December 2013

Dr. Stevens, Konopacky, Shave, Baroni, Blaser, Misiewicz, Kujawa

Cabrini Brandl, Matt Kleine, Arthus Muschkat

 Despite frigid temperatures outside,  more than 50 martial artists warmed up the Stevens Point YMCA recently with sizzling demonstrations of kicks, forms and sparring.  Six advanced students achieved new or higher black belt levels in the Stevens Taekwondo Academy testing,

Two local men excelled as they achieved fourth degree black belt and earned the title of master.  Kevin Konopacky and Peter Shave performed the challenging, linear pyongwon form, advanced kick combinations and sparring.

Konopacky demonstrated a four-corner defense with his multiple board breaks, using a knife hand and two palm heels to break three boards before a spinning side kick through two boards.  His presentation centered on the basic teaching for beginning students, including the proper way to warm up, showing respect, blocks, kicks, and stances.  Konopacky joins his sister Jill at the master rank, and has three children and a niece who are also black belts.

Shave snapped one board with a switching high front kick and another with a spinning roundhouse kick.  Shave, assisted by Lydia Miller, demonstrated special techniques used in sport sparring, including blocking, checking and trapping in close in situations.   Shave heard his title used for the first time as the entire room wished him  “Happy birthday, Master Shave.”

Kathryn Blaser, Cally Baroni, Jacob Kujawa and Nicholas Misiewicz earned deputy black belt rank with  their demonstration of advanced kicks, sparring and five taegeuk forms.  Blaser snapped her board with a roundhouse, turn around roundhouse kick, Baroni used a jump back spinning side kick, Kujawa executed a flying sidekick and eleven-year-old Misiewicz broke with a butterfly kick.

Three trophies were also awarded for excellence in testing.  High green belt Arthur Muschkat won first place, high yellow belt Matthew Kleine placed second and high green belt Cabrini Brandl took home third place.

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.  The students tested train at the Stevens YMCA Taekwondo Academy, at Stevens Taekwondo:  A New Way of Life and at the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program.

Ready to test in brilliant winter sunshine

     

SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR DECEMBER TESTING

The December testing will take place on December 7 SATURDAY beginning promptly at NOON. 
The YMCA had a scheduling conflict for the previous scheduled date.

Two Tournaments & Many Trophies

Sparring grand champion Stephon Williams

 Stevens Taekwondo Academy students fared well at two area tournaments recently, grabbing trophies and a grand championship.

At the annual Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships held at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, high red belt Stephon Freeman competed in the men’s black belt division, winning first place in sparring and then going on to win the grand championship in sparring.  Freeman also grabbed the third place trophy for breaking in that division, snapping boards with a jump back spinning side kick and an inside crescent back spinning side kick.

Also at the Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships,  fourth degree black belt Ryan Zorn won first place in the men’s breaking division, smashing three boards with a back spinning side kick and taking second in the mens sparring division. 

In the mini peewee division, high blue belt Andrew Bowling showed a wide range of skills, grabbing first place in forms and sparring com[petition and second in breaking, cracking boards using a butterfly kick and a back spinning side kick.

The Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships were sponsored by Park Institute—The Family Club

Five local students did very well at the Central Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships held at Waupaca Middle School, and sponsored by the Waupaca Taekwondo Academy.

Second degree black belt Isaac Williams dominated the 10-11 year-old division winning first place in forms and sparring co

One of Isaac Williams five breaks

mpetition and breaking eight boards with five different techniques to take second place in board breaking.

High red belt Jill Miller won first place in the over 40 division for forms, while daughter Lydia, also a high red belt, grabbed second place in both forms and sparring for 10-11 year-olds.

Mike Molden, red belt, earned a second place in sparring and third place in forms for 18 to 22 year-olds and Abi Glaum, red belt, took home two trophies also, a second in forms and third in sparring for the 12 to 14-year-olds.

Both tournaments were well attended with more than 100 competitors and enthusiastic audiences.

October 2013

Back row:  Dr. Stevens, Misiewicz, Lloyd, Carroll, H. Lovejoy, E. Lovejoy, Meronek, B. Weigand Front row: McChrystal, Williams, Malek, E. Weigand, R. Weigand, McCausland

Tammy Groshek and Jake Kujawa

Testing Judges and black belts question 1st dan candidates

 More than a dozen Stevens Taekwondo Academy martial artists earned new or advanced black belts in a large belt promotion testing at the Stevens Point YMCA recently.  More than 40 other students successfully advanced in the color belt ranks also.

