2014 Class and Testing Schedule

2014 Stevens Taekwondo YMCA Schedule

Regular Stevens Taekwondo Academy classes run in six-week sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7 and 8 p.m.  The following is the tentative schedule for the entire year.  Be sure to check back for any changes later in the year and check with the YMCA in case of inclement weather, as they do cancel classes occasionally if schools are closed.

Winter I session:  first class January 7, last class February 13

****Belt Promotion Testing:  February 9, 12:30 to 4:30 pm.

Winter II session:  first class February 25, last class April 3

*** Belt Promotion Testing  (tentative)  April 6, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

>>>>>>>>(note that there is a two-week break in April)

Spring session:  first class April 22, last class May 29

Summer session I:  first class June 10, last class July 17

****Belt Promotion Testing (tentative) June 15, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

Summer session II:  first class July 29, last class September 4

****Belt Promotion Testing (tentative) August 10, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Fall session I :  first class September 16, last class October 23

****Belt Promotion Testing (tentative) October 12  12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Fall Session II:  first class November 4, last class December 11

****Belt Promotion Testing (tentative) December 7  12:30 – 4:30 pm

December 2013

Dr. Stevens, Konopacky, Shave, Baroni, Blaser, Misiewicz, Kujawa

Cabrini Brandl, Matt Kleine, Arthus Muschkat

 Despite frigid temperatures outside,  more than 50 martial artists warmed up the Stevens Point YMCA recently with sizzling demonstrations of kicks, forms and sparring.  Six advanced students achieved new or higher black belt levels in the Stevens Taekwondo Academy testing,

Two local men excelled as they achieved fourth degree black belt and earned the title of master.  Kevin Konopacky and Peter Shave performed the challenging, linear pyongwon form, advanced kick combinations and sparring.

Konopacky demonstrated a four-corner defense with his multiple board breaks, using a knife hand and two palm heels to break three boards before a spinning side kick through two boards.  His presentation centered on the basic teaching for beginning students, including the proper way to warm up, showing respect, blocks, kicks, and stances.  Konopacky joins his sister Jill at the master rank, and has three children and a niece who are also black belts.

Shave snapped one board with a switching high front kick and another with a spinning roundhouse kick.  Shave, assisted by Lydia Miller, demonstrated special techniques used in sport sparring, including blocking, checking and trapping in close in situations.   Shave heard his title used for the first time as the entire room wished him  “Happy birthday, Master Shave.”

Kathryn Blaser, Cally Baroni, Jacob Kujawa and Nicholas Misiewicz earned deputy black belt rank with  their demonstration of advanced kicks, sparring and five taegeuk forms.  Blaser snapped her board with a roundhouse, turn around roundhouse kick, Baroni used a jump back spinning side kick, Kujawa executed a flying sidekick and eleven-year-old Misiewicz broke with a butterfly kick.

Three trophies were also awarded for excellence in testing.  High green belt Arthur Muschkat won first place, high yellow belt Matthew Kleine placed second and high green belt Cabrini Brandl took home third place.

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.  The students tested train at the Stevens YMCA Taekwondo Academy, at Stevens Taekwondo:  A New Way of Life and at the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program.

Ready to test in brilliant winter sunshine

     

SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR DECEMBER TESTING

The December testing will take place on December 7 SATURDAY beginning promptly at NOON. 
The YMCA had a scheduling conflict for the previous scheduled date.

Two Tournaments & Many Trophies

Sparring grand champion Stephon Williams

 Stevens Taekwondo Academy students fared well at two area tournaments recently, grabbing trophies and a grand championship.

At the annual Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships held at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, high red belt Stephon Freeman competed in the men’s black belt division, winning first place in sparring and then going on to win the grand championship in sparring.  Freeman also grabbed the third place trophy for breaking in that division, snapping boards with a jump back spinning side kick and an inside crescent back spinning side kick.

Also at the Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships,  fourth degree black belt Ryan Zorn won first place in the men’s breaking division, smashing three boards with a back spinning side kick and taking second in the mens sparring division. 

In the mini peewee division, high blue belt Andrew Bowling showed a wide range of skills, grabbing first place in forms and sparring com[petition and second in breaking, cracking boards using a butterfly kick and a back spinning side kick.

The Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships were sponsored by Park Institute—The Family Club

Five local students did very well at the Central Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships held at Waupaca Middle School, and sponsored by the Waupaca Taekwondo Academy.

Second degree black belt Isaac Williams dominated the 10-11 year-old division winning first place in forms and sparring co

One of Isaac Williams five breaks

mpetition and breaking eight boards with five different techniques to take second place in board breaking.

High red belt Jill Miller won first place in the over 40 division for forms, while daughter Lydia, also a high red belt, grabbed second place in both forms and sparring for 10-11 year-olds.

Mike Molden, red belt, earned a second place in sparring and third place in forms for 18 to 22 year-olds and Abi Glaum, red belt, took home two trophies also, a second in forms and third in sparring for the 12 to 14-year-olds.

Both tournaments were well attended with more than 100 competitors and enthusiastic audiences.

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.

