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KARATE KID
Written by Don Brubaker
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
AND FINALLY, THE STORY OF A VICTORIA YOUNGSTER WHO REALIZED HIS ULTIMATE KARATE DREAM AT THE AGE OF...WELL OUR CHASE GALLIMORE HAS THIS AMAZING STORY.
4 YEARS AGO AT THE AMERICAN KARATE INSTITUTE, A YOUNG KARATE KID SET OUT TO ACHIEVE BIG DREAMS. MICHAEL BROWN WAS 4 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME, BUT WAS DETERMINED TO BECOME A BLACKBELT BEFORE HIS 9TH BIRTHDAY.
"I thought it would be cool to be the youngest black belt Ralph Jaschke has ever taught", said Brown. "So, I set the goal."
IT WASN'T AN EASY ROAD FOR YOUNG MICHAEL. THIS KARATE KID HAD OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY.
"When Michael was 4 years old his grandmother brought him to me and said, We'd like you to teach Michael", said AKI's Ralph Jaschke. "Michael was here for a while and his grandmother said I don't think he's doing real good. I go, please just be patient with Michael. Let him work out. Let me train him. And she did. She game him to me completely. About a month and a half before he was 9 years old. Before he was supposed to go for black belt, he had an appendicitis attack. So, they had to rush him to the hospital."
JUST LIKE THE MOVIE, THIS UNDERDOG STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING. WITH PATIENCE AND HARD WORK, RALPH JASCHKE HELPED MICHAEL BROWN BECOME THE YOUNGEST BLACKBELT EVER AT THE AMERICAN KARATE INSTITUTE.
"Very proud of him", said Brown's father Steven. "He set a goal for himself four years ago and it got a little tough at times. But, he never quit. He never gave up." NOW, WITH HIS BLACK BELT IN HAND, OUR KARATE KID HASNT STOPPED DREAMING BIG. IN FACT, MICHAEL HAS 2 NEW GOALS HE IS ALREADY CHASING.
"I want to be a football player and I want to be a black belt in Jiu Jitsu."
IT MAY BE A TOUGH WORD TO SAY, BUT REST ASSURED, IT WONT BE LONG BEFORE MICHAEL BROWN IS A JIU JITSU EXPERT. FROM THE AMERICAN KARATE INSTITUTE, I'M CHASE GALLIMORE, NEWSCENTER 25 SPORTS.
