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By Chad Douglas
Daily News Reporter

Tim Frazer was by no means a model student when he first took up Karate.

That fact made Frazer's promotion to black belt, the first such promotion in Kamloops by Western Karate Academy, that much more meaningful.

Jim Doan, the academy's cheif instructor, presented Frazer with his black belt in front of fellow students. friends and family Saturday at Kamloops Evangelical Free Church.

"It means a lot more to me because I didn't expect it when I started," said Frazer, a 16 year old who commutes to Karate calsses from his home in Barriere. "I enjoyed myself thoroughly, let's put it that way. I think once I was getting close to that first belt, I got myself together a little bit."

After more than four years and 400 classes - the kind of commitment it takes to become a black belt - Frazer has a lifetime achievement.

Doan equated the black belt with a doctorate, a masters or a bachelor degree - information that you'll always have, whether you choose to use it or not.

As one of Doan's first students, Frazer often got the third degree about his behaviour.

"Tim was a bad seed and had to be stopped," Doan said with a chuckle. "(His change) was immediate. At that point, I knew he wanted to be here and he wanted something from me. We could start to work together and put some time into it and it worked ."

Some time is probably all Frazer can commit to Karate since he plays four instruments - guitar , piano, bassoon and drums.

Both Frazer's major pursuits - Karate and music - have been tied in to a family of six.

Frazers parents, Greg and Iris, are professional musicians. Iris is principle bassoonist with the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra.

When he's not belting out a tune, Frazer still plans to don his black belt and work hard on his Karate skills.

"Gradually, over a good long time, Karate became a part of me, I guess. I can't see myself without it." said Frazer.