Challenging board breaks and advanced skill demonstrations
highlighted belt promotion testing for taekwondo students of all ages and
levels at the YMCA recently. Grandmaster
Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and
Jerry Hajewski of Wauwatosa.
 |
| Kriewaldt, Hurrish, He, Williams, Burns, Norrell, Dr. Stevens |
Trent Norrell, who teaches taekwondo at UW-Whitewater,
achieved sixth degree black belt level with a sharp execution of the jitae
form, a blindfolded spin hook speed break and demonstration of his bo staff
competition form. Norrell also spoke on
the essentials for a life time of martial arts practice and instruction: to understand the body mechanics, to work
with integrity and intelligence and to continue educating oneself in the arts.
Evelyn Williams, who trains at the Motorola Taekwondo Club
in Illinois, earned third degree black belt level as she demonstrated clean
precision in advanced kick combinations,
sparring and the taebek form.
Williams snapped her board with a spinning hook speed break and then
performed the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) demonstration form hanryu, with her husband
and instructor Senior Master John Henkel.
Brian Burns advanced to second degree black belt ,
successfully performing the keumgang form, kick combinations and sparring. He broke two boards with a spinning side
kick.
 |
| Chloe Bacon, Joanna Gebeau, Krishiv Sreejith |
Gabe Hurrish, David Kriewaldt and Jiaxin He all earned
advanced to full first degree black belt status with their demonstration
of koryo and four taegeuk forms, advanced kick combinations and
sparring. Hurrish used a back spinning
hook kick for his board break, Kriewaldt executed a jump back spinning side
kick and He snapped her board with a back spinning side kick. The trio was examined on the history and tenets of taekwondo, the meaning of
symbols and terminology and even the current leaders of the international
organization, WTF.
Three color belt students received trophies for excellence
at the testing. Green belt Chloe Bacon
won first place, green belt Joanna Gebeau earned second place and high green
belt Krishiv Sreejith took home third.
Expansion:
Senior Master James Henkel and his wife Kayme welcomed Caleb Fritz Henkel to their family in April.
Celebration:
Students and friends celebrated Grandmaster Stevens’ birthday with cake and congratulations.
Contributing
rightly:
Senior Master Ron
Locascio participated in a fishing outreach event sponsored by Prime
Anglers, where he took a couple of boys fishing who had never had that
experience.
Once again, Karrie
Lane “covered” the June testing by recording the black belt breaks and demonstrations, and
then sharing them on STA facebook page.
Thanks for your time and efforts, Master Lane!
Remember if you have news of activities, jobs, births or
special occasions which you would like to share on Stevens Taekwondo Academy
news blog, send them to henkelfm@wctc.net
