February Testing and Winter Activities

New black belts and their instructors

Michael Detert, Chris Cleworth, Breeann Hartle

Becky Peterson holds for  student, Sr. Master Henkel demonstrates

 Sharply executed board breaking, crisp form demonstrations and family shared training highlighted the taekwondo testing at the Stevens Point YMCA recently.  Fifty students from Stevens Taekwondo Academy, the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program and Waupaca Taekwondo earned new ranks during the event.

Caleb Siewert earned his second degree black belt with an excellent demonstration of the Keumgang form and advanced sparring skills.  He smashed two boards on first execution of a jump spinning side kick.

Cally Baroni, Kirsten Peterson and Alex Dremel achieved full first degree black belt testing in extensive testing which included advanced kick combinations, sparring and demonstration of koryo and five taegeuk forms.  The trio successfully answered oral examination on the history of taekwondo, tenets and terms, specifics of forms and the meaning of symbols.  Baroni, sponsored by Mark Regnitz, broke her board with a flying side kick.  Peterson, sponsored by her mother and instructor Becky Peterson, snapped her board with a head high switching front kick. Dremel, sponsored by instructor Dar Peterson, used a switching high front kick for his board break.

Family-shared training was also evident in those testing successfully for deputy black belt.  Lydia Miller and her mother Jill Miller, Mitchell Starry and his mother Donna Starry, Austin Skalecki and Mike Molden demonstrated sparring, kick combination and five taegeuk forms.  Lydia and Jill Miller both used working step back spinning side kicks to easily snap their boards.  Donna Starry broke her board with a working step back spinning side kick and Mitchell Starry cracked his board on his first execution of a jump spinning side kick.  Molden used a jump spinning side kick for his quick, clean board break and Skalecki smashed his board into three pieces with a jump spinning side kick.

Three martial arts students earned trophies for excellence in testing.  Blue belt Michael Detert won first place, green belt Christopher Cleworth earned second place and young Breeann Hartle, high yellow belt, took home the third place trophy.

The testing was judged by Grand Master Dwight Stevens, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.

Other Taekwondo Activities

Senior Master Mark Henkel, introduced by Grandmaster Stevens, taught a seminar on “Breaking Successfully” recently at Waupaca Taekwondo, hosted by Becky and Dar Peterson.

Henkel discussed the correct application of force and technique to permit breaking of boards and other objects, and demonstrated how it is done successfully. Participants practiced the techniques and experienced the result of incorrect technique intentionally done for demonstration purposes, with the correct techniques demonstrated and practiced for various breaks.