Bruised but beaming, 15-year-old Miglia Schicker has become the latest Timaru black belt in Kyokushin Karate.
The 15-year-old Craighead Diocesan School had her fourhour grading in Timaru recently, followed by 40 90-second fights with green belts and above — although mostly black belts — from around New Zealand.
Also gaining his black belt was Waimate 18-year-old Daniel Kleinhans.
Timaru Kyokushin Karate senpai Bob Drummond said Miglia was the third woman in the dojo to gain her black belt, and the 8th overall.
Drummond said he was incredibly proud of her achievement.
‘‘The fighting was quite brutal, but she took it all and never went down.
‘‘She was a credit to the dojo.’’
The grading, held in Timaru, was run by 6th dan black belt Shihan Stephen Takiwa, the New Zealand branch chief of Kyokushin Karate, accompanied by his wife Diane, a 5th dan.
Miglia said she started karate when she was about 7 or 8 years old.
‘‘I grew up watching my brother do taekwondo and begged dad to join.
‘‘Taekwondo closed down and my brother went to karate, and I went with him.’’
The pianist, violinist and dancer says she gets a lot from karate.
‘‘It provides me with a lot of resilience and helps me inside and out of the dojo.
‘‘Karate challenges you in lots of ways, like learning how to overcome different things.’’
When she saw the first person in the dojo go for their black belt, she thought that was something she could work towards.
She now has to wait a few years before advancing in karate; she has to be 18 before she can go for her second dan.
‘‘That’s definitely something that’s in my sights, so I’ll see where my training takes me.’’
The bruising that results from an intense grading — including a massive bruise on her shin and entire foot — is a normal part of the process for Miglia, but does generate some shocked reactions from others.
Both parents were present at her grading, and while equally supportive, Miglia said her mother finds it scary to watch.
‘‘I was not very confident, but I was surrounded by lots and lots of people who were very confident in me.’’
