ADA, Mich. (WZZM) – Excelling in the practice of martial arts takes different levels of skill, discipline, and technique, and it's not something that's done overnight.
Making it to ninth-degree black belt, which is the grand-master level, can take over 40 years.
But years are not a concern for a girl from Ada. She started tae kwon do at a very young age and has no plans of stopping.
Now, the world is taking notice.
When most elementary school children reach double-digits in age, iPad games and Netflix seem to become their two best friends.
That's not the case for Anushka Dogra.
Her passion lies elsewhere – in the field of martial arts known as tae kwon do.
Is she good?
You bet she's good, and she's climbing up the ranks faster than a roundhouse kick.
To achieve first-degree black belt in the practice of tae kwon do, one has to achieve a certain level of skill and discipline at several levels, symbolized by different colored belts.
The order of the belts is: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, senior blue, purple, senior purple, brown, senior brown, red, senior red, junior black, then ultimately the black belt. Just about every color is covered.
"I want to get as high as I can," said Anushka, who has been working at perfecting her skill levels in tae kwon do since she was 4 years old. She's now 11.
"It's very unusual," added Master Thomas Young Hoon Park, who is the lead instructor at Black Belt Tae Kwon Do Academy in Kentwood. "[Anushka] is one of the youngest black belt and martial arts artists in the world; she's stronger than I was at that age."
"She just latched onto this sport and it continued," said Munish Dogra, Anushka's father.
After Anushka turned 7, she already earned her first-degree black belt.
"I was really proud of myself," added Anushka.
"We didn't think it would go that far," said Hema Dogra, Anushka's mother.
But since she achieved her black belt, Anushka's charge in the sport has gone even further.
"If you just stop, you can forget everything, and you'll have to start all over again," Anushka said.
In April 2015, she placed herself in rare air for her age.
"There are only a couple in the world [of] Anuskha's age that have achieved second-degree black belt," said Master Park. "There may be less than ten in the world."
To reach second-degree black belt, Anushka had to endure a grueling eight-hour test.
"[The test] began with 500 push-ups, 500 sit-ups, 1000 jumping jacks and 1000 jump rope," said Anushka.
After that, she had to perform an extensive display of skills, strength, endurance, technique and discipline.
In the normal world of tae kwon do, someone with a second-degree black belt usually is an assistant instructor, and that's what Anushka has become.
"I can actually help and teach," said Anushka, who is allowed to instruct students younger than her at the Kentwood academy.
Not bad for a sixth-grader!
"Master Park lets me lead the class if he has to do something," said Anushka.
One of the students she often teaches happens to be her younger sister, Anya, who is working her way up through the belt levels.
"She's a senior purple belt, and I always try to help her," added Anushka.
So, it's onward for Anushka. She says there is more to learn, and new forms, exercises and techniques to perfect, as this tae kwon do prodigy presses towards third-degree black belt and beyond.
Anushka is the only 11-year-old in the state of Michigan to achieve second-degree black belt.
Tae kwon do became an Olympic sport in the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia. If the practice is still a part of the Olympics in the year 2020, look out world, because Anushka Dogra is headed your way.
