My name is Amethyst. I’ve been training at Sun Dragon since I was 6 and I’m 16 now. I got my adult black belt last year and I hope to test for my second-degree black belt next year in NYC.

Seido has a Code of Ethics that includes having a non-quitting spirit. That means I give 100% effort in everything I do. I have anxiety so that can be a huge challenge. My anxiety is like a voice that tells me all of the bad things that could happen. It makes me think about all the possible bad outcomes in any situation. I worry a lot about what might happen when I try something new. It can be exhausting to fight my anxiety all day long. That’s why having a non-quitting spirit is important.

My black belt reminds me that I could overcome my anxiety so that I could go to class and work hard. It’s a symbol of my success. It’s still hard sometimes because I will probably always have anxiety but I like knowing that I can accomplish things in spite of it.

I want to help my dojo raise money because I know there are other kids like me who might be anxious about doing new things or have voices in their heads that tell them things might turn out bad. They deserve a chance to learn the things I have learned about being strong, not giving up, caring about my school and my community, and supporting other people the way my friends at Sun Dragon have supported me.

I also really like fighting like a girl!