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SCHOOLBOY Sammy Eshehawi is a genuine karate kid ... and has gained a black belt from Japan at the tender age of 11.
He is the youngest pupil from the kingdom to reach such a level in the martial art and follows in the footsteps of his illustrious father, Ehab, the Japan Karate Association Bahrain's chief instructor.
Away from the dojo (training hall) the bespectacled Bahrain-born St Christopher's Junior School pupil is a quiet and conscientious scholar ... and even enjoys the occasional cuddle from his mum, Nadia!
"I love karate," said Sammy, who has a 16-year-old sister, Nadeen, and lives in Seef. "It not only helps you to learn to defend yourself it also makes you feel confident."
Sammy Eshehawi, a Libyan-American national, has been training for the past few years in Bahrain under JKA Bahrain, based at Habitat Garden, off Budaiya Highway, as well as in Tokyo with his father during their annual trips to Japan.
He was tested by one of the highest-ranking JKA Tokyo masters, Sensei Tatsuya Naka, for his black belt. The sixth grader was the youngest. The ages of the others ranged from 17 to 62.
The testing was conducted over two hours and Sammy had to display a series of basic and advanced techniques and genuine knowledge of karate. Proud dad Ehab, 46, deputy CEO at one of the local banks in Bahrain, said: "Sammy is very much a humble and down-to-earth child. He is polite and always aims to please people around him.
"Karate has taught him to seek self respect for others and himself. Karate has empowered Sammy, giving him self-confidence - that is the teaching of true martial art."
During 2009, Sammy spent 10 days in Tokyo with his father training with the masters at the head office of the Japan Karate Association.
He also spent some time training with youngsters from his age group at the Sensei Tatsuya Naka Training Centre. His experience in Japan has brought him closer to the truth about karate. "It is not a sport, it is a way of life," he explained.
After each training session students recite the following: 'seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavour, respect others and refrain from violent behaviour'.
In karate, achieving the first black belt is only the beginning ... Sammy will always be a student trying to improve himself, on the inside and the outside.
"He may have a black belt," said mum Nadia, 40, "but he's a sweet thing and likes a cuddle ... in private!"
