Middle school student earns black belt

Chaz Gillette doesn’t even flinch at the pressure of a math or history test. Not after years of fending off karate sparring partners nearly twice his size and memorizing intricate forms and movements while a panel of judges assess his every move.

“I grew up having people watching me test and critiquing me,” Gillette said.

On Saturday, Gillette, 12, persevered through another marathon test to earn his black belt from the American Karate Academy in Columbia Falls. He is the first boy from the academy’s Little Dragon program to reach the esteemed black belt level.

While Gillette has excelled in martial arts, often jumping up to classes far ahead of his age, his love for the sport grew over time.

“I started at age 4,” he explained. “At first, I was not really into it. I actually tried to fall asleep in the car on the way there so I wouldn’t have to go.”

But as he grew older and started facing more challenges in school, he began to realize the fruits of his labor.

“I noticed that it positively improved other things in my life,” he said. “At school my focus was good and my confidence level went up. And it was good to be able to feel comfortable in every situation, knowing that if you had to defend yourself, you could.”

The test for black belt is three hours of physical punishment.  

“You have to spar and fight people of every size,” he said. “I’ve been fighting people who are 6 feet tall since I was younger.”

Then there’s the memorization of a dozen precise forms, that each include 20-30 movements. There are kicks, hand techniques, blocks, and of course, board breaks.

To pass the test Gillette had to break four boards that are 1-inch thick. His final break included jumping over someone and hitting the board in mid air.

“All the black belts are judges and they’re watching me the whole time and they have little sheets of paper they write things down on,” Gillette said.

It’s nerve-racking, but Gillette found a way to push the pressure aside.

Also on Saturday, academy students Maria Frampton and Jerelyn Jones tested for their second-degree black belts.

Gillette will train for another two years before he can achieve that level. He hopes to keep progressing in the art and eventually teach his own class.

He credits academy instructors Jeff and Janie Green for guiding him through the ranks.

“They’re not just involved with their scheduled class,” he said. “They are always willing to help me outside of class. Sometimes they’ll spend 30 minutes with me after class.”

Gillette says he trains up to three days a week — while also finding time for school, cross-country running, soccer and music.