The scene begins at Bobby Dixon’s American Martial Arts Academy on May 2. Five-year-old Phoenix Swonger is taking his yellow belt test and has reached a point of discouragement when trying to complete the axe kick to break a board. 

Finally, after several tries and constant support from his sensei Erik Gianini and his fellow peers, Phoenix perseveres and accomplishes breaking the board, and an uproar of cheers follows from everyone at the academy. Yes, what I’m describing is the video you’ve probably seen floating around the internet that has gained millions of views in just a few weeks – the viral video of Orlando’s very own Karate Kid. 

Nonahood News got to sit down with Phoenix, his parents Thomas and Claudia, and Sensei Erik after one of Phoenix’s most recent classes to hear about how this inspirational video came to happen. Sensei Erik says that it was Phoenix’s fifth or sixth attempt to complete this particular kick, and Phoenix had already hurt his foot once trying to complete it. 

At first, no one was sure if it would be a good idea to let him try again, but they ended up deciding to give him another chance. In the video, Phoenix had begun to cry in frustration at not being able to break the board, but as everyone in the dojo starts to chant his name and Sensei Erik tells him, “You can do it,” he kicks once more, and the board breaks cleanly in half! It’s almost impossible not to cheer along with everyone in the video! 

Thomas says to us, “I knew he could do it … I had the inner feeling it was going to happen … and thank God it did.” 

After that amazing moment, his parents just wanted to post the video because of how proud they felt of their son and the persistence he showed to finally receive his yellow belt. On the night of Mother’s Day, it went viral, and everyone all over the world began to share this heartwarming video of Phoenix. Thomas and Claudia sum up the experience as “unique,” due to how much praise they’ve gotten and how the video has been shared by celebrities, like a certain Josh Brolin who plays Thanos in the Avengers movies.

Most of what the Karate Kid himself tells us involved how he “made Thanos cry,” which is what Brolin wrote when he shared the video. Phoenix also revealed how he’s been practicing karate for 10 years – quite an amazing feat for a five-year-old! When we asked him how long it took him to execute the axe kick, he said another 10 years, but he felt “100 happy” and as if his friends at the dojo gave him a superpower after he finally broke the board with his kick. 

How long will he continue to learn karate? You guessed it, 10 years! I think it’s safe to say Phoenix will have a very lengthy career studying karate the next time we catch up with him.

This video of Phoenix has not only been a reminder of the value of determination but how empowering it can be to have such a supportive community behind you as you take on a challenge. Sensei Erik explains that the support in the video is the norm at Bobby Dixon’s American Martial Arts Academy: “It’s like a big family.” 

We wish the best of luck to all the Karate Kids at the dojo, and may we never forget that we can do it!If you haven’t seen the video yet, be sure to check it out on Phoenix Swonger’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/PbKeTBf03z4.