Friday, December 14, 2018

December 2018 Testing and News



Eight taekwondo students earned new black belt ranks at testing held at the Stevens Point Area YMCA recently, including  a girl representing the third generation of her family to achieve black belt status while her father earned his fourth degree black belt.  Color belts from both the YMCA classes and the Stevens Taekwondo: A New Way of Life studio also earned rank promotions.

Grandmaster Robert L. Stevens, Denver, was unable to attend the event, but delegated the honor of presenting the 7th degree black belt certificates from the World Taekwondo Kukkiwon for Mark and Hilde Henkel to his father and the long-time instructor of the Henkels, Dr. Dwight Stevens.  They also received the certificates for their sons, James and John Henkel.

Mark Poirier achieved fourth degree black belt, master level, after fourteen years of training and teaching under Master Karen Johnson.  His testing included a three-station board break using front, round and finally side kick through two boards, vigorous sparring, advanced kick demonstrations and the Pyongwon form. 
Poirier also spoke about the application of the Spirit of Eight Manners to successful board breaking, saying that those principals provide “a wonderful opportunity to learn” and then “execute with speed and confidence” for board breaking.

Eleven-year-old Samara Poirier joined not only her father in the black belt ranks, but also her mother Karen Poirier, her uncle Kevin Klapoetke and grandfather Richard Klapoetke, all black belts, when she earned her deputy black belt.  She demonstrated sparring, advanced kicking and five taegeuk forms before smashing cleanly through a board with a spinning side kick.
Four students achieved second degree black belt rank together.  Carrie Murray, Jessica Tomaszewski, Ben Hultman and Joanna Gebeau performed the keumgang form, advanced sparring and kick combinations and then power board breaking.  Murray and Hultman used a working step back spinning side kick to break two-inch boards, and Gebeau used the same kick to split two one-inch boards.

Zach Ulrich and Kaleb Bicknase earned deputy black belts as they performed five taegeuk forms, advanced kick combinations, board breaking  and advanced sparring.  Ulrich snapped his board with a back spinning hook kick, and Bicknase broke his board with a back spinning side kick.

From the color belt students testing, Garrett Johnson, green belt, earned the trophy for excellence in testing.  The prestigious judging panel included headmaster instructors Mark and Hilde Henkel, school founder Dr. Dwight Stevens and masters Karen Johnson, Bill Dragolovich and Carol Landreth.


2019 YMCA Class Schedule

January 3, 2019:          First class Winter I session
February 7:                  Last class session    Promotion testing Feb 7
è NO CLASSES on February 12 & 14
February 19:                First Class Winter II session
è NO CLASSES on March 19 & 21  Spring Break
April 4:                        Last class of session
April 6:                        Saturday, 1 pm, promotion testing w/black belts
è NO CLASSES on April 9 & 11
April 16:                      First Class Spring session
May 23:                       Last class of session
è NO CLASSES  on May 28 & 30
June 4:                         First Class Summer I session
June 13                        Promotion testing 7 pm in APR
July 11:                        Last Class of session
è NO CLASSES on July 16 & 18
July 23:                        First Class Summer II session
August 8:                    Promotion testing, 7 pm in APR
August 29:                  Last Class of session
è NO CLASSES on September 3 & 5
September 10:             First Class Fall I session
October 10                  Promotion testing, 7 pm in APR
October 17:                 Last class of session
è NO CLASSES on October 22 & 24
October 29:                 First Class Fall II session
è NO CLASS on October 31 or November 29
December 7:                Promotion testing w/black belts 1 pm, in APR,
December 12:              Last class of session
 

From masters Mark and Hilde Henkel:  Our special thanks to the many black belts who help in class and at testing--we really appreciate it!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all !
Keep stretching and we will see you in the new year.