Allen Lloyd and sisters Hannah and Elizabeth Lovejoy clearly demonstrated high-level skills in earning 4th degree black belts and the title of taekwondo masters.  The trio performed the pyongwon form, advanced kicks and techniques before an exciting display of board breaking.  Lloyd broke three boards, using a spinning hook speed kick, a speed knife hand and a front punch, before his demonstration of the han soo form.  Hannah Lovejoy smashed two boards with a 360 roundhouse and then used a back spinning hook on another board.  Hannah spoke of her 14 year journey as a martial artist, the fun of family participation and the joy of teaching the sport to others.  Elizabeth Lovejoy used a back spinning outside crescent and a back spinning side kick to cleaned snap her boards.  Her presentation focused on her enjoyment of helping younger students and implementing taekwondo characteristics of courtesy, integrity and perseverance, setting an example with her return to the sport after injury and surgery.  Elizabeth and Hannah’s father, Vern, and sisters Rebecca and Chelsea are also high ranking black belts, adding up to five Lovejoy black belts.

Twelve-year-old Isaac Williams achieved second degree black belt with his very sharp demonstration of the keumgang form, advanced sparring and kick techniques, sparring and then smashing through two boards with a back spinning side kick.

Max Malek and Ben Weigand advanced to full black belt rank with their successful test.  The duo performed advanced kick combinations, sparring,  koryo and four taegeuk forms and answered an oral exam which included the terminology, characteristics of taekwondo, forms and history.  Malek broke his board with a working step back spinning side kick, and Weigand used a back spinning side kick.

Jonathan Carroll, Thomas Meronek, Erald Weigand, Benjamin Misiewicz, Rommel Weigand, Connor McCausland and Luke McChrystal achieved deputy black belt rank with  their performance of advanced sparring skills, kick combinations and five taegeuk forms.  Carroll and Meronek used a back spinning side kick for their board breaks,  while Erald Weigand halved his board with a jump turning axe kick. Misiewicz broke a board with a working step back spinning side kick, and Rommel Weigand snapped his board with a switching front kick.  McCausland and McChrystal broke using back spinning side kicks.

Two trophies were awarded for excellence in testing.  High red belt Jake Kujawa won first place and yellow belt Tammy Groshek earned second.  The testing was judged by Grand master Dwight Stevens, assisted by father-son duo senior masters Mark and Jim Henkel.

Tournament news will be posted later...so check back for updates.

August Testing and News

Back: Bill Dragolovich, , Joseph Hubka, Mark Henkel, Michael Buchkowski, Robert Stevens, Ian Jensen, Matt Ford  Front:  Abby Stevens, Grace Carroll, Blake Carroll, Ryan Zorn, Eric Hendrickson, Dr. Stevens  Testing panel and new black belts

 Defying the dog days of summer, thirty taekwondo students tested for higher belt ranks recently at the Stevens Point YMCA, demonstrating both skills and perseverance.

Three martial artists attained master level and fourth degree black belt rank in the testing.  Ryan Zorn performed the pyongwon form, advanced kick combinations, sparring techniques and jujitstu and then broke four boards with a working step back spinning sidekick.  Ian Jensen demonstrated self-defense, the taebek and pyongwon forms, advanced kick combinations, sparring and then broke four concrete bricks with an elbow.  Joseph Hubka performed the pyongwon form, demonstrated self-defense techniques, sparring and kick combinations and broke a board with a back spinning side kick.

Eric Hendrickson earned full first degree black belt ranking in vigorous testing which included sparring, kick combinations, and performing koryo and four taegeuk forms.  Hendrickson broke two boards with a back spinning side kick and answered numerous questions on the history of taekwondo, forms and Korean terminology.

Michael Buchkowski and the brother-sister duo of Blake and Grace Carroll all moved into the black belt ranks as deputy black belts.  They demonstrated five taegeuk forms, and advanced kick and sparring techniques.  Buchkowski smashed his board with a tornado kick, Blake used an inside crescent, back-spinning hook kick and Grace broke her board with a back-spinning side kick.

