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 35th
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.
