Chop Off the Old Block : Boy Follows Father’s Footsteps, Then Takes 1 More to Earn Black Belt

At the age of 4, when his peers were occupied with immediate things like toys and games, Johnny Sipes settled on a goal for his future. He wanted to become a black belt.

Like Chuck Norris. Like Bruce Lee or Caine in the TV series “Kung Fu.” Like his father, Ron Sipes, a former sheriff’s sergeant.

At the age of 9 Johnny has achieved his dream, a personal triumph that makes him one of the youngest black belt holders in the elite, international world of karate.

After countless hours of practice, the supreme test came at the Alegria Karate Studio in Rancho Palos Verdes. His parents and sister, Kristin, and a small group of friends were on hand, along with three adult black belts and two junior red belts, the level below black.

On commands from Bob Alegria--a black belt who once trained with the likes of Norris and Lee and twice won the national black belt championship--Johnny began the intricate maneuvers of tang soo do, a Korean version of karate.

He advanced through the 10 degrees, from white to black, pausing at the end of each level to bow to Alegria and then wait, with clenched fists extended, for the next cue. At one point, he donned a mask and other protective gear to prove his combat skills against a junior red belt.

At the conclusion, he split a one-inch pine board with his fist, then, for good measure, smashed another with one kick.

Johnny accepted the applause with a cool smile. Alegria tied a new, huge black belt around the slightly built youth’s waist. “You’ll grow into it,” he told Johnny.

His sister hugged him proudly. His mother, Kathy Sipes, said: “I’m a nervous wreck. I can hardly believe he did that.”

Asked what motivated him, Johnny said: “I just wanted to prove to myself that I could stick to something once I started, and I wanted to be able to defend myself, if I ever needed to.”

Ambition to Be a Doctor

Johnny practices at the studio twice a week and works out at home. He said the intense discipline of karate has helped his powers of memory and concentration, which has been useful in other areas, such as playing soccer and basketball and in his studies. His ambition when he grows up is to be a doctor, he said, and karate’s mental discipline should help him achieve that goal too.

Johnny’s mother said he is a “mostly straight-A” student at Mira Catalina School in Rancho Palos Verdes, where he is in the third grade.

Emulating, or even outdoing, his father in karate was not part of his motivation, Johnny said. But he noted with a smile that the elder Sipes is a mere brown belt in tang soo do, which emphasizes kicking and others uses of the feet.

Then he quickly added that his father is a black belt in aikido, the Japanese style of karate that stresses physical power and aggressiveness.

Johnny said very few of his classmates know about his martial arts skills. “I don’t want to be showing off,” he said, adding that he has never had to reveal his karate powers in a confrontation with a playground bully or other opponent.

Ron Sipes said his son has the right attitude and should have few occasions in his life to use black belt skills against others. “When you have a feeling of security and confidence inside yourself, as Johnny does,” he said, “other people generally don’t think of fighting with you. Bullies pick on people who are afraid.”

Sipes, who is in real estate and is part owner of a chain of traffic violator schools, said he never pushed his son to become a martial arts expert. “The effort was all Johnny’s and that’s why I’m so proud of him,” he said.

According to a 1983 United Press International story, Matt Hodges of West Virginia became the youngest black belt in the world at the age of 6. Recent editions of the Guinness Book of Records show no new contenders.