October 2015

 YMCA Recognizes Grandmaster Stevens

The Stevens Point YMCA recognized a long-time employee Sunday.

YMCA director Dave Morgan surprised Dwight Stevens by appearing just after the October promotion testing for taekwondo students began.  Morgan noted that Stevens had been teaching taekwondo at the YMCA for 35 years and that it was a great time to honor him.

Speaking to a crowd of students and families, Morgan thanked Stevens for his years of commitment, which epitomize the YMCA mission.

 “He has made an incredible difference in the community,”  Morgan said.  On behalf of the YMCA, Morgan presented Stevens with a plaque, a gift certificate and a jacket.

Mark Henkel, Stevens’ long-time assistant instructor, thanked the YMCA for supporting Dr. Stevens and the taekwondo program, allowing him to keep the fees reasonable and allowing people access to the taekwondo training who might not otherwise be able to be involved.

“This program is for families and for life.   Dr. Stevens has led us like the old Korean masters,” Henkel said.  “He just keeps going.  We thank Dr. Stevens for showing us the way.”

With thirty-five years of taekwondo instruction, some students have trained with Dr. Stevens a long time and have brought new generations to the class. Black belt Nikki Shave met her husband Peter through the taekwondo program as they trained and competed nationally.  Now they have sons Oliver and Connor learning taekwondo from Dr. Stevens, and both parents enjoy training and helping to teach the sport. 

Black belt Kim Buehler, who leads and directs each testing, began in the program with her sister Karrie Lane, and now her two daughters are learning taekwondo also.

“I’m thankful for such an outstanding and quality program that I was able to train in with my husband and now my girls can train in too,” said Buehler.  “Dr. Stevens is a phenomenal teacher and friend.”

October Testing 

More than 100 people assembled to be tested on martial arts skills, assist students and cheer them on at the fall taekwondo testing recently at the YMCA.  The event included YMCA director Dave Morgan recognizing  master instructor Dwight Stevens  for 35 years of teaching taekwondo at the Y.

Four students achieved high black belt ranking.  Michael Buchkowski, owner and instructor for North Star Taekwondo in Wausau, earned his third degree black belt, following his demonstration of advanced kick combinations, the taebek form, and sparring He used a back spinning hook kick  for his speed break.  Thirteen-year -old Isaac Williams also achieved third degree black belt.  After performing the taebek form, sparring and kick combinations, Williams wowed the crowd  by smashing his board on the first attempt with a spinning hook speed break.

Payton Buchkowski,  Michael’s son, and Mary Gabriel Bunn moved up to second-degree black belts after their demonstration of kick combinations, the keumgang form and sparring.  Payton showed good strength as he broke two boards with a back spinning side kick.  Bunn demonstrated persistence in breaking two successive boards with inside crescent, back spinning side kicks.

Three students were awarded trophies for excellence in testing.  Yellow belt James Barton earned first place, blue belt Carrie Murray gained second place and high red belt Tom Clohan took home the third place trophy.

Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.

Witte  places at tournament

Nine-year-old Isaac Witte fared well at the 35^th Annual Mid-Wisconsin Takewondo Championships in Wisconsin Rapids recently.

Witte made a strong showing in the young black belt division, earning  second place in both forms and sparring competition plus a fourth place in board breaking, where he use a switching front kick, a back spinning side kick and a spinning hook kick to snap his three boards.

Witte is a student of Master Karen Johnson at Stevens Taekwondo Academy:  A New Way of Life.

The tournament drew more than a hundred competitors and was presented by Master John Chrystal of Park Institute at MidState Technical College of Wisconsin Rapids.