Poland teen kicks up a storm in martial arts

By JOE SIMON Tribune Chronicle
WARREN — Chelsey Spotleson doesn’t shy away from the reason she missed out on an after-prom party Friday night.

It’s the same reason she’s been practicing Chinese kempo since she was 4 years old and why she becomes frustrated on a weekly basis.

‘‘I like to fight. I only fight like two times a week (at tournaments), and that makes me mad,’’ said the 16-year-old Spotleson, who was competing at the Martial Arts in May Annual tournament at Warren Western Reserve Middle School on Saturday. ‘‘That’s like my favorite thing to do, fighting. That’s all I like to do.’’

Spotleson has fought and fought well for the past 12 years. She’s been so successful that she is currently the top-ranked female fighter in the country, out of all girls 15 to 17 years of age. Spotleson, a two-time national champion and a nine-time state champ, won all three of her fights Saturday morning, and while it caused her to miss out on the party, she’ll get over it.

‘‘Karate’s kinda my life,’’ Spotleson said. ‘‘I miss out on a lot of stuff because of it, but it’s definitely worth it.’’

Her opponents are probably wishing she took the advice of her parents, who urged the Cardinal Mooney junior to go to the party, stay out late and not worry about the competition — not exactly everyday advice from parents.

But when someone is as dedicated to the sport as Spotleson, it’s understandable.

‘‘They told me last night at prom to stay at the party and not come home until like 2 o’clock,’’ she said. ‘‘I was like, ‘Sorry.’ So I came home at like 12:30, went to bed and came to karate this morning.’’

Her instructor, David Buker, said while she may be a little overly devoted to the sport, she doesn’t allow it to get in the way of other areas of her life.

‘‘She’s not only a champion black belt, she’s a National Honor Society student, a volleyball player for Mooney, and she works four days a week for me (teaching at the youth level),’’ he said. ‘‘There’s different levels of dedication, she’s at the top level.’’

Her willingness to stay focused on the sport comes from beginning at a young age, Spotleson said. With both of her parents being cops — her mother is a former cop and her father is currently a Youngstown police officer — she said they were the ones who first introduced her and her seven siblings to the sport. While all her brothers and sisters eventually quit, Spotleson developed a passion for it and is now a second-degree black belt and a national contender.

‘‘It took me 12 years to get this,’’ said Spotleson, pointing to the belt she earned from training at the American Karate Studio in Boardman. ‘‘I got my first black belt when I was 13 and I got this one in December.’’

Spotleson said her persistence and love for the sport are the main reasons for her success. She added that Buker, who she refuses to call master or sensei, has played a big role in her sticking with the sport for so long.

‘‘I hate the formal stuff like master and sensei, so I just call him Davey and he gets mad at me,’’ she said with a laugh. ‘‘I’ve known him since I was like 3, so we’re real close.

‘‘He challenges me. Even when I win, he makes fun of me and tells me I’m doing everything wrong. So I don’t always get a whole lot of credit from him.’’

To the contrary. Buker, who’s been practicing martial arts since 1966 (he was 2!), said Spotleson’s dedication is unlike nearly anyone he’s ever known, and it’s why he believes this is the year she’ll capture another national title.

‘‘My son was at prom too, and he’s not here,’’ he said. ‘‘(Spotleson) wants to be the national champ. She missed it by a few points last year, missed it the year before, so this is kind of her year.’’

As for the party and her prom date, Spotleson didn’t seem too worried about it.

‘‘All the time,’’ said Spotleson when asked if she threatens the boys at school. ‘‘That’s why none of them ask me out.’’

So, how’d she get a date?

‘‘I just went with one of my friends from school,’’ she said. ‘‘He’s scared of me, too. He used to do karate, and then he quit.’’

One too many sparring sessions with Spotleson will do that to a person.

jsimon@tribune-chronicle.com