As the robust Walker, Texas Ranger, he used martial arts to put wrongdoers in jail. These days, Chuck Norris is using the same techniques to keep teens out.


The Texas resident met with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Wednesday seeking support for his Kickstart program, which aims to keep teens from drugs and gangs by teaching self-respect through martial arts.

"A lot of our kids are potential Columbine-type kids," Norris said in a news conference. "You've got to build self-worth from the inside."

Kickstart operates at 33 Houston and Dallas middle schools, and has graduated 38,000 students, Norris said.


About 5,000 Texas students are enrolled in Kickstart today, but Norris said he'd like that closer to 100,000. With Hutchison's help, he wants to implement the program statewide.


"I think we can do something with this," said Hutchison, who made a spending request of up to $500,000 for the program.


Norris plans to talk with Sen. John Cornyn today.


Source: The Houston Chronicle