December 2016

Dr. Stevens,Krishiv Sreejith, Brayden Charneski, Alicia Rucker

Austin Lowe, David and Lillian Caldwell

Local taekwondo students from three schools demonstrated improved skills at the YMCA recently, and earned new ranks including three black belts.   Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Ron Locascio, judged the martial artists from Stevens Taekwondo:  A New Way of Life, the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program and the YMCA Stevens Taekwondo Academy.

Eleven-year-old Krishiv Sreejith earned his first degree black belt, with his demonstration of  advanced kicks, four taeguk and the koryo forms and sparring skills. Sreejith smashed a board with a working step back spinning side kick and then answered extensive questioning on the  forms, history and tenets of taekwondo.

Brayden Charneski and Alicia Rucher joined black belt ranks as deputy black belts following their performance of advanced techniques, sparring skills and five taebek forms.  Charneski and Rucker each easily broke their boards with a working step, back spinning side kicks.

Three of the 35 color belt candidates won trophies for excellence.  New yellow belt Austin Lowe won first place and father-daughter duo David and Lillian Caldwell earned second and third place as they achieved high white belt rank.

 ****Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2017*****

Class Schedule for YMCA 

No classes for the rest of 2016

2017

WINTER SESSION I

JANUARY 3                         New session begins

FEBRUARY 9                      Last class of the session

FEBRUARY 12                    BELT PROMOTION TESTING – 12:00 registration

                                                12:30 – 4:30 p.m. testing

                                                NO CLASSES – February 14 and 16

WINTER SESSION II

FEBRUARY 21                    New session begins

                                                NO CLASSES – March 21 and 23- SPRING BREAK

APRIL 6                                Last class of the session

APRIL 9                                BELT PROMOTION TESTING – 12:00 registration

                                                12:30 – 4:30 p.m. Testing

                                                NO CLASSES – April 11 and 13

SPRING SESSION

APRIL 18                              New session begins

MAY 25                                 Last class of the session

                                                NO CLASSES – May 30 and June 1

 
 

October Tournament and Testing

Isaac Witte

Witte Wins Grand championship

Local martial artists were stand-outs at a local tourney, winning in more than a dozen trophies, with a youngster winning top honors.

Ten-year-old second degree black belt Isaac Witte topped all competitors, winning the forms grand championship at the Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships in Wisconsin Rapids recently.  Witte placed first in forms and sparring for the mini peewee division and earned  second place in board breaking using a back spinning side kick, a switching axe and a 180-switching front kick.  He then out-performed the other forms winners to take home that grand champion trophy-- which is taller than he is.

Red belt Jessica Tomaszewski earned second place in women’s forms and used a switching axe and a roundhouse back spinning side to take third place in the board breaking.  Red belt Gavin Murray won the first place trophy for breaking three boards, using a switching axe kick, and inside crescent to back spinning side kick and a jump back spinning side kick.  Gavin also took third place in mini-peewee sparring and fourth in forms.

Blue belt Joseph Tomaszewskiwon first place in both min-peewee sparring and board breaking, using a switching axe and a working step back spinning side kick on his two boards  He also earned third place in the forms competition.  Green belt ian Shelton took first place in the peewee division, second in  sparring and fourth in boards breaking, performing a switching axe kick, and a back spinning side kick.

Murray, Tomaszewski, Witte

The martial artists all train at Stevens Taekwondo:  A New Way of Life, owned and operated by senior master Karen Johnson.

The annual tournament, sponsored by Master John Chrystal and the Park Institute, drew over 200 competitors, and was held at Mid-State Technical College. 

Color Belts Shine at October Belt Promotion

Three martial artists earned trophies for excellence at the recent Stevens Taekwondo Academy belt promotion.  High yellow belt Brandon Richardson won the first place trophy, new yellow belt Elizabeth Buehler earned second place and yellow belt Victoria Betro was awarded third place.

The testing, held at the YMCA, was judged by grand master Dwight Stevens , assisted by senior master Mark Henkel.

