Audrey is a curious fourteen-year-old who wants to learn more about everything. She is searching for kids in the Rochester area who are doing big things.
Krisdiana “Krissy” Dillard is a fifth grader at the Harley School where she enjoys drawing and doing math. She loves mac and cheese, Hamilton the musical, and Ariana Grande. Krissy’s talent takes her around the world with Team USA and she recently placed fourth in martial arts traditional Kata, fifth in traditional weapons, and sixth in sparring at the world championships.
When and how did you become interested in martial arts?
Since I was three years old! I liked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Karate Kid movies. So, I tried different karate schools, and then I found out my cousin owned one and I’ve gone there ever since. It’s called Everage World Championship Karate.*
How often do you practice at the dojo?
Three days a week for two hours each day. During competitions it’s a lot more time. I mainly work on sparring and weapons. After one year of training, I knew I wanted to compete.
Tell me about the world championships in Portugal that you just participated in.
In total, it’s eight days. You have to make top four in your categories, and that’s a two-day tournament. The first day you have to make top eight, and then top four. My goal was to medal, represent my school, Rochester, and my family. I competed in four events: Traditional weapons, Traditional Kara, Sparring, and Hardline Kata.
Congratulations on placing fourth in the world for traditional Kata! What is Kata?
You can have a weapon, or you can do open-hand Kata. Open hand is when you don’t have anything in your hand, and you do what you learned over the last year. There are two different types: traditional and creative.
How do you move up in belts?
You have to test for each belt. The next belt I have to test for is purple belt.
What does that mean?
A blue belt means that you have three more belts until you become a black belt, and you’re closer than the green, yellow, and orange belts to getting the black belt, and you can help teach the other kids. It’s in the middle.
Do you have any advice for other martial arts students?
Don’t give up, even if you think you can’t do it, and prove everyone wrong if they say you can’t do it or you’re not good enough.
How do you balance karate and life skills?
Fifty percent of my time goes into karate, and fifty percent goes into school and life skills. My mom has been teaching me how to cook!
What else do you like to do for fun? Do you have a favorite book or TV show?
My favorite show is Liv and Maddie, and I love to read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
How will you continue to pursue martial arts in your future?
I am going to continue trying to test for black belts, and I want to open my own karate school with a bunch of kids in it.
*Everage World Championship Karate offers kickboxing, Shotokan Karate, Goshin Jutsu, Genki-Do Kempo and Budokon yoga classes for children and adults, in order to strive to increase each student’s confidence, self-discipline, and integrity.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of (585) Kids.
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