Three trophies were awarded for excellence in the color belt testing.  High green belt Ben Lansing won first place, high green belt Dillon Tutton earned second and yellow belt Joshua Hermann was awarded the third place trophy.

Master instructor Dwight Stevens was assisted by an especially distinguished judging panel, including his son, grandmaster Robert Stevens of Denver, senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich and master Matt Ford, Cincinnati.  Third degree black belt Abby Stevens also assisted.  Abby Stevens, a silver medalist at the U.S Taekwondo Open, demonstrated the taebek form by herself and then the sixth degree sipjin form with her father Robert.



Other taekwondo News:

This has been a very busy summer for black belts, whose who have been contributing rightly through demonstrations, competitions and teaching, including the following:

·    Dr. Dwight Stevens taught a special mini-class in self-defense to children of Wisconsin Public Service employees.  He was assisted by yellow belt Alicia Rucker.
·    Master Kim Buehler and sister Master Karrie Lane led an outdoor demonstration of taekwondo for the Stevens Point Krazy Days, which always seem to fall on one of the hottest days of the summer.  Great job!  Helping out with the demo were Master Mandi Hoppa, Antony V, Shruti S, Jordan I, Angel M, Joshua H., Jeffie L. and Karthik S.
·    Black belt Isaac Williams competed ably at the 2013 USA Taekwondo National Championships which were held in Chicago, July 3 to July 9.  Eleven-year-old Williams was placed in the 12-14 year-old cadet division, facing stiff high-level competition.  He broke a total of nine boards with six different techniques and faced a field of 108 competitors for the forms division.
·    Grandmaster Robert Stevens, the youngest non-Korean to earn a Kukkiwon eighth dan black belt, led a special seminar at the YMCA on how to truly be a taekwondo master and lead others to top performance.  Grandmaster Stevens, of Denver, Colorado, is the son of Dr. Dwight Stevens.  Third-generation black belt Abigail Stevens (third poom black belt) assisted her father.
·    Senior master Mark Henkel celebrated his 25th year of continual training at Stevens Taekwondo Academy in August, gathering some special black belts for a corn roast to note the occasion.
·    Senior master James Henkel recently assisted his brother senior master John Henkel judging students from John’s taekwondo classes at Motorola in Schaumberg IL.

Trophy winners:  Joshua Hermann 3rd, Dillon Tutton 2nd, Ben Lansing 1st

Stevens Taekwondo YMCA Academy Schedule

The Fall/Winter schedule for the YMCA classes is finalized:  Please note changes in TIME of testing, starting in October

July 23:       New session begins in gym
Aug 11:       Belt Promotion Testing APR 12:30 registration
                   Testing begins at 1 p.m.
***August 27 and August; 29 Classes in All Purpose Room, with 29th last class of session
         NO CLASSES September 3 and September 5
Sep 10:       New Session begins
Oct 13:       Belt Promotion Testing Big Gym
                  12 (noon) registration, testing begins at 12:30 P.M.
Oct 17       Last class of session
         NO CLASSES October 22 and October 24
Oct 29:       New session begins
Dec 5:       Last class of session
Dec 8:       Belt Promotion Testing, Big Gym with registration at noon
                Testing begins at 12:30 P.M.
         NO CLASSES December 10 to January 2
Jan 7, 2014  New session begins
Feb. 9:     Tentative date of belt promotion testing, beginning at 12:30 P.M.


Please note that email reminders of these posting are discontinued due to large numbers of 'bounce-back'.  apparently, in addition to folks changing or abandoning emails, the large distribution list causes many security settings to refuse them.  Keep checking this site for news.

June 2013

Dr. Stevens, Thao, Krings, Whitley, Thao, Lee, VanTiem

Andrew Bowling, Isaac Witte, Anika Brandl

More than forty taekwondo students and instructors, watched by a large crowd of family and friends, earned new belt levels recently at the Stevens Point YMCA.  Six martial artists achieved new or higher black belt ranks.

Methuselah Thao wowed the on-lookers and advanced to fourth degree black belt, with his crisp demonstration of the pyongang form and advanced kick combinations.  He then smashed two boards on first execution of a spinning side kick while blind-folded. With the fourth degree rank, Thao is now called taekwondo master.

