December 2014: Testing and Tournaments

Successful black belts:  Karrie Lane, Reece Peeters, Griffin Peeters, Payton Buchkowski and Dwight Stevens.  Back row:  Gave Hurrish, Jiaxin He, Abi Glaum, Jeremy Kunst, Tanner Rogers.

Jessica Tomaszewski and Oliver Shave

December Testing

More than 45 area taekwondo students kicked up their heels for the end of the year with successful testing at the Stevens Point YMCA recently, with nine reaching or increasing black belt rank.

Karrie Lane earned fifth degree black belt status in a sharp testing, which included the difficult split double front kick the sipjim form and a presentation on the history, meaning and elements of the taegeuk forms.

Payton Buchkowski, Jeremy Kunst, Reece and Griffin Peeters and Tanner Rogers all achieved full first degree black belt status after extensive testing, which included performing koryo and four taegeuk forms, sparring, impressive board breaking and an oral examination on the tenets and history of taekwondo.    Buchkowski, sponsored by his father Michael Buchkowski, owner and instructor of North Star Taekwondo, broke his board with a 360 spinning side kick.  Kunst, sponsored by senior master Mark Henkel, smashed his board with a left spinning side kick.  Rogers, sponsored by Lauren Shimulunas, used a crescent kick.  The Peeters brothers  were sponsored by Lydia Miller, each snapping a board easily with spinning side kicks.

Gabe Hurrish, Jiaxin He and Abi Glaum joined the black ranks as deputy black belts with demonstration of five taegeuk forms, advanced sparring and kick combinations and board breaking.  Hurrish used his non-dominant leg for a back spinning hook kick to snap his board.  Jiaxin He easily snapped her board with a combination roundhouse-back spinning side kick, while Glaum broke her board with a back spinning hook kick. 

Two color belt students earned trophies for excellence in testing.  High yellow belt Jessica Tomaszewski won first place with high green belt Oliver Shave taking home the second place trophy. 

 

Stevens Taekwondo Academy master instructor Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by  masters Mark Henkel, Bill Dragolovich , Henk Boese of Eau Claire and  Jerry Hajewski of Wauwatosa.

December Tournament Results

Klein, Martin, Salm, Rogers

Local taekwondo students placed at two tournaments in December, honorably representing their instructor Senior Master Karen Johnson and bringing home several medals. 

Competing at the first UW Madison Interschool Invitational Taekwondo Tournament, green belt Amanda Salm won first place in  the adult women’s sparring, with some amazing head kicks.  Salm also earned second place in the women’s forms competition.  High green belt Matt Klein grabbed silver medals in both the men’s forms and sparring divisions.  Black belt Tanner Rogers took the bronze medal for men’s black belt sparring, while blue belt Kevin Martin was edged out of the medals despite two great matches in men’s sparring.  The event was sponsored by the UW-Madison  Taekwondo Club.

Closer to home, two students competed in the Central Wisconsin Evolution Tournament, sponsored by Five Rings Taekwondo at PJ Jacobs Junior High on the same date.

Second degree black belt Isaac Williams placed in all three areas of the 12 to 14 year-old boys division, taking first place in board breaking by snapping three boards using a butterfly kick, a spinning hook speed kick and an autobahn kick. Williams also grabbed the silver medals in forms and sparring competition.

First degree Mike Molden won two silver medals in both forms and sparring competition for the 18- 32 year men’s division.

Schedule Reminder:  YMCA classes resume on January 6, 2015.