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Feature Story

National Karate Team Encourages Local Youth to Set Goals

by Jenee’Hebert

Alpharetta, GA- ETS National Karate Team believes that everyone can reach their goals if they try hard enough.  This is what their message is as they go into inner city Atlanta schools, and their local community doing karate demonstrations and speaking to youth about focusing on the positive elements in their lives and having the courage to set goals and reach them.   

Two members of the team have joined us today to tell everyone about their mission and what they are doing in their own lives to set an example to other kids. 

Hunter Crain is 11 years old and has been studying the martial arts for 3 ½ years.  During this short time, Hunter has managed to not only earn a black belt, and become a junior assistant instructor at Elite Martial Arts in Alpharetta, but he has also trained with champion coaches, Kalman Csoka and Terri Jacoby, learning the bo staff and competing on the NASKA world tournament circuit, ranking 4^th in the world in the 10/11 year old black belt boys ratings. 

Austin Crain is just 9 years old, and at this young age has both earned a black belt, and with the help of his coach, Kalman Csoka, has become the #2 rated 9& under boys black belt competitor in forms on the NASKA world tournament circuit.  He has won the title of National Champion in three different divisions including weapons, creative forms, and extreme forms.  At half the size of most competitors he competes against, Austin doesn’t let the odds hold him back.

He trains and practices, along with Hunter, 6 days a week, to perfect extreme tricks and elements that kids twice his age and size have difficulty with.  They represent the ETS National Competition Team not only on the circuit, but also represent the team and their sponsor Elite Tactical Sources (www.elitetacticalsources.com) as they go into the schools and community spreading their message.  As his instructor told him, and Hunter likes to describe it to others, “achieving your goals is like earning your black belt.  It’s not what your get as a result of achieving the goal, it’s what you become during the process.” 

Traveling the country has allowed Hunter and Austin to see many different environments, people, and personalities.  Many people they compete with do not have the attitude that they believe demonstrates that of a winner.  “If they don’t win, they get upset and show a bad attitude,” Austin explains.  Hunter and Austin tell kids during their talks and demonstrations, and they show it through their example, that you can win and lose with a winner’s attitude.  “Take every experience and learn from it.  Don’t focus on the loss, but how you can grow and become better because of it,” says Hunter.  Being positive is just what it takes to succeed, and having the courage to pull yourself over the obstacles and reach higher.   

Hunter and Austin believe that karate helps kids improve their own personal discipline, encourages courtesy and respect for themselves and others, and helps instill the self-confidence that it takes to stand up for what is right, not what is necessarily popular.  “Many kids think they have to do what their friends are doing because of peer pressure and wanting to fit in.  Karate helps them realize they can be confident in themselves to make the wise choice, not the popular one,” says Austin.

          Hunter and Austin are proud of their accomplishments in the martial arts, and they have many, many trophies in their home to show for it, but as they humbly tell everyone, “we are thankful for the opportunities that have come our way, and are grateful to those who have shared their time and training with us.  We now want to help others see possibilities in their own lives, and inspire them to reach their potential.”

          You can visit Team ETS, and learn more about their members on their website at www.elitetacticalsources.com; click on Team ETS.