More Taekwondo In May

Local Students Shine at Taekwondo Championships

Martial artists from three branches of Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools medaled at the recent state championships and qualified for national competition.

Isaac Williams sparring

Black belt Isaac Williams used a butterfly kick a spinning hook speed break and an autobahn kick to snap three boards and win first place in the 12 to 14 year-old division.  Williams also took second place in the forms and sparring competition for his division.

Third dan black belt Charles Zoromski took home the third place medal in men’s lightweight sparring competition.

Stevens Taekwondo Academy had a strong contingent in the blue belt divisions. Lydia Miller earned two first place medals, breaking two boards with a long-stepping side kick and a butterfly kick for the board breaking first, and then won the youth forms competition.  Her mother Jill Miller took first place in the masters division for blue belt forms.  Tanner Rogers won the mean blue belt breaking competition snapping three boards with an autobahn kick, a 270-side kick and a switching front kick.  Rogers also grabbed the second place medal for feather weight sparring.  Blue belt brothers Griffin and Reece Peeters won first and second place respectively in the cadet division for forms.  All blue belts performed the challenging tae geuk yuk jahn form.

The 2013 Wisconsin State Taekwondo championships were sponsored by the Wisconsin Taekwondo Association and drew more than 200 competitors to Middleton High School for the May 4 competition.  Medaling at the tournament qualifies these students for participation in the 2013 USA Taekwondo National Championships which will be held in Chicago, July 3 to July 9.

Contributing Rightly

Also in May, our demo team presented at the Children’s Museum in Stevens Point with Masters Kim Buehler and Karrie Lane, assisted by youngsters Raven and Jeffie.  Another great way of getting the word out about taekwondo for young and old, as even a small white belt demonstrated how to break a board.

More Celebration

The YMCA class enjoyed singing happy bierthday to Dr. Stevens, the day after his birthday, and sharing a birthday cake.  Dr. Stevens also received a book of photos from his birthday celebration with the black belts, last month.  Dr. Stevens also showed off his special uniform, gift of grandmaster Robert Stevens, which notes his service in Korea.

April Testing and Celebration

Kyle Spielvogel, Ben Lofgren, Gina Chung

Hendrickson flying sidekick, Peterson holding

Despite an April snow storm and slippery road conditions, more than 70 taekwondo students successfully tested for new belt levels at the Stevens Point YMCA recently.  The family and friends attending in support saw improving skills, perseverance and some exciting sparring and board breaking.

Lauren Shimulunas earned her third dan black belt  with  advanced kick combinations, sparring and performance of the taebek form.  She used a back spinning hook kick for her speed break.Peter Clark advanced to second dan black belt following his  demonstration of the keumgang form, advanced kick combinations and sparring.  He broke two six-inch boards with a spinning sidekick.

Shelby Finnessy and John Paul Bunn moved up to full black belt status in testing which included sparring, advanced kick combinations, demonstration of koryo and four taeguk forms, and an oral examination on taekwondo tenets, history and symbolism.  Finnessy snapped her board with a working step back-spinning sidekick.  Bunn broke a board with an axe kick.

Stephanie Tank, Erik Hendrickson, John Weigand and Elizabeth Oakland all achieved deputy black belt status in rigorous testing, which included sparring, 50 kick combinations and demonstration of five taeguk forms.  Tank used an inside crescent back-spinning hook kick to break her board.  Hendrickson wowed the audience with a flying sidekick over five people, smashing the board on the first attempt. Nine-year-old Weigand cracked his board with a back spinning sidekick.  Eight-year-old Oakland became the third member of her family to achieve black belt status, joining father Tom and brother Jacob, as she broke a board with a back spinning sidekick.

Trophies for excellence in testing were awarded to three of the 65 color belts testing.  New green belt Kyle Spielvogel won first place, green belt Ben Lofgren earned second place and high blue belt Gina Chung took the third trophy.

The testing was judged by Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.  Martial artists attending came from Waupaca Taekwondo, and Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools at the YMCA, Port Edwards, Wausau, Stevens Point and the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program.

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Also in April, more than sixty black belts, family members and friends gathered in Plover for a special birthday celebration for Grandmaster Dwight Stevens.  