 

Victoris Betro, Elizabeth Buehler, Brandon Richardson, Dr. Stevens

August Testing and news

Black belts with Dr. Stevens

Julianna Ayres, Gavin Murray, Jan Miller

Stevens Taekwondo Academy held a short, snappy summer testing recently at the Stevens Point YMCA where four young people earned or advanced their black belt rank.

Dalton Cevan and Daniel Roach moved up to second degree black belt by demonstrating sparring skills, the challenging keumgang form and kick combinations.  Cevan broke his two-inch board with a working step back spinning side kick, while Roach used a back spinning side kick to snap two one-inch boards.

Macey Cevan was awarded first degree black belt upon her cleanly snapping a board with a back spinning side kick and demonstration of koryo, four taegeuk forms and sparring.  There was also an oral exam on taekwondo history and knowledge.

Krishov Sreetith earned his deputy black belt by performing five taegeuk forms, demonstrating kick combinations and sparring and then cracking his board with a back spinning side kick.

Three trophies were awarded for excellence in color belt testing.  High white belt Jan Miller achieved first place, high blue belt Gavin Murray earned second and high white belt Julianna Ayres took home third place.

Master instructor Dr. Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior master Mark Henkel, senior master Dr. Matt Ford, visiting from Cincinnati, and Michael Bikowski, master instructor at North Star Taekwondo, Wausau.  Master Kim Buehler directed the testing. 

Scheduling News:  

The summer session for the YMCA classes ends September 1.  

Classes for August 30 and September 1 will be held in the APR due to gym floor refinishing. 

Fall Session 1 will begin at 7:30 on September 13.  This new time is to allow for a new program at the YMCA  watch for updates on the schedule here.  

The beginning of this session will also feature a "Try Taekwondo " period.  Bring friends or family interested, to try taekwondo for the first two night of the session (September 13 and 15) free.  Once they try it, and like it,  they can enroll for the remainder of the session.

June Testing and School News

Anika Brandl, Dr. Stevens

Vigas, Cowart, Buehler

Smashing boards and snapping out kicks, Stevens Taekwondo Academy students took no vacation from their training, and demonstrated their skills clearly at the belt promotion testing held Sunday at the Stevens Point YMCA.

Anika Brandl cleanly broke two one-inch boards with a spinning side kick as she earned her second degree black belt.  Brandl also sparred, performed the exacting keumgang form and demonstrated advanced kicking and balance skills.

Three color  belt students earned trophies for excellence in testing. High yellow belt Katherine Buehler won first, red belt Ethan Cowart earned second and yellow belt Vivian Vigas earned third place.

The testing was judged by master instructor Dwight Stevens assisted by senior master Mark Henkel.  Master Kim Buehler was director of testing.

School News

*** The YMCA class and several masters celebrated Dr. Stevens birthday last month with cake and good wishes.***

Anika Brandl's power break

***Master Kim Buehler taught mini-classes at
 Kennedy School in Junction City in May ***

***In early June black belt Jason Bethke lost his fight against cancer at the age of 40.  He had earned his black belt in 1989.*** 

***Master Peter and Nicci Shave have moved from Stevens Point for a great opportunity in Nashville Tennessee.   They are much missed at workouts, especially young Oliver and Conner, but they will bloom where they are (trans)planted.***

***One night recently showed so well the family foundation of Stevens Taekwondo Academy.  During sparring practice, one ring held black belt Brian Burns, sparring his young son Sean and Katherine Buehler, the daughter of masters Justin and Kim Buehler.  Kim was referring the match.  Then another person entered the gym:  Jon Locascio, the youngest of senior master Ron Locascio's three black belt sons.  Jon was home on leave from the army, and wanted to  pay his respects to Dr. Stevens.  The taekwondo connection is strongest in the families who train together, but beneficial for all.***

*** Summer Schedule for YMCA Classes***

Summer Session I runs through July 14
***NO Classes July 19 and 21***
Summer Session II begins July 26
August 14 Belt Promotion Testing 12:30 p.m.
September 1 last class of session
***NO Classes September 6 and 8***
Fall Session I begins September 13

Please register prior to first class to avoid confusion.