Dojo Owner Returns to Pacific Palisades After Fire with Community Support
Gerry Blanck, a beloved martial arts instructor, is returning to Pacific Palisades after his dojo and home were destroyed in a fire 15 months ago. Blanck, who has been teaching in the area for 43 years, faced uncertainty about reopening due to the loss of his studio and the displacement of his students. However, a $50,000 grant from Build Back Pali, a nonprofit founded by three teenagers, has enabled him to secure a new location. The grant covered the deposit and several months of rent for a new space in a strip mall in the Highlands neighborhood. Blanck plans to hold a grand opening on June 1, and many of his students, who had been attending classes in a temporary location in Santa Monica, are expected to return. 
