From Little Dragon to Black Belt: A Student’s 14-Year Journey at Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy

 

Every so often a student writes something that reminds me why I do this work. Lex Lomanov started in our Little Dragons class at four years old and just earned his First Degree Black Belt on his way out the door to college — after spending the last several years teaching Little Dragons himself. He wrote the letter below as both a tribute and a farewell. I’m sharing it as he wrote it.

Dear Mr. Brad Scornavacco, teachers, classmates, students, and parents,

It’s been a real honor and pleasure to learn from and train with all of you for all of these years. Thank you for helping me in this incredible life-changing journey that has brought me to this point in time, finally receiving my First Degree Black Belt. This was difficult to write as I’m combining this with a farewell/goodbye letter since this monumental chapter of my life comes to an end and I move on to college. Nevertheless, this was very fun to reflect on and remember so much that I had forgotten about. In this essay, I will go over memorable achievements and moments throughout my martial arts journey to Black Belt, but really I’d like to dedicate this essay to all those who supported me all the way, especially Mr. Brad Scornavacco and my parents. It’s been one heck of a ride and I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, maybe a few, like taking AP courses instead of the IB diploma in high school so I could’ve spent more time in this amazing martial arts academy.

Walking In as a Shy Four-Year-Old

It’s almost impossible to believe that this all began in the Little Dragons class, the same class I’ve been teaching now as an instructor for the past several years. I vividly remember when I was four, walking into Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy for the first time with my parents, feeling very shy and intimidated by all these large adults and big kids around me inside, forcing me to hide behind my parents. Just before this, I had been going to the gymnastics place right next door when my parents came across SMAA and were intrigued enough to enroll me in hopes of finding a passion that would fit me. Unluckily, at this point in my development, I was too unprepared and inexperienced to learn karate, being one of those out-of-control little dragons who simply wasn’t ready yet. Wisely, my parents withdrew and brought me back once I was six years old to give it another try.

This time, I was ready, determined, and focused, finally being able to understand what Kenpo truly was about. Previously, my young brain had misinterpreted it as a fun form of violence which I carried out on my poor instructors in class and on my parents as well as friends outside of class. Now, though, I had learned the difference between aggression and self-defense.

Finding My Why: Karate Kids and the Growth Mindset

Once I started again, I was locked in on the ultimate goal of achieving a Black Belt in karate. After some time, I was placed into the Karate Kids class which was a big change for me, I remember. New, bigger classmates, longer classes, higher expectations, and more responsibility. I felt overwhelmed just like the very first time I stepped foot in the school. However, I adapted quickly with support from my teachers who had made the change easier for me.

From here I kept growing, climbing the ranks. It seemed to go by very quickly, but during this time I’d say my transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 had the most important impact on me. I had changed my mentality and approach to almost everything on and off the mat. I gained a growth mindset as well as valuable core values that were taught to me here at Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy through my teachers and the monthly powerful words that had benefitted me way more than I thought they could’ve. I gained so much confidence from martial arts. I started to act and do things differently, fearlessly, and as a result, I started to perform better in school, make good friends that I still have to this day, and cultivate growth in my hobbies and other fields of interest.

My first taste of defeat was when I failed my first belt test for blue belt, which had struck me to the core. Never before had I felt so disappointed in myself. This failure was a very meaningful moment as it made me actually reflect on myself for the first time in my journey. I used this setback as a launchpad to strive for excellence from then on. Looking back now, I’m so grateful my parents brought me back because I really don’t know where else I could have gained all of this.

Spar Wars and the Eye of the Tiger

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away — Spar Wars was the biggest, most looked-forward-to event for me every year it happened. When I first received my sparring gear, I became so inspired and overly obsessed with sparring that I could do it anywhere. I started sparring almost all of the time at home, practicing hitting pillows and anything soft that wouldn’t break. Blending self-defense with competition created a whole new dimension I needed to explore.

When Spar Wars season would start in the winter and the trophies were set up on display at the front office, I always walked past them with awe and a desire to just grab one and run away. I remember the first tournament I entered — I tried my absolute hardest and ended up winning 3rd place, to my own surprise. I think it was at this point I was introduced to the Rocky Balboa films, which also sparked such enthusiasm for sparring that it really did give me the eye of the tiger. From then on, I’m pretty sure almost no one could hold me back from participating in these tournaments over and over again.

I remember one season where I had sparred my heart out, achieving near-perfect records and earning first place. There were incredible victories over bigger, stronger opponents, but also losses against formidable ones. I remember how jealous I would get when losing. I believe that Spar Wars, out of all the other sports that I played, taught me best how important sportsmanship is — especially in competition — in order to appreciate the competition itself regardless of the outcome. This era of martial arts at SMAA truly had a tremendous impact on me, and I hope that someday Spar Wars will be brought back so it can continue to impact others the way it did for me.

COVID, and the Fight to Keep Going

After making it to Phases 3 and 4, I had grown a lot physically, mentally, and overall as a martial artist. Life was going great and changing very fast for me during this time. Then COVID happened and everything changed. It was very discouraging. Like everyone else, I was secluded in my home and started to lose hope and interest in things that I liked before. This was a new low for me, but at that exact point my parents pushed me the hardest like never before to keep me from losing my passions and dreams.

I continued to practice martial arts through videos at home and even sometimes came in person for private lessons — but in masks, without people to practice on, doing everything in the air. Bringing my mom as an “attacker” for my Black-White Belt test was definitely a remarkable one. Eventually, we made it out of quarantine; I returned to classes and had just started instructing at SMAA. It was unbelievable for me how a little dragon like me was now standing in front of classes of Little Dragons, teaching them.

At this time I also began high school, which came along with many new extracurriculars such as tennis and robotics. Balancing school, martial arts, work, and everything else was a nightmare, as I wasn’t able to commit fully to all of these activities the way I wanted to. It was clear that my plate was too full, and I made difficult decisions to drop activities to leave more time for the passions I truly loved doing, and also new things. There were numerous obstacles over the years of high school that demotivated me to keep going to martial arts, but deep inside I knew I couldn’t give up.

The Final Stretch: Earning It at a Black Belt Level

Once I had finished high school, I was so close to finally testing for First Degree Black Belt, but I realized I had gotten sloppy, losing the sharpness I once had before. I knew that the summer before I went off to college would be my last chance, so I trained hard. I wanted to earn this Black Belt at a Black Belt level. These last few months of training in the summer were probably the best months of training I’ve had in my whole journey.

Standing There, Finally

When I finally stood there and received my First Degree Black Belt, it felt surreal. I thought back to that four-year-old kid hiding behind his parents, the kid who failed his first blue belt test, the kid who became obsessed with Spar Wars, and eventually the instructor standing in front of Little Dragons. All of the struggles, setbacks, long hours, and moments where I wanted to give up suddenly felt worth it. This wasn’t just a belt to me. It represented everything I had learned and everyone who had helped me get there.

After all these years, I finally accomplished the goal I had set for myself as a six-year-old, and I couldn’t have been more proud. I’m glad I stuck to it and made it to the end. Thank you once again for being a part of this journey and helping me achieve this. All those amazing teachers I had over the years who empowered learning — I forgot some of their names, but they will forever be remembered by me and continue to serve as role models and inspirations.

— Lex Lomanov, First Degree Black Belt