Senior Master Mark Henkel spoke for all those attending, noting that the remarkably large number of high ranking black belts who have stayed in association with Dr. Stevens indicate the very high regard they have for Stevens.  Stevens has taught taekwondo in Stevens Point for more than 30 years, training thousands of students and awarding more than 850 black belts over that time.
“He cares about his students,” said Henkel.  “He teaches them to get up when they are knocked down and keep on going.”

Schedule reminder:

YMCA class meets through 23 with no classes the week following Memorial Day (May 28 & 30)

The next session begins June 4.

June testing date is June 9 at 1 p.m.

2012 Lifetime Service Award and February Testing

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens receives 2012 USA Taekwondo Lifetime Service award

Isaac Williams congratulated on his first dan black belt

1st Ryokung won, 2nd Blake Carroll & 3rd Alvin Cox

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, founder and head instructor for the Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools, was honored Sunday by the USA Taekwondo 2012 Lifetime Service Award, the ninth martial artist to be so recognized by the organization. 

The citation noted that Stevens has “devoted decades of service to the advancement of the sport” as an athlete, instructor, coach and leader and was one of the first Americans to earn the rank of certified International Referee for taekwondo. 

In addition to the long-running taekwondo program through the YMCA, Stevens was instrumental in establishing and instructing in the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program  and oversees several branch schools through his advanced students.  He is a certified Inayan  Pressure Sensitive Nerve Area instructor  and has worked with many law enforcement agencies teaching special techniques.  Stevens has trained thousands of students of all ages with more than 850 blacks belts earned, and participated in national events, including selection of Olympic athletes.

“I am honored and humbled by this award,” Stevens told his students afterward.

The announcement and plaque came as a surprise to Stevens, who did not know of his nomination by Master Steve Decker, instructor for schools in Port Edwards and Wausau, with assistance from Stevens’ son Grandmaster Robert Stevens, founder and head instructor at Stevens World Taekwondo in Denver and Senior Master Hilde Henkel.


Martial Artists Advance in February Testing

More than forty martial artists earned new belt rankings in promotion testing recently at the Stevens Point YMCA.

Eleven-year-old Isaac Williams earned his first dan black belt in impressive style, performing koryo and  four taegeuk forms with great precision, before snapping a board with a back spinning side kick.  Williams also demonstrated advanced kick combinations and sparring skills before  answering oral examination on the codes, origins, and philosophies of taekwondo.

Three students won trophies for excellence in the testing.  Blue belt Ryokung Won earned first place, red belt Blake Carroll took second and yellow belt Alvin Cox placed third.  Grandmaster Dwight Stevens judged the testing, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.

Other Black Belt News:

Two black belts expanded their families recently.  Aria Law was born to Bethany (Reed) Law, daughter or Master Jill Reed, before Christmas.  Jeff Lane and Master Karrie Lane were blessed with a third son, Joshua, in January.

Also, the February testing was the first for the third generation of the Klapoetke family:  Samara Poirier earned her high white belt  with parents Karen Klapoetke-Poirier and Mark Poirier and grandfather Richard Klapoetke watching proudly.

December 2012 Testing and Schedule for 2013

More than 75 martial artists from all over the state braved winter’s first storm to successfully test for new taekwondo belt levels, with a good turn out of friends, family and instructors filling the Stevens Point YMCA gym in support of them.

All the black belt candidates demonstrated advanced kick combinations and sparring skills.  Charles Zoromski performed the taebeck form and snapped a board with a spinning hook speed break., earning his third degree black belt.  Xichen Cheng earned his second degree black when he performed the keumgang form before smashing a two-inch board with a flying side kick.

Father-son duo Thomas and Jacob Oakland, Andrew Krause, Kerrigan Neidert, Abby Dremel, Reggie Stern and Caleb Siewert performed koryo and four taebek forms in excellent precision.   All these candidates answered oral questioning on the meaning of terms, history of taekwondo and codes and tenets of the sport.  Advanced board breaks using a back spin side kick for Andrew Krause and Thomas and Jacob Oakland,   a spinning hook kick for Kerrigan Neidert, Abby Dremel and Caleb Siewert , and a flying side kick for Reggie Stern completed their successful testing for first degree black belt.

