You won’t find Robin Nguy?n hanging out with friends on the weekend, doing nothing but playing Wii.

In fact, you don’t have to look too hard for the two Fullerton, Calif., residents. Their parents always know where they are.

Just wander to their second home, the Nihon Karate Dojo in Buena Park, Calif. They spend countless hours there each week, immersing themselves in their passion: karate.

'"I can’t go more than a day without it,"' said Robin, 17, a senior at Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton. '"It’s a part of me now. I can’t imagine my life without it. It’s like waking up and brushing my teeth."'

Robin has been practicing the old art of karate since age 3. Jasmine, 12, started later in life, taking up the sport just a little more than three years ago. But through the three Ds karate has taught them — determination, dedication and desire — they both have risen to the top of their sport.

The pair reached the pinnacle earlier this fall, each medaling in the Junior World Karate Championships in Venice, Italy. Robin won the gold medal in the advanced black belt division for boys 16 and 17 in the Goju Ryu Kata style. Jasmine finished second in the Kata style in the advanced black belt division for girls 12 and 13, winning the silver medal. In all, there were more than 1,500 competitors from 31 nations in Italy.

'"It’s been a long, long journey to get to where I’m at right now,"' said Robin, estimating he’s competed in about 1,000 tournaments, unable to guess just how many medals he had won through the years. '"I’ve never been to something this big before. It’s incredible. It still hasn’t sunken in yet."'

'"I was so disbelieving,"' Jasmine said, recalling her experiences in Italy. '"I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m actually here.’"'

They went to Italy not knowing what to expect and came home champions. But that shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows the devotion that Jasmine and Robin have to their sport. Karate has taught both everything from setting priorities to working hard toward a goal.

'"In terms of karate, she’s very dedicated, especially when she has tournaments,"' said Jasmine’s mother, Diane Nguy?n. '"She is very good at managing her time with her homework and her activities."'

'"Karate has really built her self-esteem,"' she added '"She is very disciplined. She just feels it really helps her through life."'

When she isn’t at the dojo, Jasmine — a seventh-grade honor student at Annunciation Catholic School in Fullerton — is doing her homework or participating in volleyball, choir or drama at school.

She took up karate when she became interested after seeing a martial-arts movie. One day, her mother said, she’d love to appear in such a film. Her father is renowned director Charlie Nguy?n ('"The Rebel"'), and either he or his colleagues could probably find a role for her.

But that might have to wait. Jasmine still has more to accomplish.

Her goals? To win a national championship next year and then a gold medal at the worlds. Then, after high school, attend Stan-ford University and becoming a pediatrician by day and a dojo owner by night, teaching karate to the next generation. Somewhere in between, she’d like to compete in the Olympics, hoping karate is an Olympic event by 2016.

For Robin, college is much nearer. He said he’s been accepted at California State University, Fullerton, and also has applied to the University of Southern California. He plans to study accounting at one of those institutions.

'"I know when I get to college it’s not going to be the same,"' Robin said. Still, '"I’d love to keep on competing. It’s my dream."'

Robin said karate has taught him leadership and discipline, which he characterized as '"the good stuff."' He volunteers at the dojo as a junior instructor, instilling the trainings of karate in children.

'"It’s a different feeling. You can’t really describe it. There’s a tradition within karate that no other sport has.

'"It’s a passion for me. It’s something I love to do."'

And he’ll carry with him forever the feelings of one glorious day in Italy, the day he became a world champion.

'"This one is the one I will remember the date and time, exactly when, the rest of my life,"' he said.