Karate propels admissions officer to national stage

Natalia Garcia after winning a silver medal at the 2015 National Championships for karate.

By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17 

Two things have almost always been a part of Natalia Garcia’s life: FIU and karate.

Her mother got her master’s degree at FIU and was a professor in the School of Accounting for 20 years, often bringing Garcia with her to campus during the university’s earlier days.

Garcia attended FIU and graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a certificate in film studies and now works in the Office of Admissions as a coordinator, visiting and recruiting high school students from a number of schools in Miami-Dade County.

“FIU is my home,” Garcia says. “I grew up with the university.”

But after hours, Garcia pursues another passion, one that has been part of her life almost as long.

Three to four times a week, you will find Garcia at a local karate gym training for up to an hour-and-a-half – a combination of weight training, self defense and fitness – to prepare for local, regional and national karate tournaments.

She began practicing karate when she was 5 years old after her older brother and some of her cousins started taking classes. And while her family members wound up pursuing other interests and hobbies over the years, it was Garcia who stuck with the sport.

“Karate is something I always end up going back to,” Garcia says.

When she was 11 she began training under Carlos Quintero and Tony Garcia, who taught a form of karate called Shitō-ryū, a combination style known for its quickness and characteristics from other styles of karate.

Garcia showcases her skills in her first national competition in 2012.

In 2008, Garcia met karate grandmaster Yoshimi Inoue, one of the most respected karate instructors in the world and founder of Inoue-Ha Shitō-ryū Karate (the organization Garcia belongs to); it was a profound experience and turning point for her.

Then six years ago, something clicked in her while watching her brother compete at a drumming tournament.

“My brother has a passion for music, and I saw him practice and I saw the dedication he put into it,” Garcia says. “I saw him perform, and then I felt I never reached my full potential with my passion. I settled for mediocrity for a long time, and I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore.”

Garcia chose to start training to compete in karate tournaments, particularly at the national level.

“I want to know I pursued a dream and a passion and actually did something with it,” Garcia says.

After intensive training that involved a strong emphasis on self-defense techniques and fitness, Garcia participated in the 2012 and 2015 National Championships. She finished with a bronze medal in 2012 and a silver medal in 2015, competing in the 18-34 Female Advanced Shitō-ryū Kata division.

“The first time I competed in 2012 it was life-altering,” Garcia says. “I realized that I could do anything and that really set the foundation for the next tournament.”

Garcia also says that practicing karate and elevating her commitment to the sport has carried over into other areas of her life in positive ways.

“Karate is a great confidence booster, and the confidence you get from karate can give anyone confidence for any career,” Garcia says. “It’s helped me learn a lot about discipline, and the mental preparation I use to prepare for tournaments is the same preparation I use right before going out to speak to and recruit high school students for FIU.”

As her knowledge and love for karate grows, so does Garcia’s desire to leverage both to teach the sport to others. She is now an assistant instructor under Quintero and Garcia.

“It’s helped me set higher goals for myself in every area, including here at FIU,” says Garcia, who hopes to one day win gold in a national tournament. “It’s a privilege to be with Admissions and to be involved in both at the same time.”