Pressure Points and Grand Champs

Pressure Points Seminar

Twists, takedowns and a few tumbles were on the agenda October 24 as more than fifty martial artists and law enforcement personnel attended a pressure points and hapkido seminar at the Stevens Taekwondo Academy.

Dr. Dwight Stevens, a certified instructor in the INAYAN Pressure Sensitive Nerve Areas techniques, began by reminding participants that "Everyone has the right to be safe."

Pressure points can be used to control opponents and defend oneself, said Stevens, as he demonstrated the specific areas which can be accessed for control. Student located the pressure sensitive areas and preacticed each technique.

Guest instructor Fred Carsky, Wauwatosa police detective, taught hapkido moves which can be used to control, gain leverage and subdue aggressive opponents.

Participants came from all areas of the state for the seminar, including Milwukee, Eau Claire, the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program and the Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools in Stevens Point, the Stevens Point YMCA and South Wood County YMCA.

Tournament Champions

Local martial artists fared well at the 29th Annual Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships at Midstate Technical Coole in Wisconsin Rapids, bringing back a dozen trophies and grand championship trophies for sparring and forms.

Second degree black belt Kyle Mealy dominated the men's black and red belt division, winning first place in board breaking by smashing two boards with a 540-degree back spinning sidekick and snappling another board with a back spinning hook speed break. Mealy won first place in the sparring for the division and then took the grand championship in sparring, plus placing third in forms competition.

Donelle Ostrowski, third degree black belt, won first place in sparring, second place in forms and earned first place in board breaking using a tornado kick, a back spinning sidekick and a palm heel hand break while doing the splits to break three boards in the women's red and black belt division.

Second degree black belt Mark Stenerson took second place in forms for the men's red and black belt division.

Lauren Shimulunas, high red belt, earned third place in sparring and board breaking for the women's red and black belt division, breaking one board with a roundhouse and two boards with a spinning sidekick.

High green belt Matt Lopas excelled in forms, winning both first place in the men's blue and green belt division and the grand championship in forms. He also placed third in sparring.

Isaac Williams, green belt, swept the micro pee wee intermediate division, grabbing first place in forms, sparring and breaking, where he broke two boards using a back spinning hook and a switching axe kick.

High yellow belt Gage Goretski placed second in board breaking in the yellow and white belts mini pee wee division, breaking with a sidekick and a switching axe kick, also placing fourth in form competition.

The tournament, sponsored by Master John Crystal and the Park Institute, drew more than 75 competitors.

June Promotion Testing and News

Summer kicked off with testing and belt promotion at the YMCA for students of Stevens Taekwondo Academy.

Achieving the rank of senior master black belt with a sixth degree black belt, Bill Dragolovich demonstrated advanced board breaking with a jump back spinning axe kick and then a back spinning side kick through two boards, in addition to several demonstration kicks. Dragolovich also gave an oral presentation based on the paper he submitted, comparing taekwondo to other martial arts. He performed the jitae form. Dragolovich has trained with the Stevens Taekwondo Academy since 1986, and was named black belt of the year in 2002.

Three other martial artists entered the black belt ranks as deputy black belt with strong testing performances of five taegeuk forms, advanced kick combos and sparring. Brian Hoch shattered a board with a back spinning hook kick, Gregg Hakomaki II snapped his board with a back spinning outside crescent kick, and Bri Tarpey broke her board with an axe kick.

Three color belts received trophies for their excellent performances in the testing. High yellow belt Matt Lopez won first place, new yellow belts and father-daughter duo Mike and Alida Richards earned second and third place.

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens and assistant instructor Mark Henkel judged the testing.

Black Belt News

Mandi Hoppa stopped in at the YMCA workouts Thursday to greet old friends. Mandi is currently living in Arizona.

William Jenkins graduated this month from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis Maryland , receiving a bachelor’s degree in oceanography. He was commissioned as an ensign in the U. S. Navy. He begins studies for a masters in acoustical engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California later this month, followed by the Navy Nuclear Power School and duty in submarines. Bill visited the YMCA workouts where he presented Dr. Stevens with a Navy cap to balance the Army cap which was part of the Christmas gifts.

Master Andrew Williams recently celebrated a bachelor gathering in Rudolph, hosted by Master John Henkel. Attending, in addition to Andrew’s brothers Dan and Mark, were Master Jim Henkel, Master Kevin Klapoetke, Master Justin Buehler and Jeff Lane. With weather ruling out volleyball, outdoor eating and paintball, the group enjoyed poker, food, movies and beverages, before touring several local beverage establishments, with the prospective groom in ball and chain.

Master Jim Henkel will be completing his defense of his doctoral research and paper in July and then moving to Bethesda, Maryland, where he will begin a research position at the Uniformed Services University.

Special Stevens Birthday

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens Birthday Celebration

Black belt family and friends surprised Dr. Dwight Stevens on May 10th with a full-house gathering at the Tempura House, when he expected a quiet dinner with Masters Mark and Hilde Henkel. More than 30 of all ages, with newborn Jacob Lane the youngest of three babies of black belt couples present, enjoyed an evening together, complete with flowers, birthday cake and gifts. Greetings were received from masters in Illinois and Ohio, as well as good wishes from other black belts unable to attend.

