The
Black Belt Brothers
Kristopher
and Andrew Schmetzer
Submitted
by Mark Huard
Written
by Vickie Schmetzer
Competition
on the NASKA circuit can be pretty tough.
Competitors are at the top of their game, getting stronger and
faster every year. So
having your brother in the same ring could make things more competitive
and stressful or maybe just more fun.
Kristopher
and William “Andrew” Schmetzer
have found both to be true. Attending
their first tournament as yellow belts, they approached the ring scared
to death but together, and walked away as only finalist. They’ve been
training and competing together ever since, as each other’s greatest
support and sometimes biggest competition.
Andrew Schmetzer
After
that first tournament they realized to compete and win was going to take
a lot of hard work. First step was to check out the competition, and in
doing so noticed that a group of kids on
K.I.C.K. Team
seemed to be the
ones doing all the winning. The
next step was to be that good.
They
started spending every evening at the Karate studio working toward
getting their black belts and every other free minute practicing forms
and weapons, pushing and challenging themselves and each other, ending
every day with bruises, blisters and sore muscles.
Kristopher Schmetzer
Master
Young Won
and World
Champion Jon Boyd saw potential in the not so perfect kicks and
punches and ask them to join the team.
Reaching this goal just pushed them to train harder. “Do it
again” became their least favorite words as Mr. Won pushed them to
become what he could see in them. Soon
home school became ( car school) as we drove two and three times a week
to
Phenix City,
AL
to put in six to eight hours a day of training with Jon Boyd and the
team.
The
hard work paid off when they started winning one tournament after
another, but still never feeling like they were as good as their team
mates. Mr. Won noticing their hard work and dedication to the team added
them to the NASKA Demo
Team. Now the brothers
finally felt they truly were part of the team.
The new confidence in the boys began to show during training and
competition. The worry and
stress on their faces were replaced with relaxed smiles.
Andrew Schmetzer
Now
came the next step of passing that black belt test. Two weeks before the
test, school was postponed and the furniture pushed back to make room.
Now competition practice was replaced with sets and forms,
defensive drills and basic techniques.
Hours of brother testing brother and reviewing every belt level
requirement. The four-hour
test was a breeze as the brother’s partnered and became black belts
together.
Moving
to the black belt division has brought new challenges to the brothers.
It’s taken a few tournaments but both are figuring out where their
strengths are. Kristopher
new to the extreme divisions has finally found a pay off for all the
hours of tumbling lessons, and is really enjoying adding some tricks to
his forms. Andrew has found his talents are in the weapons divisions.
He’s made stage at two tournaments and won both times.
Kristopher Schmetzer
The
best pay off has been being part of the K.I.C.K. Team family. Now when
one looks around the ring for a last assurance from a brother they now
have a K.I.C.K. Team brother or sister there as well.
I
think we’ll see a lot of “ the Schmetzer brothers” in the upcoming
year, still each other’s greatest support and sometimes-biggest
competition. But for now you can usually find them hanging around their
ring laughing and having a good time with all the great friends
they’ve made.
|
