Written by Tabitha Redder

Many Honors students have diligently practiced various extracurricular activities since their youth. After years of intensive practice, some have achieved excellence in their craft.

Photo by Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District via https://cfbisd.edu/2017/08/09/rhs-qualifies-international-karate-competition/

Sai Senpon, a freshman Honors student studying kinesiology, probably falls into this category. He began Karate when he was just three years old and won a gold medal in a national competition by age four.

“Both of my parents were in it,” he said. “They got me to join, and I’ve been doing it for my whole life.”

Senpon said he first made the Junior USA Karate team when he was 14 years old and has been on the team ever since. The team members range in age from 12 to ~21 and are the best in the country, so this is quite the accomplishment.

“They’ll take certain people to international tournaments to represent the U.S.,” he said of the team. “It’s like the official youth Olympic team, kind of. Karate will be in the Olympics in 2020, so it’s not called the Olympic team yet.”

Currently, Karate is not an Olympic sport. It will be, soon. The sport will debut in Tokyo during the 2020 Olympics with two events, Kata and Kumite.

Senpon is currently listed on the 2018 team pool for the Junior Pan American Championships Team. He said he does have his eye on the Olympics, though he’ll have to wait.

“I think I’m too young because they have a ranking system,” he lamented. “I’m not old enough to compete in it yet.”

He said he’s shooting to compete in 2024.

For now, he’s pursuing an Honors kinesiology degree in addition to his demanding Karate duties. He practices for roughly 25 hours weekly, six days in a row and takes Sundays off.

“I think balancing school and Honors with Karate is going to be a little hard, but it will work,” he said.

Senpon said reaching professional status in Karate is his career goal, and he thinks his degree will help him in that field.

“I think after I finish the bachelors here, I was going to do a physical therapist assistant [position], and after I retire from Karate, go back to PT school and get that done,” he said. “There’s no way I can do PT school and karate at the same time. I’ll have to choose one or the other.”

Though he is a freshman, he knew he wanted to join the Honors College even amidst his current Karate obligations.

“I wanted to do something a little more than the average student, so the honors college was a good choice,” he said, adding that he heard the program is beneficial when considering graduate school.

He said his ambitious outlook toward Karate mirrors his outlook on his studies.

“In Karate, I think I’ve been better than average usually, and … I kind of have the same mindset in school,” he said. “I have to work a little harder, study a little bit more and get better grades. I think the Honors College is kind of an equivalent to that. Doing a little more, taking the extra step compared to others.”

While many college students wear several hats, juggling multiple responsibilities and time obligations, it’s admirable to note that Senpon maintains a positive approach toward his busy schedule.

“The accomplishments are really worth all the work you put into it,” he said. “Every little or big thing is worth all the trouble and all the hard work.”