AN AMBITIOUS YOUNGSTER LIVELY 9-YEAR-OLD HOPES TO STAR IN MARTIAL ARTS FILMS.

Byline: CONNIE LLANOS Staff Writer

VALENCIA -- He can jumpkick, twirl in the air and and break two pinewood planks with his forearm.

And he's only 9.

In his gray and black martial arts uniform, Uriah Sheldon could be mistaken for a youngster dressed as ninja for Halloween. But he is very serious about his martial arts.

``Sometimes I just close my eyes and think of all my moves,'' Uriah said, a smile taking over his face during training last week for his black belt test.

Uriah is preparing to audition for the World Demonstration Team for the American Tae Kwon Do Association in Orlando, Fla. The youngster is already a five-time state champion.

Martial arts studio owner Gavin Espinoza, who instructs the boy at his Town Center Drive studio, said he knew Uriah was different from the moment he met him, but it wasn't by his skills at first.

``I was so tickled by his strong Southern accent,'' Espinoza said.

Uriah moved with his family to Santa Clarita two years ago from rural Alabama, where he'd trained at a martial arts studios and earned his blue belt -- six levels below black belt -- in tae kwon do, a Korean martial art.

The boy's spirit made him stand out, Espinoza said.

``I knew early on that his enthusiasm and heart was much higher than the average kid's,'' Espinoza said.

Espinoza soon realized he would have to give Uriah more training to keep him challenged. Espinoza decided to begin training the boy in XMA or Extreme Martial Arts, a new high-intensity, free-form martial arts program.

``It's like all the Jackie Chan movies, except without the wires,'' Espinoza said.

When he grows up, Uriah wants to be a martial arts instructor, and to star in martial-arts films.

Mother Cindy Sheldon said that's all right with her. She drives Uriah to training, and also to gymnastics classes and acting auditions. The boy is appearing in a national Midas commercial.

She teaches him at home.

``Some people in my family have told me not to let Uriah burn out,'' Sheldon said. ``But we draw limits. He wanted to add horseback riding classes, but I said he would have to give up some other activity because there are only so many hours in the day.''

Of his martial arts training, his mother says: ``Sometimes I get scared that he'll get hurt, but I have had to learn to get over it.''

With fierce intensity, Sheldon ran across the tae kwon do dojo, and with his forearm broke two pinewood planks held by his instructor.

When asked if it hurt, he smiled, then said, ``If you think you will get hurt, then you will, but if you say I can do it, than you can, too.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Uriah Sheldon, 9, of Valencia watches as other students test for their belts at the Gavin Espinoza Martial Arts Studio in Valencia.

(2 -- 3) Uriah Sheldon, 9, of Valencia is at a standstill, above, as his instructor enters the room prior to testing for his black belt at the Gavin Espinoza Martial Arts Studio in Valencia Saturday afternoon. At right, Sheldon prepares to take his black belt test.

Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News