October 2013

Back row:  Dr. Stevens, Misiewicz, Lloyd, Carroll, H. Lovejoy, E. Lovejoy, Meronek, B. Weigand Front row: McChrystal, Williams, Malek, E. Weigand, R. Weigand, McCausland

Tammy Groshek and Jake Kujawa

Testing Judges and black belts question 1st dan candidates

 More than a dozen Stevens Taekwondo Academy martial artists earned new or advanced black belts in a large belt promotion testing at the Stevens Point YMCA recently.  More than 40 other students successfully advanced in the color belt ranks also.

Allen Lloyd and sisters Hannah and Elizabeth Lovejoy clearly demonstrated high-level skills in earning 4th degree black belts and the title of taekwondo masters.  The trio performed the pyongwon form, advanced kicks and techniques before an exciting display of board breaking.  Lloyd broke three boards, using a spinning hook speed kick, a speed knife hand and a front punch, before his demonstration of the han soo form.  Hannah Lovejoy smashed two boards with a 360 roundhouse and then used a back spinning hook on another board.  Hannah spoke of her 14 year journey as a martial artist, the fun of family participation and the joy of teaching the sport to others.  Elizabeth Lovejoy used a back spinning outside crescent and a back spinning side kick to cleaned snap her boards.  Her presentation focused on her enjoyment of helping younger students and implementing taekwondo characteristics of courtesy, integrity and perseverance, setting an example with her return to the sport after injury and surgery.  Elizabeth and Hannah’s father, Vern, and sisters Rebecca and Chelsea are also high ranking black belts, adding up to five Lovejoy black belts.

Twelve-year-old Isaac Williams achieved second degree black belt with his very sharp demonstration of the keumgang form, advanced sparring and kick techniques, sparring and then smashing through two boards with a back spinning side kick.

Max Malek and Ben Weigand advanced to full black belt rank with their successful test.  The duo performed advanced kick combinations, sparring,  koryo and four taegeuk forms and answered an oral exam which included the terminology, characteristics of taekwondo, forms and history.  Malek broke his board with a working step back spinning side kick, and Weigand used a back spinning side kick.

Jonathan Carroll, Thomas Meronek, Erald Weigand, Benjamin Misiewicz, Rommel Weigand, Connor McCausland and Luke McChrystal achieved deputy black belt rank with  their performance of advanced sparring skills, kick combinations and five taegeuk forms.  Carroll and Meronek used a back spinning side kick for their board breaks,  while Erald Weigand halved his board with a jump turning axe kick. Misiewicz broke a board with a working step back spinning side kick, and Rommel Weigand snapped his board with a switching front kick.  McCausland and McChrystal broke using back spinning side kicks.

Two trophies were awarded for excellence in testing.  High red belt Jake Kujawa won first place and yellow belt Tammy Groshek earned second.  The testing was judged by Grand master Dwight Stevens, assisted by father-son duo senior masters Mark and Jim Henkel.

Tournament news will be posted later...so check back for updates.