By JOANNE TUAPAWA Waiariki journalism student
It's not every day your mum encourages you to fight.
But for a 12-year-old Rotorua girl, her whanau are keen to see her participate in a taekwondo tournament - so let the battle begin.
"I like sparring, I train five nights a week and sometimes I practice on my mum," said Ariana Collier.
Ariana is still new to the sport. At first, she didn't even know what sparring was.
"My instructor told me I was going to spar and I said, 'I don't have my togs' because I thought it was the other kind of spa."
The Te Arawa/Te Aitanga a Mahaki descendant will fight for the first time in the Han Lee Northern Invitation Colour Belt Tournament held on June 30 at the Rotorua Girls' High School gym.
"I'm really excited, I want to win," Collier said.
Her mother, Taawhi Koria, enrolled Collier, along with her brother and two sisters, in the Han Lee Taekwondo Rotorua Academy in March.
"I'd just finished nursing training so I wanted them to do something as a whanau," Ms Koria said.
Little did she know she would end up training alongside her children.
"I was just getting the kids into it, but Master Lee said I was overweight and that within a few months I'd have a new body, and I've definitely achieved that."
Although Ms Koria has just as much experience as her children, she will not be competing in the tournament: "I would have liked to fight, but Master Lee said I'm not ready. I get to practice on the men though, that's fun."
But instructor Han Lee, an eighth dan black belt, does believe in Collier's ability.
"Ariana is a natural fighter, I am confident she and her family will become national champions in the future. Even if she doesn't win, this is all good experience for her future," Lee said.
Collier will face other fighters from all over the North Island. She will be matched up according to her belt, weight, age and gender. The competition begins at 9am with an official opening at noon when the black belt tournament starts.
Ariana puts her toe into competition
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