08/02/2026
Miserable little sisters ❤️
MEET THE KARATEKINS
There is a strong possibility that within ten years that Trinbagonians will develop a love affair with a pair of sisters from Curepe. If not for their achievements by that time, but for how they are often referred to.
Samira and Leeya Ablack are known as the ‘Karatekins’. The term was coined by their parents, Ryan and Nadia, early in their foray into martial arts as a brand to generate funding for the sisters to compete in a few of the most prestigious international tournaments.
The sister, Samira, has already been accustomed to punching and kicking her way to the top of the podium in karate styles of Shotokan and Sh*to-ryu winning, not just several but a gold mine of medals, both locally and international.
Oh, last December she finally turned 10!
The El Dorado South Hindu School student has been at her craft since she had been in pre-school, initially, as a concern to her parents given the disturbing rise in occurrences of bullying at schools across the country. Ryan and Nadia opted for the life-lesson of having their daughters to protect themselves in the face of confrontation which morphed in to locking a competitive nature they might not have unearth until later in their lives.
Mama and papa Ablack went as far as to reconstruct their lives, opting out of corporate employment for self-employment as a baker and a private contractor to cater to the needs of their karatekins.
The ‘kin’ in karatekin is of ‘kanji’ origin, the Japanese writing system adapted from logographic Chinese characters, meaning ‘family’. The Ablack sisters, as they are also called, revel in the fact that the term uniquely separates them from their contemporaries.
Both started while they were in pre-school. But at first, the elder Samira did not take to this well, mainly because of the size of the other kids at the Goshin-Do dojo in El Dorado. As a matter of fact, her tears might have been enough to lead her parents to reconsider the direction they had chosen.
However, incrementally, spending time at the dojo, getting familiar with the activities brought enjoyment and, conversely, a joy for competition.
The enjoyment and achievements of big sister Samira, did not just become a joy for little sister Leeya, but encouragement for the younger karatekin to chart her own path.
Just like Samira confronting her initial fear, Leeya had had her own challenge before she could be a success. Born with an inverted instep, Leeya had to wear special shoes to correct the imperfection.
Success for the girls was directly linked to the potential they both showed a high level of talent for their ages and size. Enter senior instructor Marisa Sydney, a local internationally ranked gold medalist at the Pan American Karate Championships, who suggested that the girls compete at the international level.
The performances at the domestic level were raising eye brows, so with the suggestion from Sydney, the excitement level increased to astronomical levels when results of two tiny tots from a tiny country also followed.
Since she started competing, Samira has been a multiple time gold-medalists at the several local tournaments in age groups starting from five and under, including the T&T Karate Union National Tournament in 2024, 2025 and earlier this year.
At Caribbean Champions Martial Arts Tournament in 2024, she copped gold in the advanced female traditional Creative Kata & Kumite Divisions.
In 2025, as a nine-year old, she took silver at the Eastside Martial Arts Invitational in the 18 and under Open Kata Black Belt Female Division, showing what the future can expect.
Internationally, Samira has proven that she belongs with the best in the world, capturing gold at the New York Open in the 2024 at both the Advanced Female Kata and Kumite Divisions, as well as bronze medals at the US Open & Junior International Tournament in the same division.
The seven-year old Leeya, even with her feet not fully corrected, adapted to fill her trophy cabinet as well, creating a unique one-two punch with big sister.
Also, a local national champion, gold at the New York Open in 2024 at the 6-7 age group Intermediate/Advance Female Kata Division confirmed her status as a rising star. She also took silver in the same category in New York in the Kumite Division.
The promise that Samira carries was defined last year when the Trinidad & Tobago Martial Arts Community, headed by professor Russel Gomes, acknowledged her as the most outstanding Under-12 black belt in the country.
Mentioning their accolades and achievements may require more words than this piece alone, particularly when talking about their dominance of the podium in the premier martial arts tournament in the Caribbean, the Dragon’s Cup, over the last two years.
The sisters are currently being trained by Sensis Dexter and Frida Shim at the Karate Do Center at Federation Park and the elder Samira was recently named to the national team with the expectancy of competing in this year’s Junior Pan American games in Costa Rica in August and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in November.
With the studious Leeya in tow and her parents providing their usual support, the Ablack home may be thick with expectations which, there are hardly any reasons that they would not be met.
On the Instagram page karatekins.tt, the world that has not been introduced to the Ablack sisters can make themselves familiar. From what has already been seen and been done, it seems that the ceiling can only get higher as they grow.
[Leeya (left) and Samira (right) Ablack champions-in-waiting]
