European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 04, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes sunday september 4,1977 8-year-old girl earns first degree Peewee Black Belt in karate by Lucia Guajardo staff writer Frankfurt is Kim Bernal looks like such a Sweet child with her rib boned braids delicate 8-year-old Frame shy manner and voice that has strains of Babyhood still clinging to it. Who would Ever guess the hands of this Little girl Are registered As lethal weapons she s the Apple of her daddy and Mommy s Eye . Hector and Janet Bernal of the 228th signal co Here. And probably one of the Bernays proudest moments was when Kim recently received a first degree Black Belt in Taekwon do a korean Art of self defense at belts gym Here. Her instructors who tested her and awarded the Belt Mike Schiller a first degree Black Belt Holder and Alfred Schniering a second degree Black Belt Holder claim the third grader is the youngest girl to achieve this level of proficiency in this Oriental form of self defense. Schniering was the european Champion in 1974. In 1975 both Schniering and Schiller of Mainz Germany took third place As european champions. This past year Schiller won second place in an International grand championship and an All Europe Competition. Schiller also holds a first degree Black Belt in Kun toe. But Kim s Black Belt can t be compared to his own Schiller said. He Calls it a Peewee Black  if she stays in it she will be a National Champion by the time she s 16. Her kicks Are More like that of a 10, 11 or 12-year old a Schiller said. Kim is already winning medals. In com petitions she consistently takes first or second place. She won first place in the 6 to 8-year-old boys and girls category in May 1976 during a Competition involving children from All Over Germany and America. She took second place in a Friedberg Competition of 6 to 8-year-Olds. Attending two hour classes daily Kim studies with Schniering s classes and receives private lessons from Schiller. The classes that include All Ages Are Segre gated by degrees of advancement. She is really amazing. I did t Cut her any Slack because she was a Little girl. You can ask her parents. I yelled at her All the time Schiller said. Kim was t nervous about the Black Belt testing just thrilled Janet said. Now her goals Are to compete and have a Taek won do school of her own someday her parents said. Kim loves karate Janet said. Around the House if she does t want to do something i Tell her All right Kim no karate today and she does it right  Kim said she began studying karate at the age of 6 while in Vicenza Italy be cause my daddy was into judo and women need it nowadays in the  asked if she thought she needed it in the streets she answered very seriously  she hears and sees things about some woman being raped and another being at tacked Janet said and she says daddy if they knew karate that would t have happened " the sergeant looks on it As a great achievement for women something every woman should learn because women nowadays need  soon to be reassigned to White Sands n.m., and originally from Havana Cuba Hector holds a senior red Belt in judo. He practice the Art for two and half years he said but has t been Able to practice while Here because of other commitments. Kim does t discuss her skills with classmates Janet said. They Start to bother her and she does t want to Hurt them. She knows she can. I Don t like her playing around the House her Mother admitted. She gets too rough and she  her Mother noted that when Kim practices with someone smaller she just dem  if they re bigger than her she tries to beat them up gain  Kim s idol is Cleopatra Jones karate Queen movie Star. She wants to get As Good As Cleopatra Jones Janet said and if there Are any martial arts movies show ing in the area she has to be  tiny but Tough above Kim Bernal 8, demonstrates her skills with instructor Mike Schiller who claims she is the youngest girl to Ever receive a first degree Black Belt in Taekwon do korean karate. Below she and a fellow student exercise in Prepa ration for their karate class in Betts gym at Frankfurt. Is Jeff Whitted Kim takes of fellow karate classmate Mariam Powell. Is Whitted