At nine, Avoca boy is already a blackbelt

October 5
At nine, Avoca boy is already a blackbelt

Story and photos by Sam Chiarelli

Attaining the rank of black belt in any karate school is not easy. It requires years of practice, strict discipline, and a great deal of determination. That is why nine year old Jordan Washko of Avoca was drawn to karate and has impressed his family and friends by earning his black belt at such a young age.

Top, Aaron Turner, instructor; Jordan Washko, Master Eric Kovaleski. Above, Jordan with his Black Belt Certificate. Left , Jordan with the cinder block he broke during the black belt test

Top, Aaron Turner, instructor; Jordan Washko, Master Eric Kovaleski. Above, Jordan with his Black Belt Certificate. Left , Jordan with the cinder block he broke during the black belt test

Jordan initially tried many different sports, including baseball and basketball, but when he took his first practice lesson of karate, he knew there was something special for him. “Hey this is my game,” Jordan said to himself, “I want to do this and I’m not going to stop.” At age five, this realization made things interesting for his parents. Lisa Washko, Jordan’s mother, said she was “concerned at first.” She was unsure that her son was old enough to begin karate lessons and was keen on keeping Jordan’s schoolwork at the highest level. However, she was proud of him straight away as his serious commitment to karate became apparent. Jordan’s father, Robert, said he is proud of his son for “growing into his own person.”

Both of Jordan’s parents could not speak enough about his drive to succeed at karate. Master Eric Kovaleski, who runs the Tang Soo Do Karate USA school in Dickson City, agrees. “He has great determination,” said Master Eric, “he just doesn’t give up.” Kovaleski believes Jordan has come a long way since his start at five years old: “He was tough in the beginning because he was young, but he’s become a very focused young man and I’m very proud of him.”

The Tang Soo Do that Jordan is learning from Master Eric and others at the school is a form of Korean karate which dates back over two thousand years. Tang Soo Do was originally designed to benefit health and physical ability as well as self defense. The students learn their karate moves by their Korean names, and Robert Washko says he is impressed that his son has learned so much Korean during the learning process: “The amazing thing is not only that he is performing these complex moves, but that the moves are called out in Korean and he knows exactly what they are.”

Master Eric and Jordan’s parents all shared a very fond memory of Jordan’s black belt test. The test spanned a grueling 4 and a half hours and Jordan practiced every morning before school for weeks leading up to the test. He also had to complete two five hundred word essays to fulfill the requirements. But the greatest part of the test came when Jordan had to break a cinder block with his foot. After several attempts to break the block unsuccessfully, Master Eric told Jordan that because of his age he was not required to break the cinder block. “I told him that he could break two boards instead, but he insisted,” said Master Kovaleski. On his last attempt, Jordan broke through the cinder block, much to everyone’s delight. “You wouldn’t think it was the same person,” Robert said of his son, “he is so focused out there.” Lisa Washko was so proud of her son for his accomplishment. “I was so nervous going to that test,” she said, “but he kept reassuring me that he was going to do it, and he did.” Both of Jordan’s parents are proud to have a very close relationship with their son and proud that he doesn’t flaunt his success to his peers. And all worries aside, Jordan has maintained straight A’s in school in addition to his passion for karate.

When asked what he plans to do next, Jordan replied with “evaluations and a lot more training.” Master Eric explained that Jordan is enrolled in a masters program and after nine more years of training, Jordan will become a Master at age eighteen.

Jordan resides with his parents, and his four-year-old sister Paige in Avoca, and attends Pittston Area Intermediate Center.