If you didn't know any better, you might think Jordan Curteanu was just like any other 13-year-old youngster in Whitehorse.

Decked out in typical teenage gear, blue jeans and skateboard shoes, sporting a trendy haircut and a large grin, he would fit in at any high school in the city. But the minute he opens his mouth, it's clear there's something special about Curteanu.

It's rare you find someone at his age that is so open and honest, as well as friendly and well-spoken. And when he speaks about karate, his passion for the martial art is clear.

'I think it makes you look at the day differently,' he said simply.

Curteanu is the first to admit, though, it took a few years before he could fully appreciate karate.

'I remember one day in the kitchen, I was just kicking the air and my mom asked me if I wanted to join karate,' he explained.

And so, at the tender age of four, he was signed up for classes, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and aunt on his mother's side. At first, it was more of a hassle, he said, since he just wanted to be a kid.

'I wanted to sit at home and watch cartoons,' he laughed, adding he became really interested in karate after watching the movie 3 Ninjas. 'I used to watch that and then go into the hallway and start kicking around. 'I wanted to be in the movies.

'But then, when I was 10, I got more serious.'

It was a couple of years later when Curteanu, who turns 14 next month, would move to Whitehorse from Prince George. He moved north in the summer and was signed up for karate even before he started school, joining the Japan Karate Association (JKA) club.

While Prince George gave him his start in karate, it's the Yukon's capital that has honed his appreciation. Arriving with his third Q, or first-degree brown belt, Curteanu trained hard over the past couple of years, gaining his second and third-degree brown belts.

Earlier this month, Curteanu joined instructor Todd Hardy and five fellow karatekas at a four-day camp in Anchorage, where they had the chance to train under sensai Okasaki, one of the last links to the founder of the JKA style.

'He really is pretty well the top man outside of Japan and even in Japan, he's probably second,' said Hardy. 'He's 74 years old and he still has the best kick in the world. To get to train with him is truly an honour.'

The Yukoners also had the chance to train with Kathy Klein, the highest ranked female karateka in North America.

'It really was a phenomenal experience,' said Hardy. 'It's important more people get that kind of exposure if they want to do that sport more seriously.'

Taking part in the clinic meant getting up at 6 a.m. and completing three training sessions a day, but Curteanu said he liked the intensity.

'The instructors were really good and they really wanted to work you,' he said.

While in Anchorage, the six also tested at various levels, three of them going for their black belt. Curteanu, Tytus Hardy and Lymond Hardy stood before a panel of 15 judges, completing both the kumate and kata portions of the sport in aiming for black.

Normally nervous, Curteanu said he felt good when he faced the testing board, which included Okasaki. While he wasn't sure if he did enough to move up a level, he knew he had done as much as he could.

And in the end, he became the youngest ever JKA black belt in the Yukon.

'It was like a big, huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders,' he grinned. 'That was definitely a goal for a really long time.

'I'm pretty proud of myself.'

Todd said Curteanu's achievement was very impressive, considering he had to compete and fight against 17 and 18 year olds in the test.

'And to be honest, he dominated,' said Todd. 'The 15 people on the board were pretty well unanimous (in passing him), which really says something.

'It's something to be really proud of and it bodes well for his future.'

Curteanu said he owes a lot of his success to Todd and his two sons, Tytus and Lymond. All of them were very helpful in Anchorage he said, and it was good for him to get experience practicing with people of their calibre.

Lymond also achieved his black belt in Anchorage and Tytus got a retest, which means he can try again soon. Also for the Yukon, Rachel Pugh got her first Q, the highest brown belt, while Luke Johnston received his first brown belt.

Lymond and Curteanu will now head to the Canadian National Japan Karate Association Championships, which will be held in Toronto, October 8-10. It will be Curteanu's first time at a large competition while Lymond has competed as a junior.

'I think it's going to be really fun and exciting to watch, too,' said Curteanu, who was then asked what his goal for nationals is. 'To bring back a medal, I'd like that. I think it's definitely a possibility. My age category is 12-14, so I'm right in the middle. I should be OK.'

Todd will also be making the trip to Toronto, as the Yukon's representative on the national board. He'll be attending meetings, helping organize schedules and also doing some judging.

'I don't think I'll compete,' he said. 'It crossed my mind, but I don't think I'm going to do it. You have to dedicate a substantial amount of your time to training at that high of a level. I would recommend six days a week, that's what I used to do.'

The sensai offered up his assessment of how both Curteanu and Lymond should fair at nationals.

'Lymond went a couple of years ago, but now it's different, because he has to compete against the big boys, so it will be interesting.

'Jordan is so young. This is a wonderful time to expose him to this level. He'll see how the adults train and compete at a high-calibre competition and he'll learn what he has to do to get there. I'm very confident Jordan is going to do very well.'

Beyond nationals, Curteanu hopes to continue his rise up the karate ranks and perhaps even represent Canada on an international level a few years down the road.

'If he wants to represent Canada at the international level, he'll have to prove himself at nationals,' said Todd. 'Frankly, I think Jordan has the ability to do it.'