June 2015 Testing and News

Challenging board breaks and advanced skill demonstrations highlighted belt promotion testing for taekwondo students of all ages and levels at the YMCA recently.  Grandmaster Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Jerry Hajewski of Wauwatosa.

Kriewaldt, Hurrish, He, Williams, Burns, Norrell, Dr. Stevens

Trent Norrell, who teaches taekwondo at UW-Whitewater, achieved sixth degree black belt level with a sharp execution of the jitae form, a blindfolded spin hook speed break and demonstration of his bo staff competition form.  Norrell also spoke on the essentials for a life time of martial arts practice and instruction:  to understand the body mechanics, to work with integrity and intelligence and to continue educating oneself in the arts.

Evelyn Williams, who trains at the Motorola Taekwondo Club in Illinois, earned third degree black belt level as she demonstrated clean precision in advanced kick combinations,  sparring and the taebek form.  Williams snapped her board with a spinning hook speed break and then performed the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)  demonstration form hanryu, with her husband and instructor Senior Master John Henkel.

Brian Burns advanced to second degree black belt , successfully performing the keumgang form, kick combinations and sparring.  He broke two boards with a spinning side kick.

Chloe Bacon, Joanna Gebeau, Krishiv Sreejith

Gabe Hurrish, David Kriewaldt and Jiaxin He all earned advanced to full first degree black belt status with their demonstration of  koryo and four taegeuk  forms, advanced kick combinations and sparring.  Hurrish used a back spinning hook kick for his board break, Kriewaldt executed a jump back spinning side kick and He snapped her board with a back spinning side kick.  The trio was examined on the history  and tenets of taekwondo, the meaning of symbols and terminology and even the current leaders of the international organization, WTF.

Three color belt students received trophies for excellence at the testing.  Green belt Chloe Bacon won first place, green belt Joanna Gebeau earned second place and high green belt Krishiv Sreejith took home third.

Expansion:

 Senior Master James Henkel and his wife Kayme welcomed Caleb Fritz Henkel to their family in April.

Celebration:

Students and friends celebrated Grandmaster Stevens’ birthday with cake and congratulations.

Contributing rightly: 

Senior Master Ron Locascio participated in a fishing outreach event sponsored by Prime Anglers, where he took a couple of boys fishing who had never had that experience.

Once again, Karrie Lane “covered” the June testing by recording the  black belt breaks and demonstrations, and then sharing them on STA facebook page.  Thanks for your time and efforts, Master Lane!

Remember if you have news of activities, jobs, births or special occasions which you would like to share on Stevens Taekwondo Academy news blog, send them to henkelfm@wctc.net