raba is about to exit, he recognizes someone sitting on a stool by the cozy shop’s window and stops to say hello.

It’s this type of man-of-the-people, infectious energy that Raba hopes will carry over to his newest project, Guardian Gym—a jiu-jitsu, yoga, and kickboxing center opening later this year in a warehouse space just around the corner from Clavel in Remington.

Showcasing Raba’s investment in the youth of the community, the gym will provide students a place to go after school or to simply get out of the house. In addition to the free kids jiu-jitsu classes, the center will offer snacks, a yoga studio upstairs, and a gathering space to hang out and watch TV. Raba’s hope is that the youth will grow, learn, and develop lasting relationships.

“I’ve always been very passionate and caring about people,” Raba says. “I want to have my own tribe and create a positive and safe place for kids in and out of the Baltimore community. This is who I am.”

Jiu-jitsu as a practice can be pricey, but Raba has a business plan to ensure that cost isn’t a prohibitor. Guardian will offer classes to adults ranging from $90 to $120, as well as membership donations. This money will be used to cover the kids’ classes, and assist with general upkeep and equipment.

Raba compares the dedication and focus required to explain his concept to what is required in jiu-jitsu. He’s been practicing for eight years, and says that the discipline has the ability to get its participants out of their own heads. It’s even helped Raba contend with past struggles with anger and confidence.

He got the idea from a friend in Oakland, who quit his job at Twitter to start the original Guardian Gym—though its only affiliation with Baltimore is a shared name. Raba has developed the concept for the past two years, and things came to fruition when local property owner Robert Harrington of R.E. Harrington Plumbing helped him secure the warehouse.

Jiu-jitsu as a martial art is not something that is learned easily, and with his new venture, Raba hopes to make a long term investment in the kids who commit to the practice. He’ll be the foremost instructor, and hopes to bring in four others, including some of his own jiu-jitsu counterparts. Given his busy schedule, the fact that the gym is merely 100 steps away is extremely convenient for Raba.

“It works out that it’s close,” he says. “I want to bring my bubble closer. I’m trying to be in a place of peace, combine my passions, and show the community what we are about.”

In essence, the gym will be a place that provides children across Baltimore a space and the means to learn a practice that inherently requires discipline and dedication.

“If a kid is exposed to an environment where they are pressured and in danger, they don’t know how to react to it,” Raba says. “That’s where fights happen. If you’re training kids, they’re going to learn how to breathe and defend themselves. The only thing that I want from the kids is a commitment.”

If all goes according to plan, Guardian Gym will be a melting pot—a place that will, as Raba puts it, “show how diverse Baltimore is.”

He hopes to start with 75 kids—a goal that he plans to meet by tenaciously knocking on doors throughout the neighborhood and encouraging parents to get their kids to the gym. It’s an ambitious mark, but anyone who has come in contact with Raba knows that when he puts his mind to something, it’s a safe bet it’s going to happen.

“I want my own kids to grow up and see that their dad wasn’t all about making money, but that he was about helping other kids,” Raba says. “That’s the only reason why I do what I do—why I sat down for hours just thinking, standing in front of a warehouse that was full of trash and rats and envisioning what I wanted to do with the gym. I want to try to change these kids’ lives.”