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