Dugdale, 14, advances to a midnight blue belt in Soo Bahk Do

Justine Dugdale, 14, says it all started with a movie.

Actually, three movies - The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989).

"I always liked watching them fight," she said.

"Their technique, and how it looked cool."

Her favorite part …

"The ending, when he (Ralph Macchio, who plays Daniel in the trilogy) faced the other opponents in battle," she said.

Dugdale was never bullied into learning martial arts like Daniel was, but the Hollywood version was enough to get her started with the Soo Bahk Do studio in Whitefish. That was in 1999. Her first instructor was Ginny Wilcox.

Dugdale says she still watches those movies, but not nearly as often. She's moved well past that phase.

She recently passed her testing for a midnight blue belt, where she is a first degree.

Midnight blue is the highest belt one can master. It has eight degrees.

"That it takes a lot of effort to become that good," she said of what her martial arts journey has taught her.

"But it's worth it.

"When I first started training for them (belts), I stepped up my game a lot.

"And then I just became better and got more confidence in what I did."

Dugdale began Soo Bahk Do as a white belt. From there, she steadily moved up the belts ladder to purple, orange, green and red.

Dugdale devoted almost two years of training, off and on because of injuries and other elements beyond her control, to test for her latest belt. There were five others that tested with her in Crested Butte, Colo., last month.

Was she nervous?

"It was in a whole new environment," she said. "It was very nerve-racking. Right after it ended, it went away. I finally smiled for the first time that weekend."

In the demonstration portion of the test, Dugdale had to break a board with her foot using a jumping, spinning back kick. Everyone got two chances. Dugdale was one of three to break it on her first attempt.

She also had to pass a written test.

"It was a lot easier than I thought it would be," she said of the entire process.

"I thought I would mess up or something, but ended up doing way better than I thought I would do."

Dugdale says she's already committed to training for a second degree midnight blue belt. She'll test for that in about two years.

"She's good at finishing what she starts," Andrew Hamer, her current instructor, said.

"Whatever she starts, she gets very dedicated to it. She gives it her all."

Hamer said Dugdale's determination is what has impressed him the most.

"The unusual part is how long it took," he said of her getting her latest belt.

"It took longer because when I took over the studio, I was a fledgling. It took me awhile to get certified. It took longer than it should have. Her patience is what impressed me. She's a very mature girl."

Hamer has been an instructor at the studio since 2003. He is a second degree midnight blue belt.

"The emphasis is on philosophy," he said.

"We're not competition oriented. There is not an emphasis on trophies and prizes, those kinds of rewards. It's more internal. That's the challenge I find with this style.

"A person is at their best when helping someone, at their worst when trying to be better than someone else. That's that philosophy I adhere to."

And so does Dugdale.

"It's fairly relaxing," she said.

"It washes away the stress."

Dugdale, who is 5-foot-5, 125 pounds, practices two to three times a week. Each session runs two hours and focuses on endurance, techniques and self-defense moves.

Does she ever tire of the year-round regime?

"A few times," she said.

"But after I took a little time off, I learned I loved it more than I thought I did at the time."

Hamer says his student body numbers have increased 70 percent in the last 18 months. He offers classes four days a week.

His youngest student is 4 1/2 years old; the oldest is 50.

Dugdale is not the only member of her family involved in Soo Bahk Do. Her mom, Michele, is a green belt. Her sister, Madison, 12, is a red belt and will test for midnight blue in the fall.

"I started first," Justine said.

"She (Madison) started a year or so after me."

Her father, Zach, is not a member of the studio, but provides plenty of moral support to all three.

Justine recently completed testing to earn the title of assistant instructor. She is the first one to do so in the Whitefish studio and one of a select few in the region.

Not only does she follow instruction, she is giving it as well.

"Yes, it's helped me become a better student," she said.

"Both (instructor and student) have made me more disciplined and more focused."

Dugdale plans to continue with Soo Bahk Do through high school. She will be a freshman at Whitefish in the fall.

"I'd like to get as far as I can (with it)," she said.

"It just depends where I want to go with my life.

"It has been really rewarding and has opened my eyes a lot," she added.

"It just taught me a lot about my abilities. That if I put my mind to it, I can do it."