December 2015

High flying kicks and family accomplishments highlighted the  recent testing of Stevens Taekwondo Academy students at the Stevens Point YMCA.

Six students gained new or advanced black belts.  Tanner Rogers, Chong Chang and Jacob Kujawa all achieved second degree black belts with  their performance of advanced kicks, sparring and the keumgang form.  Rogers shattered a two inch board very impressively using a flying side kick over four chairs.  Chang  and Kujawa each broke two-inch boards with  back spinning side kicks.

Daniel Roach and Anika Brandl earned full black belt status in their testing.  Both  demonstrated advanced kicks , sparring and koryo and four tae geuk forms.    Roach used a working step back spinning side kick to break his board, and Brandl executed the same kick using her non-dominant leg to break.

Nine-year-old Oliver Shave joined black belt ranks as a deputy black belt after performing kicks, sparring and five taegeuk forms.  Shave, who broke  his board with a skipping side kick, is the second generation of Shave black belts.  His parents Peter and Nikki Shave, met each other at taekwondo.

Three of the more than twenty color belt students received trophies for excellence in testing.  High yellow belt Chandler Ludke won first place, high green belt Zaid Alkasrawi grabbed second, and blue belt Samara Poirier took home the third place trophy.  Poirier is a third generation taekwondo student—her grandfather Richard Klapoetke, uncle Kevin Klapoetke and parents Mark Poirier and Karen Klapoetke-Poirier all earned black belts through Stevens Taekwondo Academy.

Master instructor Dwight Stevens was assisted in judging the testing by senior master Bill Dragolovich and master Dan Zierke.  Master Kim Buehler directed testing.

Local Students Medal at Tournament

Four taekwondo students from UW-Stevens Point brought home medals from the UW-Invitational Taekwondo Tournament in Madison  recently.

Tanner Rogers won  two bronze medals, for placing third in both forms and sparring in mens black belt division.  Red belt Mandi Salm competed in the womens black belt division and grabbed second place for sparring.  Black belt Jake Kujawa earned as bronze medal in sparring and  in his first tournament, high white belt  Roland Fuller brought back the bronze medal in forms competition. 

Stevens Taekwondo Academy Schedule 2016

Just a reminder of the holiday break and the schedule for the first part of 2016.

***Current session continues through December 10***

December 13 Belt Promotion Testing YMCA

Registration at 12, Testing 12:30 – 4:30 PM

*****Holiday Break---keep stretching!*****

January 5:  Winter Session I begins

February 11:  last class of session

February 14:  Belt Promotion Testing YMCA 

Registration at 12, testing 12:30 – 4:30 PM

            ** No Classes February 16 & 18**

February 23:  Winter Session II begins

**No Classes March 22 & 24**

April 7:  last class of session

April 10:  Belt Promotion Testing, YMCA

            Registration at 12, testing 12:30 – 4:30 PM

            **No Classes April 12 & 14**

April 19:  Spring Session begins

May 26:  last class of session

            **No Classes May 31 & June 2**

June 7:  Summer Session I begins

June 12:  Belt Promotion Testing

           Registration at 12, testing 12:30 – 4:30 PM

October 2015

 YMCA Recognizes Grandmaster Stevens

The Stevens Point YMCA recognized a long-time employee Sunday.

YMCA director Dave Morgan surprised Dwight Stevens by appearing just after the October promotion testing for taekwondo students began.  Morgan noted that Stevens had been teaching taekwondo at the YMCA for 35 years and that it was a great time to honor him.

Speaking to a crowd of students and families, Morgan thanked Stevens for his years of commitment, which epitomize the YMCA mission.

 “He has made an incredible difference in the community,”  Morgan said.  On behalf of the YMCA, Morgan presented Stevens with a plaque, a gift certificate and a jacket.

Mark Henkel, Stevens’ long-time assistant instructor, thanked the YMCA for supporting Dr. Stevens and the taekwondo program, allowing him to keep the fees reasonable and allowing people access to the taekwondo training who might not otherwise be able to be involved.

“This program is for families and for life.   Dr. Stevens has led us like the old Korean masters,” Henkel said.  “He just keeps going.  We thank Dr. Stevens for showing us the way.”

With thirty-five years of taekwondo instruction, some students have trained with Dr. Stevens a long time and have brought new generations to the class. Black belt Nikki Shave met her husband Peter through the taekwondo program as they trained and competed nationally.  Now they have sons Oliver and Connor learning taekwondo from Dr. Stevens, and both parents enjoy training and helping to teach the sport. 

Black belt Kim Buehler, who leads and directs each testing, began in the program with her sister Karrie Lane, and now her two daughters are learning taekwondo also.

“I’m thankful for such an outstanding and quality program that I was able to train in with my husband and now my girls can train in too,” said Buehler.  “Dr. Stevens is a phenomenal teacher and friend.”

October Testing 

More than 100 people assembled to be tested on martial arts skills, assist students and cheer them on at the fall taekwondo testing recently at the YMCA.  The event included YMCA director Dave Morgan recognizing  master instructor Dwight Stevens  for 35 years of teaching taekwondo at the Y.

Four students achieved high black belt ranking.  Michael Buchkowski, owner and instructor for North Star Taekwondo in Wausau, earned his third degree black belt, following his demonstration of advanced kick combinations, the taebek form, and sparring He used a back spinning hook kick  for his speed break.  Thirteen-year -old Isaac Williams also achieved third degree black belt.  After performing the taebek form, sparring and kick combinations, Williams wowed the crowd  by smashing his board on the first attempt with a spinning hook speed break.

Payton Buchkowski,  Michael’s son, and Mary Gabriel Bunn moved up to second-degree black belts after their demonstration of kick combinations, the keumgang form and sparring.  Payton showed good strength as he broke two boards with a back spinning side kick.  Bunn demonstrated persistence in breaking two successive boards with inside crescent, back spinning side kicks.

Three students were awarded trophies for excellence in testing.  Yellow belt James Barton earned first place, blue belt Carrie Murray gained second place and high red belt Tom Clohan took home the third place trophy.

Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.

Witte  places at tournament

Nine-year-old Isaac Witte fared well at the 35^th Annual Mid-Wisconsin Takewondo Championships in Wisconsin Rapids recently.

Witte made a strong showing in the young black belt division, earning  second place in both forms and sparring competition plus a fourth place in board breaking, where he use a switching front kick, a back spinning side kick and a spinning hook kick to snap his three boards.

Witte is a student of Master Karen Johnson at Stevens Taekwondo Academy:  A New Way of Life.

The tournament drew more than a hundred competitors and was presented by Master John Chrystal of Park Institute at MidState Technical College of Wisconsin Rapids.