Student Profiles

Meet our some of our Black Belts who graduate high school in 2011 and read what they, and their parents, have to say.

Connor

1. How old was Connor when he started?

Connor began karate when he was only 4 years old!

2. What is the most important thing he feels he leaned from karate?

Connor feels the most important thing he learned from karate was to be a leader, both in karate and life.

3. What is the most important thing you feel he learned from karate?

I saw Connor’s confidence rise as he climbed the ranks in karate, realizing he could set goals and feel pride when he achieved them.

4. What is your number one tip, to another parent, in helping keep their child motivated to keep training in karate, and earn their Black Belt?

Every belt Connor earned was a celebration. We invited family and friends to watch him test for each belt and let him know we were all there supporting him! Connor also went to the extra fun activities offered by Family Karate which gave him a chance to have fun with some of the friends he made in classes.

5. What is Connor’s favorite karate memory?

Connor’s favorite memory was earning his black belt on his 16th birthday, after 12 years of hard work!!!!!!:)

Grant

1. How old was Grant when he started?

He was 9 when he stared in September ‘02

2. What is the most important thing he feels he leaned from karate?

Self control

3. What is the most important thing you feel he learned from karate?

Perseverance and working toward a distant goal. There were times he didn’t want to stick with it during his 8 year journey toward becoming a black belt (which represented half of his life at the time he earned it) and he was so very happy he did not give up, and so very proud that he reached his goal.

4. What is your number one tip, to another parent, in helping keep their child motivated to keep training in karate, and earn their Black Belt?

Keep reminding them that earning a black belt puts them in a small elite group of people in the world—the few, the proud, THE BLACK BELTS! It is something that truly sets them apart. 

5. What is Grant’s favorite karate memory?

Midnight Madness

Jordan

1. How old was Jordan when he started?

Jordan was five.

2. What is the most important thing he feels he leaned from karate?

Discipline

3. What is the most important thing you feel he learned from karate?

I agree with him – discipline

4. What is your number one tip, to another parent, in helping keep their child motivated to keep training in karate, and earn their Black Belt?

Come inside during their karate lessons; showing that you support what they’re doing

5. What is Jordan’s favorite karate memory?

Working with a cohort to become a black belt.

Colin

1. How old was Colin when he started?

I think he was six years old (1st grade) when he started at PQ.

2. What is the most important thing he feels he learned from karate?

[Colin]  I learned from karate that fighting is something you want to know how to do, not something you want to do. I also learned respect and manners from karate.

3. What is the most important thing you feel he learned from karate?

Courtesy was probably the thing Colin learned best from karate.  He transferred his lessons in class to his life experience and would always stand up for kids who were being bullied or made fun of.

4. What is your number one tip, to another parent, in helping keep their child motivated to keep training in karate, and earn their Black Belt?

If your child is telling you he wants to quit karate, there are two things that worked well for me.  I told him that if he wanted to quit at any time, he could do so, but he must go in and tell his instructor that he wanted to quit and why.  The other thing I did was to join karate myself and learn how difficult it was – we understood one another better after that.

5. What is Colin’s favorite karate memory?

[Colin] My favorite karate memory was my first board break. I broke it on a breakathon night. I tried so hard to break it but couldn’t.  With the help of Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Molina, and a little perseverence on my part, it finally got done.