About two dozen Kamloops black belt candidates who have been training for years will see their hard work pay off on Friday.
A group of students from Tiger Martial Arts in Sahali will sit their final exams on Friday in pursuit of their pre-first or second-degree black belts.
Lead instructor Blake McCallum said the black belt candidates had already passed two preliminary exams to prepare for Friday's test, and that many had overcome personal hardships to reach this milestone, including family conflicts, injuries and other setbacks.
“The selected group that will be here this Friday are very, very excited because they have all overcome so much to get here,” McCallum said.
Mia Duke, 15, is pursuing her first degree black belt and says she has been practicing martial arts for about three and a half years.
“I was dancing and then I was like, I don't want to dance anymore, I want to find something else that's more for me,” Duke said. “Dancing wasn't making me happy anymore, but I found this and it made me so happy.”
Duke said it took a lot of hard work to get to this level in martial arts.
“Sometimes I come home at night really tired. … But I've put in so much effort and I can't stop myself from continuing,” she said.
She said she has been practicing sword kata, tiger kata, which includes kicks, punches and blocks, and self-defence techniques in preparation for Friday's exam.
“I'm really excited. I'm really proud of how far I've come and I'm really happy to be able to tell people that I've earned my black belt.”
Students at Tiger Martial Arts are taught a mixed-style martial art with roots in Taekwondo and elements of kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and teukwon. Black belt candidates undergo cardiovascular and mental fitness tests in addition to training in the fundamentals of kicking, punching and striking.
McCallum said the Test is a tense day full of tension and excitement, but also a day of celebration.
“They've already put in all their effort. … Friday should be a day for them to come here and celebrate the hard work they've put in over the last three to five years, almost 10 years for some of them,” he said.
Lincoln Campbell, 11, is working towards his second-degree black belt.
“I've been practicing and preparing for Friday and I'm a little nervous because it's my second degree,” Campbell said. “It's going to be tough on the day, but I know I can do it.”
After this testing, many students set goals to achieve a higher black belt level, and some even become coaches-in-training, teaching classes and working to pass on their skills to others.
McCallum said he is proud of how hard his students have worked to get to this level.
“They all deserve the glow they're going to receive on Friday,” he said.