Pao Lee earned the rank of second degree black belt with his performance of the keumgang form and advanced kick combinations before shattering a two-inch board with his first back spinning side kick.

Shirley Thao, Laura Krings and Matthew Whitley achieved first degree black belt rank with their performances of koryo and four taegeuk forms, sparring and kick combinations and responses to extensive oral examination on taekwondo tenets, history, creeds and terminology.   Thao broke her board with a 360 jumping roundhouse kick. Krings succeeded breaking her board with a working step back spinning side kick and Whitley cracked his board on the first execution of a back spinning speed hook kick.

Entering the black belt ranks as a deputy black belt, Antony Van Tiem demonstrated five taegeuk forms, kick combinations, and sparring in addition to a sharp jump-spin side kick to break his board.

Three color belt students took home trophies for excellence in testing.  High blue belt Andrew Bowling won first place, high blue belt Isaac Witte earned second place and high green belt Anika Brandl grabbed third place.

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens was assisted in judging the testing by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich and master Tim Vocke of Rhinelander.


More photos by Master Karrie Lane, including video of the black belt breaking, are posted on the Stevens Taekwondo group page  on facebook...check it out!

Thank you for your patience in the delay of this posting and for the many expressions of concern about my parents.

More Taekwondo In May

Local Students Shine at Taekwondo Championships

Martial artists from three branches of Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools medaled at the recent state championships and qualified for national competition.

Isaac Williams sparring

Black belt Isaac Williams used a butterfly kick a spinning hook speed break and an autobahn kick to snap three boards and win first place in the 12 to 14 year-old division.  Williams also took second place in the forms and sparring competition for his division.

Third dan black belt Charles Zoromski took home the third place medal in men’s lightweight sparring competition.

Stevens Taekwondo Academy had a strong contingent in the blue belt divisions. Lydia Miller earned two first place medals, breaking two boards with a long-stepping side kick and a butterfly kick for the board breaking first, and then won the youth forms competition.  Her mother Jill Miller took first place in the masters division for blue belt forms.  Tanner Rogers won the mean blue belt breaking competition snapping three boards with an autobahn kick, a 270-side kick and a switching front kick.  Rogers also grabbed the second place medal for feather weight sparring.  Blue belt brothers Griffin and Reece Peeters won first and second place respectively in the cadet division for forms.  All blue belts performed the challenging tae geuk yuk jahn form.

The 2013 Wisconsin State Taekwondo championships were sponsored by the Wisconsin Taekwondo Association and drew more than 200 competitors to Middleton High School for the May 4 competition.  Medaling at the tournament qualifies these students for participation in the 2013 USA Taekwondo National Championships which will be held in Chicago, July 3 to July 9.

Contributing Rightly

Also in May, our demo team presented at the Children’s Museum in Stevens Point with Masters Kim Buehler and Karrie Lane, assisted by youngsters Raven and Jeffie.  Another great way of getting the word out about taekwondo for young and old, as even a small white belt demonstrated how to break a board.

More Celebration

The YMCA class enjoyed singing happy bierthday to Dr. Stevens, the day after his birthday, and sharing a birthday cake.  Dr. Stevens also received a book of photos from his birthday celebration with the black belts, last month.  Dr. Stevens also showed off his special uniform, gift of grandmaster Robert Stevens, which notes his service in Korea.

April Testing and Celebration

Kyle Spielvogel, Ben Lofgren, Gina Chung

Hendrickson flying sidekick, Peterson holding

Despite an April snow storm and slippery road conditions, more than 70 taekwondo students successfully tested for new belt levels at the Stevens Point YMCA recently.  The family and friends attending in support saw improving skills, perseverance and some exciting sparring and board breaking.

Lauren Shimulunas earned her third dan black belt  with  advanced kick combinations, sparring and performance of the taebek form.  She used a back spinning hook kick for her speed break.Peter Clark advanced to second dan black belt following his  demonstration of the keumgang form, advanced kick combinations and sparring.  He broke two six-inch boards with a spinning sidekick.

Shelby Finnessy and John Paul Bunn moved up to full black belt status in testing which included sparring, advanced kick combinations, demonstration of koryo and four taeguk forms, and an oral examination on taekwondo tenets, history and symbolism.  Finnessy snapped her board with a working step back-spinning sidekick.  Bunn broke a board with an axe kick.

