Out of the tens of millions of people around the world who practice Taekwondo, a second-degree black belt is an achievement very few earn.
But it’s a distinction Jacksonville 15-year-old Arik Ancelin has achieved.
“That, there, feels amazingly good,” Arik said. “Taekwondo is my passion.”
Even more impressive, Arik has Down syndrome.
“Less than 2 percent of people that start martial arts achieve black belt, so it’s a pretty big deal,” said Arik’s instructor at Watson Martial Arts, Master Jason Watson. “We haven’t modified curriculum at all for Arik. I mean, he’s done the exact same thing that all of our guys do. And the Down syndrome hasn’t slowed him down.”
Arik isn’t stopping here. He’s already on his way to earning his third-degree black belt.
“This one, just like, comes from the heart, or from the brain or from your body. For me, it comes naturally,” Arik said.
“In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined eight years ago that this would be something that he could accomplish. So I think, to follow your children’s lead – when they tell you they’re going to do it, they can really do it,” Arik’s mother Jennifer Ancelin said.
When he’s not practicing Taekwondo or doing schoolwork, Arik likes to spend his free time singing and dancing.