Black belts gave Dr. Stevens a gift certificate for a massage and a new testing table cover, produced by the talent and imagination of Teri Jenkins. The cover’s longer length will accommodate two tables when the judging panel is more than three masters and includes the school name, silk-screened in gold on black, gold fringe and eight gold stripes to reflect Dr. Stevens’ rank.

Other Black Belt News:

What long-time duo have recently changed their status listing on facebook?

Master black belts Chelsea Lovejoy and Andrew Williams are officially engaged. Our congratulations to both of them.

April Testing and schedule

Shattering boards and crisp form performances highlighted the belt promotion testing for Stevens Taekwondo Academy at the Stevens Point YMCA Sunday.

Six martial arts students earned new or higher black belts as they demonstrated advanced skills in kick combinations and sparring. Both Mark Stenerson and twelve-year-old Elizabeth Lovejoy smashed spinning side kicks through two-inch boards on their first kick and performed both the koryo and keumgang forms, earning their second degree black belts.

Successfully achieving full first degree black belt status, Ross Wieloch and Lee Vaughter warmed up with fifty kick combinations, answered more than twenty questions in oral examination and performed koryo and four taegeuk forms. Wieloch’s board break was an inside crescent, back spinning side kick, while Vaughter snapped his board with a low-high roundhouse into a back spinning sidekick.

Ryan Franckowiak and twelve-year-old Chris Clark made impressive entries into the rank of deputy black belt as they performed five taegeuk forms and impressive board breaks. Clark shattered his board with a 360 spinning axe kick, while “Flying Franckowiak” wowed the crowd with a flying sidekick high over a table so smash that board.

Three of the more than 40 color belts testing form promotion earned trophies for excellence. New green belt Michael Emmenegger won first place, with high green belt Annaleigh Polman earning second place and red belt Kimberly Verburgt taking third place.

The testing was judged by Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, Masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich, assisted by Masters Peter Chan and Jerry Hajewski and Abner Fernandez of the Southwest Milwaukee YMCA Taekwondo Club.

Class Schedule for YMCA:

*** No classes April 15 & 17 ***

April 22 First class of new session with makeup testing at 7:45

May 29 Last class of session

*** No classes June 3 & 5***

June 8 Belt promotion testing 1 p.m. gym

June 10 First class of new session

June 12 Makeup testing at 7:45 gym

July 17 Last clss of session

*** No classes July 22 & 24 ***

Large December Testing

Seventeen martial artists earned new or higher black belts in promotion testing at the Stevens Point YMCA December 9.

Husband-wife duo Justin and Kimberly Buehler, Karrie Lane, and Andrew Williams performed the pyongwon form exceptionally as they earned their fourth degree black belts and the title of Master. Justin Buehler smashed three boards with a powerful 360 spinning sidekick before he gave a presentation on the history of the black belt and the skills and attitude represented. Kimberly Buehler cleanly snapped three boards using a front, round and side kick without putting her foot down. Her speech emphasized the importance of courtesy, respect and etiquette in the martial arts. Lane, who is Kimberly’s twin sister and pregnant, spoke about the importance of continuing to work out despite the physical limitations of pregnancy. Williams used a spinning hook speed break on his board and then talked of the value of weight training to the taekwondo student.

Five students advanced to second degree black belt after demonstrating advanced kick combinations, sparring, the keumgang form and power breaks. John Vann and Kyle Mealy broke two-inch boards with back spinning sidekicks. Eleven-year-old Soumik Biswas, Ashley Bloch and Michelle Ormond broke two one-inch boards with back spinning sidekicks.

Matthew Moore, Erin Sextonson, Matt Straub and nine-year-olds Kahner Konopacky and Rosabella Wolosek earned full first degree black belt status in extensive testing which included performing koryo and four taegeuk forms, advanced kick combinations, sparring and a thorough oral examination on the history, tenets and rules of taekwondo. Moore used a rebounding sidekick off the gym wall to break his board. Straub shattered two boards with a back spinning sidekick, while Sextonson snapped her board with a back spinning speed hook kick. Wolosek, Konopacky and Zorn broke with back spinning sidekicks.

Leopoldo Soria and Andrew Blanker achieved black belt rank as deputy black belts following their demonstration of five taegeuk forms, kick combinations, sparring and breaking with back spinning side kicks.

Eight-year-old red belt Abigail Stevens, granddaughter of master instructor Dwight Stevens and daughter of Master Robert Stevens from Denver, showed the skills of the third Stevens generation in taekwondo. She quickly snapped one board with a ridge hand and another with a round house kick.

Trophies for excellence were awarded to three students from the 60 color belts from the Stevens Taekwondo Academy, UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program and the Medical College of Wisconsin taekwondo club who were tested. Green belt Lesley Chase won first place, high red belt Kim Sherwin took second place and high green belt Jennifer Dedolph placed third.

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens was assisted in judging the testing by senior masters Robert Stevens, Denver, Mark Henkel and Henk Boese, Eau Claire, and master Bill Dragolovich.