Liam Krater walks into the dojo to begin another day of karate practice. After some basic warm-ups, the group begins to work on either their forms, known as kata, or their sparring techniques, known as kumite. Krater remains focused, putting his all into the day’s practice. It seems demanding, but he knows the reward for the effort will pay off during competitions. Finally, when the time is coming to a close, the group finishes off with a cool down, and Krater returns home. One day of practice is finished, and now he just has at least five more days to go. 

Karate has been a major part of the East sophomore life, starting the practice very early on. “I have been practicing karate for ten years,” he says. “I started with Illinois Shotokan Karate Club, ISKC, in McHenry when I turned five years old and started kindergarten.” And since his initial start at just five years old, Krater has come to put a great deal of effort into it. He attends classes four days a week, but he also receives special and private training lessons, meaning he actually trains six days a week, sometimes multiple times a day. “I am usually very focused in class, as karate takes a lot of concentration combined with physical exertion.”

All of this effort and passion is not wasted, either. Krater participates in the World Shotokan Karate Association Championship, which is a complete honor for him. “Only four 14-15-year-old male karateka [students] are invited to be on Team USA to compete in kata at this tournament,” he says. Being one of the four younger participants allowed to be in the championship, Krater clearly has a skill in the art of karate, and it shows. In April 2019, he won first place for the kata competition in the Illinois state tournament.

His commitment to karate is not ending anytime soon. “I plan to continue after high school.  If I attend college locally, I can continue to train with my club, ISKC,” Krater says. “If I go away to school, I will need to seek out the right club to train with when I am away. Many ISKC students go to school locally and train still with ISKC or train in the summers when they return.” However, this is not to say that he has not considered other passions. He also stated that he has wanted to be an entomologist, the science of studying insects, since he was just two years old, and it is what he hopes to pursue in college.

With all the time and effort Krater puts into karate, it’s not wrong to assume that it would be a struggle to balance all of his responsibilities. Although, he finds a way to manage everything he has to do. “It is tough to balance everything  -school, karate. I also help teach karate classes, and home life especially with my pets,” he says. “I plan my days carefully and make sure to keep to my schedule. Planning and scheduling are important to keep up and make sure I have time for fun, too.”

Liam Krater is just another hard-working student, who juggles various responsibilities and passions, and manages to still keep focused on all of it. Although people may be intimidated by fully committing to a passion they which to pursue, especially with the same tenacity he puts into it, Krater knows that mastery takes time and practice. “I did not start out as a good karate student. I was very little and did not focus much. I stuck with it because my brother and mom were also in it and even though I was not the best student I was having fun,” he says. “Just because you are not the best person in class at the beginning does not mean you cannot go far and achieve a lot as long as you keep trying and are enjoying it.”