CECILIE SETS THE MARK

Pretty and petite Cecilie Blankholm has become the youngest girl in the Gulf region to earn a black belt in Karate.

The 11-year-old St Christopher’s School Year 7 pupil is one of just five students of the Japan Karate Association - Bahrain to qualify this year for the Tokyo-certified accolade in the junior category.
 
Cecilie said: “I always try my best and had set myself a goal to achieve the black belt as soon as I was able to.

“I love learning the techniques of the sport – you really have to concentrate and it can be physically demanding which means it’s a great way of keeping fit and active. I generally like all sports.

“It has also boosted my confidence and I know how to handle myself. When you are training you get a real buzz. Reaching the black belt standard also gives me a real sense of achievement.”

She first discovered karate five years ago when she lived with her family in Oman. She said: “I thought it was fun and when we moved to Bahrain I wanted to continue.”

Cecilie joined the JKA Centre four years ago which has its dojo in Habitat Garden Business Compound on Budaiya Highway. Ehab Eshehawi, its chairman and chief instructor, said: “Cecilie achieved her first degree black belt, ‘shodan’, which is certified from Tokyo and will receive her diploma in a couple of months.
 
“She is a very dedicated and talented girl and has been training really hard over the past year – up to four-times-a-week and although she’s busy with her studies and other out-of-school activities she has never missed a class.
 
“Whenever she has been asked to focus that is exactly what she has done. Her parents have also been incredible and extremely supportive.”

Cecilie is one of five juniors to reach the holy grail of martial arts, the coveted black belt status, at the centre. The others were David Mast, 11, Louay Asadi, 10, Salah Asadi, 14, and Gabriel Matos, 14.

In November Cecilie also won a gold medal in kata, which in Japanese means shape and form. It is a collection of strikes, kicks and blocks depicting defensive and counter-attack movements against single or multiple attackers.

Kata training is very demanding and requires endless efforts in repeating each sequence with an ultimate goal of perfecting the moves, timing and finishing. She has also won a first place in kumite, the sparring section of karate.

Cecilie’s family, who live in Barbar, come from Denmark and moved to the Middle East eight years ago. Mum Jette, 45,works at Batelco, and dad Carsten, 48, is a sales manager with Dutch company Macartney.

Jette said: “We were astonished when she first showed such an interest in karate. In fact we actually thought it was a bit strange because we had never taken part in it and were very new to the sport.

“But karate has proved very beneficial for Cecilie as it has developed her concentration and allowed her to focus. She is a bit of a firecracker – she is everywhere and this has been very good for her.

“Over time she just grew better and better at it but we had absolutely no hope or dream that she would ever become a black belt, so we are really delighted for her.”

Proud dad Carsten added: “It’s always a good idea to have a sport that you enjoy and are good at. I hope she will continue with it.”

When she is not practicing her karate, Cecilie enjoys singing, a talent that earned her one of the lead roles in her school production of High School Musical show. She has won the Junior Solo category of the St Christopher’s Music Festival this year and last week performed with the BSB Academy of Performing Arts at St Christopher’s Cathedral with a solo rendition of a carol and a reading.

Her sister Sofie, 12, a Year Eight student at St Christopher’s School, said: “Cecilie has already taught me some kicks and when she came home with a black belt I was amazed . I didn’t think you could be so young to achieve a black belt but she is very determined when she sets her mind to something!”