August Testing and News

Back: Bill Dragolovich, , Joseph Hubka, Mark Henkel, Michael Buchkowski, Robert Stevens, Ian Jensen, Matt Ford  Front:  Abby Stevens, Grace Carroll, Blake Carroll, Ryan Zorn, Eric Hendrickson, Dr. Stevens  Testing panel and new black belts

 Defying the dog days of summer, thirty taekwondo students tested for higher belt ranks recently at the Stevens Point YMCA, demonstrating both skills and perseverance.

Three martial artists attained master level and fourth degree black belt rank in the testing.  Ryan Zorn performed the pyongwon form, advanced kick combinations, sparring techniques and jujitstu and then broke four boards with a working step back spinning sidekick.  Ian Jensen demonstrated self-defense, the taebek and pyongwon forms, advanced kick combinations, sparring and then broke four concrete bricks with an elbow.  Joseph Hubka performed the pyongwon form, demonstrated self-defense techniques, sparring and kick combinations and broke a board with a back spinning side kick.

Eric Hendrickson earned full first degree black belt ranking in vigorous testing which included sparring, kick combinations, and performing koryo and four taegeuk forms.  Hendrickson broke two boards with a back spinning side kick and answered numerous questions on the history of taekwondo, forms and Korean terminology.

Michael Buchkowski and the brother-sister duo of Blake and Grace Carroll all moved into the black belt ranks as deputy black belts.  They demonstrated five taegeuk forms, and advanced kick and sparring techniques.  Buchkowski smashed his board with a tornado kick, Blake used an inside crescent, back-spinning hook kick and Grace broke her board with a back-spinning side kick.

Three trophies were awarded for excellence in the color belt testing.  High green belt Ben Lansing won first place, high green belt Dillon Tutton earned second and yellow belt Joshua Hermann was awarded the third place trophy.

Master instructor Dwight Stevens was assisted by an especially distinguished judging panel, including his son, grandmaster Robert Stevens of Denver, senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich and master Matt Ford, Cincinnati.  Third degree black belt Abby Stevens also assisted.  Abby Stevens, a silver medalist at the U.S Taekwondo Open, demonstrated the taebek form by herself and then the sixth degree sipjin form with her father Robert.



Other taekwondo News:

This has been a very busy summer for black belts, whose who have been contributing rightly through demonstrations, competitions and teaching, including the following:

·    Dr. Dwight Stevens taught a special mini-class in self-defense to children of Wisconsin Public Service employees.  He was assisted by yellow belt Alicia Rucker.
·    Master Kim Buehler and sister Master Karrie Lane led an outdoor demonstration of taekwondo for the Stevens Point Krazy Days, which always seem to fall on one of the hottest days of the summer.  Great job!  Helping out with the demo were Master Mandi Hoppa, Antony V, Shruti S, Jordan I, Angel M, Joshua H., Jeffie L. and Karthik S.
·    Black belt Isaac Williams competed ably at the 2013 USA Taekwondo National Championships which were held in Chicago, July 3 to July 9.  Eleven-year-old Williams was placed in the 12-14 year-old cadet division, facing stiff high-level competition.  He broke a total of nine boards with six different techniques and faced a field of 108 competitors for the forms division.
·    Grandmaster Robert Stevens, the youngest non-Korean to earn a Kukkiwon eighth dan black belt, led a special seminar at the YMCA on how to truly be a taekwondo master and lead others to top performance.  Grandmaster Stevens, of Denver, Colorado, is the son of Dr. Dwight Stevens.  Third-generation black belt Abigail Stevens (third poom black belt) assisted her father.
·    Senior master Mark Henkel celebrated his 25th year of continual training at Stevens Taekwondo Academy in August, gathering some special black belts for a corn roast to note the occasion.
·    Senior master James Henkel recently assisted his brother senior master John Henkel judging students from John’s taekwondo classes at Motorola in Schaumberg IL.

Trophy winners:  Joshua Hermann 3rd, Dillon Tutton 2nd, Ben Lansing 1st

Stevens Taekwondo YMCA Academy Schedule

The Fall/Winter schedule for the YMCA classes is finalized:  Please note changes in TIME of testing, starting in October

July 23:       New session begins in gym
Aug 11:       Belt Promotion Testing APR 12:30 registration
                   Testing begins at 1 p.m.
***August 27 and August; 29 Classes in All Purpose Room, with 29th last class of session
         NO CLASSES September 3 and September 5
Sep 10:       New Session begins
Oct 13:       Belt Promotion Testing Big Gym
                  12 (noon) registration, testing begins at 12:30 P.M.
Oct 17       Last class of session
         NO CLASSES October 22 and October 24
Oct 29:       New session begins
Dec 5:       Last class of session
Dec 8:       Belt Promotion Testing, Big Gym with registration at noon
                Testing begins at 12:30 P.M.
         NO CLASSES December 10 to January 2
Jan 7, 2014  New session begins
Feb. 9:     Tentative date of belt promotion testing, beginning at 12:30 P.M.


Please note that email reminders of these posting are discontinued due to large numbers of 'bounce-back'.  apparently, in addition to folks changing or abandoning emails, the large distribution list causes many security settings to refuse them.  Keep checking this site for news.