Polson middle schooler earns black belt in karate

On Sept. 17, after 3,163 days, 3,843 hours and 205,344 miles, Polson 13-year-old Ethan McCauley, earned his Black Belt in Karate. The honor came after an intense four-hour test composed of kicks, self-defense, one-steps, weapons defense, sparring, and board breaking before a black belt board of examiners, and an audience of family, friends and karate school students. Ethan was required to break four boards, completeing the task by splitting two at a time with a flying sidekick, the third with a step behind sidekick, and the fourth with a spinning elbow. The seventh-grader at Polson Middle School trains with Jeff and Janie Green, owners of the American Karate Academy in Columbia Falls.