The egg and I

Mike Sciacca

As Alexina Karsh traveled the halls of Dwyer Middle School a few

weeks ago, she carried with her a secret friend.

Tucked safely away in her backpack, atop her school books, she

carried a raw egg. It wasn’t for use in home economics class, nor to

use as part of some childhood prank.

Quite the contrary.

That egg, which she christened, “Eggy Boy,” went with Karsh to

school, to the mall, even to the ballet, everyplace she traveled

during the week.

It was with her to symbolize responsibility and honesty, and was

one of the final tests fher black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

She didn’t tell her friends about the raw egg, for fear someone

would try to crack it. And, just like the secretive egg, if you came

upon this determined 12-year-old, you would not know that she now is

known as Sunbaenim Alexina, a title bestowed on a youngster under the

age of 15 who earns a black belt.

“I am really excited about this,” she said. “I worked so, so hard,

and it’s a relief to get this title. That was a really intense test,

and I was exhausted once it was over.”

Karsh had her final test on Dec. 22, a two-hour, nonstop exam that

consisted of meditation, forms, the breaking of boards, kicks,

punches and no-contact sparring.

The test day began with Karsh safely delivering her egg -- which

got through the week unscathed. She also had to take a written test,

demonstrate all forms, from blocks to kicks to punches, count from

one to 10 in Korean and know the titles of masters and grand masters.

“The egg tested my responsibility and my honesty,” said Karsh, who

began studying Tae Kwon Do four years ago. “If I break it, then the

honesty part comes in by my telling my instructors that it had

cracked.”

Karsh studies with Master Hernan Tamayo and instructor Carla

Espinosa at the Official Tae Kwon Do Academy in Huntington Beach.

She takes classes at the academy up to three times per week,

sometimes two classes on Saturdays.

She says she first became interested in martial arts through her

mother, Isabelle, who had taken her to a class.

“Right off the bat, she was really impressed by what she saw,” her

mother said. “The agility, the speed, the punching amazed her, and

her eyes just came alive when she saw the black belts. She was

hooked, and wanted to earn one herself.”

Alexina Karsh, who plays club volleyball and used to ice skate,

says the study of martial arts has made her a better athlete overall.

“I can run faster, jump higher, kick harder,” she said. “What it

has taught me more than anything, however, is discipline. I feel more

in control, and my self-esteem has really improved. That helps not

only in sports, but in school and everyday life, too.”

In Korea, she says, if a person is under 15 and they earn a black

belt in Tae Kwon Do, displayed on that belt is a red stripe at the

bottom, and a black stripe at the top.

The black stripe signifies a first-degree black belt, the red

stripe, she says, tells that the owner is still young and needs to

learn more about life.

“The whole point of my studying martial arts was to get my black

belt,” she said. “I would recommend it to everybody. And a few of my

friends want to join the academy.”

But Karsh isn’t stopping now that she has her black belt.

“My next goal is a second-degree black belt,” she added. “I have

just begun to study for that. I do have a lot more to learn, but I’m

ready for the challenge.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].