Perhaps no other young person more defined the quality of determination than Juliette “J.W.” Williamson, who began her KIA studies in 1980 at the second studio on Lambert Street in Lake Forest, CA, when she was only eight years old.
J.W. was a driven kid on a mission, a mission to prove she was good. And she was. In her KIA competitive career during the 1980s, Williamson maintained a winning percentage of approximately 65% and a first to third place finishing percentage of 93%. She was primarily a forms competitor. Was this incredible record a fluke? No. J.W. worked hard, spending practically every day at the studio, learning and developing her skills.
Williamson’s drive and determination are the things fairy tales are made of. She achieved her Black Belt at the tender age of twelve in 1985, but, remarkably, this was not a junior rating which normally accompanied a child of her age. J.W. learned the entire adult curriculum and was the first young person to achieve a KIA adult Black Belt ranking.