June Belt Promotion Testing

Seven Stevens Taekwondo Academy students successfully tested for five black belt levels at the YMCA Sunday.

Jill Reed became the first of the six black belts in her family to achieve fourth dan master level. Reed smashed two boards with a spinning side kick, demonstrated the pyongwon form and gave a presentation on self defense.

Elizabeth Lovejoy and Ryan Zorn earned third dan black belts as they performed the taebek form, advanced sparring skills and advanced kick combinations. Both executed speed breaks using the back spinning hook kick.

Advancing to second dan black belt, Thomas Lisack demonstrated the keumgang form, advanced kick combinations and sparring before snapping two boards with a working step back spin sidekick.

Gregg Hakomaki II achieved full first dan black belt level with an impressive performance of koryo and four taegeuk forms, advanced sparring skills and an explosive jump spin sidekick for his board break. Hakomaki also passed an oral exam in taekwondo rules and tenets.

Entering the black belt ranks as deputy black belts (bo dan), ten-year-old Kolby Davis and twelve-year-old Seth Zorn performed five taegeuk forms, sparred and did kick combinations. Davis broke his board with a working step back spinning sidekick, while Zorn snapped his with an autobahn kick.

Of the 35 color belt student testing for higher rank, three were awarded trophies for excellence in the testing. New high blue belt Daryl Woods won first place, green belt Julie Shutter took second place and green belt Nicolas Misiewicz took home the third place trophy.

The testing was judged by Grandmaster Dight Stevens, his son Grandmaster Roberty Stevens of Denver, and senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.