Jeremiah is a member of Chris Welbon’s Karate Club, located here in Plant City
What drew you to the sport of karate?
I joined karate to be more athletic and to see what I could push myself to do. I wanted to try things I never thought I could do.
How long have you been training?
2 years
What is your favorite thing about Karate?
I like that I get to hang out with friends at tournaments and the dojo. I get to go to different places to compete. I also like to compete so that when I get old, I can look back and see that my life was meaningful…. all those hours of training meant something.
How often are you at the dojo training?
I train 4-5 nights a week at the dojo. I also train at home 4 days a week for about 30-45 minutes. I practice my katas and condition to be in shape.
What does it mean to be on The Chris Welbon Karate Club National Tournament Team?
I think that it means that you have to be a good competitor. You need to know the fundamentals of karate respect, pushing yourself mentally and physically, and not giving up even though you want to. You have to train even though you don’t want to. You need to push your teammates so they can be better.
What events do you compete in?
Kata (forms), Kubudo (weapons-Bo staff-form), and Kumite (sparring). Kumite is my favorite!
What’s your proudest karate moment?
At the first two tournaments this season, I got 3 gold medals at both events. I never thought I was going to get those golds. At the second tournament, I felt less pressure to get gold because I was already proud of how I did at the first tournament. My older brother started competing this year and I was proud that he got 2 golds at his first tournament.
What karate goal do you have?
I want to be a state champion for my division this year and get a big trophy. I want to make the AAU National Team and compete in other countries at world tournaments. I also want to be a black belt so I can become a sensei to teach people. I want to teach people that they can do hard things if they think they can’t.
What life lessons has karate taught you?
Karate has taught me how to work hard and with hard work you learn something that can be life-changing. Karate has made me believe in myself a lot more. I encourage myself so I can see what I am capable of. I have also learned to be a team player. At trainings and competition, I encourage teammates to give them that extra boost to keep going. I have learned to pray more too. I think praying is a big part of karate because Jesus is The One who is always there for us. Our team bible verse is 2 Tim 1:7 (For God did not give us spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind) It is the best verse for karate because things can be scary sometimes but Jesus is here for us and will never leave our side.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to start karate?
It is going to be really hard at first and you’re going to need to put in extra work to practice. When you do that you will see improvement in yourself and you will be so eager to learn more.