A child prodigy is a rare thing to see. Sibling prodigies are almost unheard of.
Samantha and Ryan Williams have earned black belt status in isshinryu karate at the ages of 10 and 8, respectively. Recently, the kids competed in the black belt division at the AAU Karate Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, and between the two, they brought home six gold medals and a silver.
"My favorite thing about karate is going to competitions and winning medals," Samantha said. "We've done so well because we practice really hard and that's why we win."
Both kids have been practicing karate since April 2006. In the last three years, Samantha has won 22 gold, eight silver and five bronze medals. Her brother, Ryan, rivals her success with 24 gold, eight silver and five bronze.
The accolades have come in all forms, including katas or movements, kobudo or weapons, and kumite, which is sparring. The key to their success has been the kids' enthusiasm for the sport and the work ethic they've applied to it, says their teacher, sensei Ann Rose Wells.
"Most kids ages 6 to 10 don't go home and practice the moves," Wells said. "These two work incredibly hard at what they do. Most of the time, kids just come to class and enjoy themselves, but these two work really hard at improving all the time."
Despite their heavy practice schedules, Ryan and Samantha have maintained straight A averages in school. Their reward will come next month as they have been nominated to receive the awards for Male and Female Karate Ka or "cub" of the year from the Isshinryu Hall of Fame.
For their parents, getting the kids involved with karate was a necessity because of their size.
"Our kids have always been small and they're really shy," Ryan and Samantha's father, Hopeton Williams, said. "They've always been susceptible to being pushed around, so we thought this would be a good way to get them to come into their own and also be able to defend themselves."
Karate was an important stepping stone in particular for Ryan, who is smaller than the average 8-year-old.
"I used to get picked on a lot at school because I'm small," Ryan said. "Karate has helped me change that."
Having experienced karate for himself at a young age, Hopeton knows all about the difficulty of achieving the status his kids have achieved and what it can do for them in future.
"There is a lot of hard work that goes into it," Williams said. "What it teaches them is that if they put in the work and do something properly, then the reward will be there at the end. That's something that you use all the way through your life and it's a useful skill to have because you never know what can happen out there. It's a crazy world we live in now."
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Fast facts
Samantha and Ryan Williams
Ages: 10 and 8
School: Gulfside Elementary
Grades: Fifth and third
Academy: Ingram's Karate Academy
Etc.: Samantha and Ryan have been nominated for an Isshinryu Hall of Fame award. A tournament will be at the same time as the award ceremony in Tennessee. Isshinryu students from around the nation who have been nominated receive a certificate of nomination and the winner is chosen based on academics, karate achievements and how well-rounded they are. The winner receives a bust of grand master Shimabuku. The tournament is only for isshinryu-style students with the winner also receiving a bust of the grand master.
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