Johnson finds his sanctuary

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on July 15, 2016 1:48 PM

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bcoley@newsargus.com

Sixteen-year-old Chris Johnson commands attention when he performs on the karate mat.

His house contains several trophies -- some are so tall that they require a yardstick for measurement. He's a brown belt in Shotokan karate, and working toward a black belt. And tomorrow, he'll be competing at the U.S. Karate National Championships in Pittsburgh.

But prior to the shiny awards and variety of belts, there was a time in Johnson''s life where he could not keep focus.

At a young age, he was diagnosed with ADHD. The disorder, along with the prescribed medication, caused a multitude of issues -- disciplinary problems at school, mood swings and a state of indifference.

When he was seven, Johnson entered the dojo. And nearly a decade later, his sanctuary has pushed out most of his problems, particularly the medication.

Johnson -- who attends Eastern Wayne -- has been off of his ADHD medication for nearly a year. He said that karate helps him concentrate, and that it blocks out all the negativity.

"I wasn't really disciplined enough," said Johnson, describing life before karate. "I met people, and they helped me out. If I get in trouble, they make me do push ups. And that helped."

Johnson became interested in karate after watching old movies that starred well-renowned martial artists, including Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen. The transition into karate felt natural to him.

Several weeks ago, he attended the Philadelphia Open, which was his first National Karate Federation appearance. Johnson won two bronze medals and qualified for the national championships. Since it was his first year qualifying for nationals, he was scheduled to participate in the Intermediate Division.

However, around a month ago, Johnson and his sensei, Freddy Lopez, were invited to a special training session in New York City. Johnson trained twice a day for two hours.

Lopez said the coaches were impressed with Johnson's skill.

"At the end of the training, they sat down with me and asked me what were his plans," Lopez said. "And I said this is his first nationals, and he is going into the Intermediate (Division) because of his age. They said, 'No, put him in the Elite Division. And by registration time, if he sees more improvement, register him as an Elite.'"

Johnson did see improvement and thusly registered in the Elite Division. At the Elite level, Johnson will be eligible to receive an invitation to try-out for the U.S. Karate Junior National Team.

"Half of me is confident and the other half of me is a tiny bit nervous," Johnson said. "I'll get to meet and see fighters I've seen on YouTube who've done a lot of tournaments."

Lopez said Johnson fluctuates around 125 to 130 pounds. When he trains, he hovers around 122 pounds. At nationals, Johnson will be placed in the minus-61 kilogram category. Since most American karate fighters tend be heavier, his category will only have seven other competitors.

The top three fighters will receive an invitation to try out for the junior national team, and the next three will have an opportunity to try out as an alternate.

Lopez described Johnson as having the take-off speed of a running back and the hitting power of a Mac Truck. The 63-year-old instructor said the only thing holding Johnson back is his maturity and reassurance.

Other than those critiques, Lopez believes Johnson is more than capable of competing at a high level in Pittsburgh.

"If (Johnson) listens and he stays focused like he's been doing, and follows everything that he has to do, (Johnson) will medal (at the nationals)," said Lopez, with unwavering confidence.

Along with Lopez, standing in Johnson's corner is his mother, Cassandra Wooten.

Once living in a shelter and now housed in a Habitat for Humanity home for the past eight years, Wooten is proud of her son's accomplishments and fully supports his karate career.

Wooten said that getting Johnson off of the medicine has been a relief. The medication was so strong, that it prevented her son from feeling pain.

"When he was on the medicine at about five years old, a little boy stabbed him in the chest with a pencil," Wooten said. "(Johnson) didn't feel the pain. And that's how strong the medicine can be."

The proud mother noted that Johnson does have headaches from time to time, but added that karate helps with his anxiety.

"He doesn't like a lot of crowds," Wooten said. "He's the type of person that keeps to himself. But when he's (at karate), he's able to express himself more."

Wooten explained that one of the pitfalls of traveling to national tournaments has been the accumulation of expenses. It will cost $400 just to get his black belt.

To combat the overwhelming costs, Wooten has tried yard sales and has been considering selling raffle tickets to raise money for her son's expenses. A couple of months ago, she started a gofundme page, https://www.gofundme.com/chrisninja. Finding the time to raise money has been particularly difficult because she works while going to school full-time.

Wooten said she will continue to do anything she can to help her son live out his dream.

"I really see my son achieving in this," Wooten said. "This is where his strength is at."

Johnson's rise as a karate fighter has coincided with the announcement last month that the International Olympic Committee will likely approve karate for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Lopez said that Johnson's weight category would be part of the Olympics if the sport is approved.

Along with reaching the Olympics some day, Johnson also has goals of joining the Marine Corps. He could help teach classes and possibly learn a different form of martial arts, such as kung fu.

As the young fighter moves toward his dreams, some struggles will remain.

But Johnson knows what helped him get to this stage of his career. And he will continue to ride that support to the peak of whatever mountain he wishes to climb.

"I have all these people around me, helping me and keeping me on a straight path," Johnson said. "I don't want to go backwards, I want to go forwards. They're helping me reach toward my goals."