Qualifying for deputy black belt levels, Tammy Weiss used a butterfly kick for her board break, Matthew Whitley and Laura Krings snapped their boards with flying side kicks and Shelby Finnessy broke her board with a back spinning side kick.  This quartet also demonstrated five taegeuk forms.

Three color belt students were awarded trophies for excellence in testing.  Blue belt Michael Buchkowski won first place, blue belt Grace Carroll took second place and high green belt Lydia Miller earned third place.

This testing included students from the Stevens Taekwondo Academy main school at the YMCA, branch schools on Isadore Street, in Wausau and in Port Edwards, the Waupaca Tae Kwon Do Academy, the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program and the UW-Platteville Taekwondo Club.  The testing was judged by master instructor Dwight Stevens, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.

Schedule for YMCA Classes and 2013 Testings

January 8       New session (Winter I) begins

February 10   Belt promotion testing 1 P.M. in YMCA Gym

February 14   Last class of Winter I session

     NO CLASSES February 19 & 21

February 26   First class of Winter II session

April 4           Last class of Winter II session

     NO CLASSES april 9 & 11

April 14         Belt Promotion Testing  1 P.M. in YMCA Gym

April 16         First class of Spring session

May 23         Last Class of Spring session

     NO CLASSES May 28 & 30

June 4          First class of Summer I session

June 9         Belt Promotion Testing 1 P.M. All Purpose Room

July 11        Last class of Summer I session

    NO CLASSES July 16 & 18

July 23       First class of Summer II session

August 11    Belt Promotion Testing 1 P.M. all Purpose Room

August 29    Last class of Summer II session

Trophy winners from October

Tanner Rogers & Antony Van Tiem

October Testing and News

Dr. Dwight Stevens, Stephen Decker, Ashley Bloch, Thomas Lima, Aaron Zehner, Jim Lowe, Katie Lima                         New bo dan John Paul Bunn was not available for the photo.

More than 80 taekwondo students tested for new ranks at the YMCA recently as friends and family watched intently.  Seven martial artists achieved black belt level or advanced as black belts.  James Lowe earned the rank of sixth degree black belt after demonstrating ji-tae and breaking 6 boards, two with speed hook kicks, two with speed punches and dedicated the final two breaks, an elbow strike and a pursuing speed side kick one of his young students, who died recently.  Lowe also spoke about and demonstrated effective self-defense moves, the topic of the paper which will be submitted to the Kukkiwon in Seoul, South Korea.  Sixth dan black belts are addressed as senior master.

Stephen Decker, instructor for the Stevens Taekwondo schools at the South Wood County and Wausau YMCAs advanced to fourth degree black belt in his testing.  He demonstrated advanced kick and sparring techniques, the pyongwon form and then broke four concrete slabs with a palm heel strike.  Decker also spoke about and demonstrated the proper techniques for falling   His promotion entitles him to be called master.

Ashley Bloch  moved up to third degree black belt with her performance of the taebek form, and demonstration of advanced kick combinations and sparring.  Bloch snapped her board with a spinning hook speed break.

Attaining second degree black belt level,  Aaron Zehner and Thomas Lima demonstrated the keumgang form plus advanced skills in sparring and kick combinations.  Lima smashed his two-inch board with a back spinning side kick, while Zehner broke three boards in succession using a tornado roundhouse, an elbow strike and a back spinning side kick.

Katie Lima and John Paul Bunn joined the black belt ranks as deputy black belts following their performance of kick combinations, sparring and five taegeuk forms.  Lima broke her board with a 360spinning sidekick.  Ten-year-old Bunn snapped his board with a spinning side kick. 

Two students were recognized for excellence in the color belt testing.  New blue belt Antony Van Tiem won a first  place trophy and high green belt Tanner Rogers took second place.  (Photo posted separately)

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, director and founder of the Stevens Taekwondo Academy network of schools, judged the students, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich and visiting master James Lowe of Oak Creek. 


