Quick to the punch

Danette Goulet

While most children his age were putting Tinker Toys in their mouths,

Chase Roossin was learning to break boards with his bare hands.

Now, at 5 years old, the Corona del Mar resident may be the youngest

junior black belt in the country.

“My favorite thing is walking on the wall,” Chase said. “You run

sideways, then walk real fast toward the wall. You get the hang of it.”

An avid Chuck Norris fan at 3 years old, Chase pleaded with his mother to

let him take a martial arts class. But Pamela Roossin couldn’t find a

studio that would take her son, who was still in diapers.

Then, Master Kwon, the owner of Tae Kwon Do Martial Arts USA studio in

Newport Beach, spoke with Chase. He was impressed with the determination

and drive he saw in the boy.

“[Tae Kwon Do] is learning about self-discipline, confidence,

coordination, learning about relaxation and, of course, stretching,” Kwon

said. “For children, they’re learning about eye-hand coordination, focus,

self-discipline and self-esteem.”

These were things Chase could probably not learn until he was at least 4

years old, Kwon said, but it was unique to see a child concentrate and

follow instructions at such a young age.

So the training began.

The process was not without its trials and tribulations, however. The

3-year-old struggled at first because he had not yet learned how to

count, which is needed in the Korean martial art.

Shortly after he began studying Tae Kwon Do, his mother showed him an

article about an 8-year-old boy who had become a junior black belt.

That is when Chase set his goal -- to become a black belt by the age of

5.

After only two and a half years of training with Master Kwon for 45

minutes twice a week and practicing in his spare time, Chase has earned

the right to wear black on his Gi.

“The amazing thing to me is that he set a goal in his own mind and stuck

to it,” Kwon said. “For more than half his life, he has been training in

martial arts. I told him he was too young.”

Chase has now set new goals, which include being able to break a brick

and becoming a real black belt. As to when he will earn that belt, Chase

said, “Oh, maybe one year.”