Stevens
Taekwondo Academy added two new black belts and promoted
four others in testing recently at the Stevens Point YMCA. Nearly forty color belt students successfully
tested for promotion as they demonstrated improved skills.
Mark Regnitz and Mark Poirier earned promotion to
third degree balck belt, impressing the judges with a sharp execution of the
taebek form and vigorous sparring. Both
men chose a spin hook for their speed break, with Regnitz snapping his on first
attempt.
Andrew Bowling and Isaac Witte achieved full first
degree black belt level following extensive testing which included advanced
kicking and sparring and an oral examination on the history, tenents and
terminology of taekwondo. Both boys
performed koryo and four taegeuk forms. Eleven-year-old Bowling, sponsored by
Mark Regnitz, used a working step back
spinning side kick to break his board.
Eight-year-old Isaac Witte, sponsored by Master Mandi Hoppa used a long
skipping side kick and back spinning side kick to snap his board at first
attempt. Witte began his training in
taekwondo at age five.
Ten-year-old Mary Bunn and twelve-year-old Dalton
Cevan entered black belts ranks as deputy black belts following their testing,
which included skills demonstrations, sparring and performance of five taegeuk
forms. Cevan brokehis board with a
working step back spinning side kick, while Bunn used an inside crescent kick,
back spinning side kick.
Three taekwondo students were recognized for
excellence in testing for the day. High
blue belt Alex Frasch won first place, high blue belt David Kriewald earned
second place and new green belt Rachel Jorgenson took the third place trophy.
The October testing was judged by master instructor
Dwight Stevens, assisted by senior master Mark Henkel, and masters Tim Vocke of
Rhinelander and Jerry Hajewski of Milwaukee.
Tournament Success In Wisconsin Rapids
Eight students from Stevens Taekwondo Academy were
very successful Saturday at the 34th Annual Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo
Championships held in Wisconsin Rapids.
Each placed in one or more divisions of competition.
Third degree black belt Lauren Shimulunas grabbed
second place for forms in the adult women division. Second degree black belt Isaac Williams trophied
in all three events for the pee wee black belts, earning second place in both
sparring and board breaking, where he used an autobahn, a butterfly kick and a
back spinning hook speed break on his boards.
New first degree black belt Isaac Witte also placed
in all three events. Witte won first
place in forms, second place in sparring and fourth in board breaking. Witte was the youngest competitor who made it
to the final round for the grand championship, snapping out a very sharp
performance of the koryo form.
Red belt Annika Brandl did well, placing in all three
events of a tough girls pee wee division.
Annika took home a second in forms, a third in sparring and fourth place
in board breaking, where she broke with a switching axe kick and a spinning
side kick. Sister Cabrini Brandl, also garnered three trophies, placing second
in forms and board breaking, where she used a back spinning hook kick and a
long skipping into a spinning side kick to break. The young blue belt added a third place
trophy for sparring.
Blue belt Kevin Martin won first place in the adult
men’s sparring division, and second in breaking, where he combined a inside crescent to
spinning side kick and a switching front kick to break two boards. Green belt Hero Vu won first place for
sparring in the 11 to 13 year-old division and then added a second place in
board breaking, where he snapped out a spinning side kick and a spinning hook.
Amanda Salm easily won first place in the green belt
women’s sparring with her excellent and exciting sparring skills.
More than 100 competitors from all over Wisconsin attended
the tournament at Mid State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, which
featured several demonstration teams led by Master John Chrystal, the
tournament director. Grand Master Kun
Yoo Park served as executive tournament director for the event, sponsored by
the Park Institute of Wisconsin Rapids.
Testing timing and dates reminder:
***All belt promotion testing begin at 12:30 now, and people need to arrive in advance of that time to register.
Upcoming testings dates include:
*** December 14, 2014
*** February 15, 2015
***March 29, 2015 *** NOTE this is the "April" testing date
