Lots of people play sports as children, but it’s rare for it to be karate, much less a student teaching other kids. Vivian Nguyen (11) started karate when she was seven, and it has run in her family for years. 

“My grandfather did it, then my dad did it. Then I started doing it, because I saw my brother doing it as well,” Nguyen said.

She joined because she was inspired, she says that she “mostly got jealous that my brother gets these cool little things, then I decided to try it out.”

Nguyen currently has been practicing karate and has earned a black belt with a red streak across it called a Cho Dan Bo, which is a rank before you get your official first-degree black belt. 

“Different belt colors correlate to different ranks and skill levels,” she said after she had spent seven years training for martial arts. 

Nguyen’s biggest accomplishment was winning a competition in fourth grade where she got first place in sparring. One of her favorite moves to do is a tornado kick.

Nguyen said, “it’s where you do a 360 jump in the air then kick.” 

Part of the process of earning her black belt was teaching karate for beginners, adults and kids on Saturdays. 

“It was quite scary at first,” Nguyen said of teaching. “Then it was pretty fun.” 

Anyone, at any age, can do karate and Nguyen wants you to know that it’s never too late to join.