Stephanie Tank, Erik Hendrickson, John Weigand and Elizabeth Oakland all achieved deputy black belt status in rigorous testing, which included sparring, 50 kick combinations and demonstration of five taeguk forms.  Tank used an inside crescent back-spinning hook kick to break her board.  Hendrickson wowed the audience with a flying sidekick over five people, smashing the board on the first attempt. Nine-year-old Weigand cracked his board with a back spinning sidekick.  Eight-year-old Oakland became the third member of her family to achieve black belt status, joining father Tom and brother Jacob, as she broke a board with a back spinning sidekick.

Trophies for excellence in testing were awarded to three of the 65 color belts testing.  New green belt Kyle Spielvogel won first place, green belt Ben Lofgren earned second place and high blue belt Gina Chung took the third trophy.

The testing was judged by Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.  Martial artists attending came from Waupaca Taekwondo, and Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools at the YMCA, Port Edwards, Wausau, Stevens Point and the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program.

                    * * * * *

Also in April, more than sixty black belts, family members and friends gathered in Plover for a special birthday celebration for Grandmaster Dwight Stevens.  

Senior Master Mark Henkel spoke for all those attending, noting that the remarkably large number of high ranking black belts who have stayed in association with Dr. Stevens indicate the very high regard they have for Stevens.  Stevens has taught taekwondo in Stevens Point for more than 30 years, training thousands of students and awarding more than 850 black belts over that time.
“He cares about his students,” said Henkel.  “He teaches them to get up when they are knocked down and keep on going.”

Schedule reminder:

YMCA class meets through 23 with no classes the week following Memorial Day (May 28 & 30)

The next session begins June 4.

June testing date is June 9 at 1 p.m.

2012 Lifetime Service Award and February Testing

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens receives 2012 USA Taekwondo Lifetime Service award

Isaac Williams congratulated on his first dan black belt

1st Ryokung won, 2nd Blake Carroll & 3rd Alvin Cox

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, founder and head instructor for the Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools, was honored Sunday by the USA Taekwondo 2012 Lifetime Service Award, the ninth martial artist to be so recognized by the organization. 

The citation noted that Stevens has “devoted decades of service to the advancement of the sport” as an athlete, instructor, coach and leader and was one of the first Americans to earn the rank of certified International Referee for taekwondo. 

In addition to the long-running taekwondo program through the YMCA, Stevens was instrumental in establishing and instructing in the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program  and oversees several branch schools through his advanced students.  He is a certified Inayan  Pressure Sensitive Nerve Area instructor  and has worked with many law enforcement agencies teaching special techniques.  Stevens has trained thousands of students of all ages with more than 850 blacks belts earned, and participated in national events, including selection of Olympic athletes.

“I am honored and humbled by this award,” Stevens told his students afterward.

The announcement and plaque came as a surprise to Stevens, who did not know of his nomination by Master Steve Decker, instructor for schools in Port Edwards and Wausau, with assistance from Stevens’ son Grandmaster Robert Stevens, founder and head instructor at Stevens World Taekwondo in Denver and Senior Master Hilde Henkel.


Martial Artists Advance in February Testing

More than forty martial artists earned new belt rankings in promotion testing recently at the Stevens Point YMCA.

Eleven-year-old Isaac Williams earned his first dan black belt in impressive style, performing koryo and  four taegeuk forms with great precision, before snapping a board with a back spinning side kick.  Williams also demonstrated advanced kick combinations and sparring skills before  answering oral examination on the codes, origins, and philosophies of taekwondo.

Three students won trophies for excellence in the testing.  Blue belt Ryokung Won earned first place, red belt Blake Carroll took second and yellow belt Alvin Cox placed third.  Grandmaster Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.

Other Black Belt News:

Two black belts expanded their families recently.  Aria Law was born to Bethany (Reed) Law, daughter or Master Jill Reed, before Christmas.  Jeff Lane and Master Karrie Lane were blessed with a third son, Joshua, in January.

Also, the February testing was the first for the third generation of the Klapoetke family:  Samara Poirier earned her high white belt  with parents Karen Klapoetke-Poirier and Mark Poirier and grandfather Richard Klapoetke watching proudly.