Eight taekwondo students earned new black belt ranks at
testing held at the Stevens Point Area YMCA recently, including a girl representing the third generation of
her family to achieve black belt status while her father earned his fourth
degree black belt. Color belts from both
the YMCA classes and the Stevens Taekwondo: A New Way of Life studio also
earned rank promotions.
Grandmaster Robert L. Stevens, Denver, was unable to attend
the event, but delegated the honor of presenting the 7th degree
black belt certificates from the World Taekwondo Kukkiwon for Mark and Hilde
Henkel to his father and the long-time instructor of the Henkels, Dr. Dwight
Stevens. They also received the
certificates for their sons, James and John Henkel.
Mark Poirier achieved fourth degree black belt, master
level, after fourteen years of training and teaching under Master Karen
Johnson. His testing included a
three-station board break using front, round and finally side kick through two
boards, vigorous sparring, advanced kick demonstrations and the Pyongwon
form.
Poirier also spoke about the application of the Spirit of
Eight Manners to successful board breaking, saying that those principals
provide “a wonderful opportunity to learn” and then “execute with speed and
confidence” for board breaking.
Eleven-year-old Samara Poirier joined not only her father in
the black belt ranks, but also her mother Karen Poirier, her uncle Kevin
Klapoetke and grandfather Richard Klapoetke, all black belts, when she earned
her deputy black belt. She demonstrated
sparring, advanced kicking and five taegeuk forms before smashing cleanly
through a board with a spinning side kick.
Four students achieved second degree black belt rank
together. Carrie Murray, Jessica
Tomaszewski, Ben Hultman and Joanna Gebeau performed the keumgang form,
advanced sparring and kick combinations and then power board breaking. Murray and Hultman used a working step back
spinning side kick to break two-inch boards, and Gebeau used the same kick to
split two one-inch boards.
Zach Ulrich and Kaleb Bicknase earned deputy black belts as
they performed five taegeuk forms, advanced kick combinations, board
breaking and advanced sparring. Ulrich snapped his board with a back spinning
hook kick, and Bicknase broke his board with a back spinning side kick.
From the color belt students testing, Garrett Johnson, green
belt, earned the trophy for excellence in testing. The prestigious judging panel included
headmaster instructors Mark and Hilde Henkel, school founder Dr. Dwight Stevens
and masters Karen Johnson, Bill Dragolovich and Carol Landreth.
2019
YMCA Class Schedule
January 3, 2019: First
class Winter I session
February 7: Last class session Promotion testing Feb 7
è NO
CLASSES on February 12 & 14
February 19: First Class Winter II session
è NO
CLASSES on March 19 & 21 Spring
Break
April 4: Last class of session
April 6: Saturday, 1 pm, promotion testing w/black
belts
è NO
CLASSES on April 9 & 11
April 16: First Class Spring session
May 23: Last class of session
è NO
CLASSES on May 28 & 30
June 4: First Class Summer I session
June 13 Promotion testing 7 pm in APR
July 11: Last Class of session
è NO
CLASSES on July 16 & 18
July 23: First Class Summer II session
August 8: Promotion testing, 7 pm in APR
August 29: Last Class of session
è NO
CLASSES on September 3 & 5
September 10: First Class Fall I session
October 10 Promotion testing, 7 pm in APR
October 17: Last class of session
è NO
CLASSES on October 22 & 24
October 29: First Class Fall II session
è NO
CLASS on October 31 or November 29
December 7: Promotion testing w/black belts 1
pm, in APR,
December 12: Last class of session
From masters Mark and Hilde Henkel: Our special thanks to the many black belts who help in class and at testing--we really appreciate it!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all !
Keep stretching and we will see you in the new year.
Malec Alkasrawi attained full first dan black belt status
after vigorous testing, which included sparring and advanced kick combinations,
an oral exam on the history and practice of taekwondo and demonstration of koryo and four taegeuk forms. Alkasrawi also broke a board with a working
step back spinning side kick. He stated
that it has 
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