UP-COMING EVENTS

October 27:  Waupaca Taekwondo Championships, in Waupaca.  Information at www.waupacataekwondo.com

November 3:  Central Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships, at Pacelli High School in Stevens Point.  Information from WisconsinTKD@gmail.com

Etiquette note:  Remember that students should get permission from their instructor before participating in any event or seminar outside their school.

December 8:  Black Belt Christmas Party at Boston School Forest, Stevens Point.  Contact Master Hilde at henkelfm@wctc.net for information.

NEWS

Senior masters Mark, Hilde and John Henkel were invited to assist Grandmaster Jerry Kidd judging at a black belt testing at J. P. Wood Martial Art America in Palatine IL.  The range of skills was impressive and the self-defense portion very interesting.

Martial artists of all belt levels attended a free sparring seminar in  Waupaca recently.  Forty five students, including several from the Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools and the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program worked on agility training, combinations, partner drills and sparring rules.  The seminar was taught by  Rebecca and Dar Peterson of Waupaca Taekwondo Academy and Stephen Decker, taekwondo instructor at both South Wood County YMCA and Wausau YMCA.

Senior Master James Henkel, his wife Kayme and new big sister Rhiannon welcomed Rowan Emilie Henkel to their family early in October.  All are sleep-deprived but doing fine.New bo dan black belt John Paul Bunn not available for photo

August 2012

The August belt promotion testing for Stevens Taekwondo Academy became a black belt celebration as 38 black belts, 15 of master level or higher, judged, assisted or tested at the Stevens Point YMCA recently.  Ten earned new or higher belt rankings, along with the 29 color belts who successfully tested.

Dan Zierke achieved fifth degree black belt level with his performance of the sipjin form, a demonstration of self-defense techniques and breaking two boards using first a palm heel thrust and then a knife hand.  Zierke and the other black belt candidates also demonstrated advanced kick combinations and hand techniques.

Tom Lisack  and Bridget Williams moved up to third degree black belt after performing the taebeck form and  sparring.  Lisack executed a back spinning hook kick for his board break, while Williams snapped her board with a back spinning hook kick in a speed break.

Mark Regnitz, Evelyn Williams, Laura Borth, Ben Strojny and Seth Zorn all earned second degree black belts following sparring and performance of the keumgang form.  All five successfully broke two-inch boards using the spinning side kick.  Williams, the wife of senior master John Henkel,  also performed five taebek forms.

Hilary Bilbrey and ten-year-old Isaac Williams joined the black belt ranks as deputy black belts with their demonstration of five taegeuk forms and sparring.  Bilbrey broke her board with a jump spinning side kick, while Williams used the autobahn kick to snap his board.

Three trophies were awarded for excellence in testing.  High red belt Shelby Finnessy won first place, red belt Laura Krings earned second place and new blue belt Emma Kempen took third place.

Grandmaster Dwight Stevens, director and founder of the Stevens Taekwondo Academy network of schools, judged the students, assisted by senior masters Mark Henkel, James Henkel and Bill Dragolovich and visiting master Matt Ford of Cincinnati.  


Contributing Rightly:

Masters Kim Buehler and Jill Reed led a team of dedicated martial artists in a demo at the very hot July  Krazy Days in Stevens Point .  The students demonstrated an abbreviated warm-up, combos, techniques on the heavy bag and focus paddle, poomsae, sparring and board breaking.  Kudos to the participants for sticking it out in the heat...heat all around and stage was nearly frying level!  Those participating were: Tom Oakland with Jacob and Elizabeth Oakland, Jen Wilkinson with Travis and Theo Wilkinson, Daniel Perez and Thomas Meronek.

In August, masters Kim Buehler and Karrie Lane, assisted by black belts Jeff Lane and Karen Poirier, presented a taekwondo demonstration for the Boys and Girls Club at Jefferson School.

Black Belt News

Senior master James Henkel completed his post-doctoral position in Maryland and has moved to Sussex, Wisconsin.  He will be teaching biology and microbiology at Wisconsin Lutheran College.  He and Kayme Henkel are expecting a second daughter in October.

At the end of June, third dan Stephen Decker assisted refereeing at the USAT National Championships in Dallas, where he met several Olympians.