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PHOTO: Huard’s Martial Arts founder Kancho Randy Huard with Abigail Dudley, who recently became the youngest female at the studio to achieve black belt rank. (Mark Huard photo)
By Mark Huard
WINSLOW — Abigail Dudley, 15, of Winslow, is the youngest female to earn a black belt in the 55-year history of Huard’s Martial Arts.
Abigail entered Huard’s for the first time at the age of four. She was already enrolled in dance lessons and her parents thought martial arts would be a great additional activity. Their goal of her parents was to raise a child who could defend herself and be independent and confident. Shortly after she started classes, Abigail began competing in Sport karate competitions on the SMART and IPPONE Tournament Circuits. She is a natural competitor and from a very early age took pride in earning awards and working hard for each level as she moved up. Her parents fostered a strong work ethic and a focus on improving her technical abilities. As she got older, Abigail enjoyed traveling to competitions, which eventually included the Krane Karate Circuit and NASKA circuit, which took her all over New England. As she continued to compete and branch out into other tournaments, she found her drive and desire to be the best she could be. Abigail consistently strives to improve on her performance and reach her own personal bests. Through the COVID pandemic, she competed in several virtual tournaments, where she earned the rank of world and national champion. That required Abigail maintain her own motivation to practice and improve on her own. In achieving black belt rank, her journey has just begun. Training truly takes a different form at this level. She is a role model to other young martial artists. She maintains high honors at Waterville High School and conducts herself inside and out of the dojo with honor and dignity. Abigail has worked hard to get where she is, and has endless possibilities as she moves forward on her journey. It’s a great journey being a martial artist and becoming a young black belt. And now even at a young age it’s a wonderful chance to give back to her school and the students of Huard’s Martial Arts.
