October 2014 News: Testing and Tournament

Stevens Taekwondo Academy added two new black belts and promoted four others in testing recently at the Stevens Point YMCA.  Nearly forty color belt students successfully tested for promotion as they demonstrated improved skills.

Mark Regnitz and Mark Poirier earned promotion to third degree balck belt, impressing the judges with a sharp execution of the taebek form and vigorous sparring.  Both men chose a spin hook for their speed break, with Regnitz snapping his on first attempt.

Andrew Bowling and Isaac Witte achieved full first degree black belt level following extensive testing which included advanced kicking and sparring and an oral examination on the history, tenents and terminology of taekwondo.   Both boys performed koryo and four taegeuk forms. Eleven-year-old Bowling, sponsored by Mark Regnitz,  used a working step back spinning side kick to break his board.   Eight-year-old Isaac Witte, sponsored by Master Mandi Hoppa used a long skipping side kick and back spinning side kick to snap his board at first attempt.  Witte began his training in taekwondo at age five.

Ten-year-old Mary Bunn and twelve-year-old Dalton Cevan entered black belts ranks as deputy black belts following their testing, which included skills demonstrations, sparring and performance of five taegeuk forms.  Cevan brokehis board with a working step back spinning side kick, while Bunn used an inside crescent kick, back spinning side kick.

Three taekwondo students were recognized for excellence in testing for the day.  High blue belt Alex Frasch won first place, high blue belt David Kriewald earned second place and new green belt Rachel Jorgenson took the third place trophy.

The October testing was judged by master instructor Dwight Stevens, assisted by senior master Mark Henkel, and masters Tim Vocke of Rhinelander and Jerry Hajewski of Milwaukee.

Tournament Success In Wisconsin Rapids

Eight students from Stevens Taekwondo Academy were very successful Saturday at the 34^th Annual Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships held in Wisconsin Rapids.  Each placed in one or more divisions of competition.

Third degree black belt Lauren Shimulunas grabbed second place for forms in the adult women division.  Second degree black belt Isaac Williams trophied in all three events for the pee wee black belts, earning second place in both sparring and board breaking, where he used an autobahn, a butterfly kick and a back spinning hook speed break on his boards.

New first degree black belt Isaac Witte also placed in all three events.  Witte won first place in forms, second place in sparring and fourth in board breaking.  Witte was the youngest competitor who made it to the final round for the grand championship, snapping out a very sharp performance of the koryo form.

Red belt Annika Brandl did well, placing in all three events of a tough girls pee wee division.  Annika took home a second in forms, a third in sparring and fourth place in board breaking, where she broke with a switching axe kick and a spinning side kick.  Sister Cabrini Brandl,  also garnered three trophies, placing second in forms and board breaking, where she used a back spinning hook kick and a long skipping into a spinning side kick to break.  The young blue belt added a third place trophy for sparring.

Blue belt Kevin Martin won first place in the adult men’s sparring division, and second in breaking, where he combined a inside crescent to spinning side kick and a switching front kick to break two boards.  Green belt Hero Vu won first place for sparring in the 11 to 13 year-old division and then added a second place in board breaking, where he snapped out a spinning side kick and a spinning hook.

Amanda Salm easily won first place in the green belt women’s sparring with her excellent and exciting sparring skills.

More than 100 competitors from all over Wisconsin attended the tournament at Mid State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, which featured several demonstration teams led by Master John Chrystal, the tournament director.  Grand Master Kun Yoo Park served as executive tournament director for the event, sponsored by the Park Institute of Wisconsin Rapids.

 

                                  Testing timing and dates reminder:
***All belt promotion testing begin at 12:30 now, and people need to arrive in advance of that time to register.

Upcoming testings dates include:
*** December 14, 2014
*** February 15, 2015
***March 29, 2015 *** NOTE this is the "April" testing date
***June 14, 2015

August 2014: a Jewel of a Testing

Newly advanced black belts with Dr. Stevens

jacob Zimmermann, Brayden Charneski, Jose Garcia

An elite group of high-ranking Stevens Taekwondo Academy black belts gathered recently at the YMCA for taekwondo testing with summer students, clearly demonstrating excellence and skills.

Matthew Ford, returning from Cincinnati, earned sixth degree black belt and the title of senior master, in addition to that of professor of management at Northern Kentucky University.  Ford performed the  rhythmically challenging jitae form before smashing four boards with a spinning sidekick.  Ford also submitted a research paper on the correlation of taekwondo mastery and current research on expert performance.  His oral presentation on the topic  emphasized the deliberate practice of core concepts.

Husband – wife duo Justin and Kimberly Buehler flawlessly demonstrated the sipjin form simultaneously as they achieved fifth degree black belt.  Justin shattered four boards with a 360-spinning sidekick and spoke on the respect expressed through etiquette in taekwondo, concluding “Etiquette in society is the oil that keep society working.”  Kimberly broke her boards on each kick of the autobahn, and spoke on the responsibilities of black belts, not only in teaching and techniques, but in modeling proper behavior, saying  “You are the face of our school.”

Mother- daughter duo Jill and Lydia Miller and Luke McChrystal successfully tested for first degree black belt, with excellent demonstrations of koryo and four taegeuk forms, advanced kick and sparring techniques and extensive oral examination on taekwondo and Korean history, symbolism, terminology and forms.  Jill and Lydia Miller each snapped a board with a working-step back spinning sidekick and 12-year-old McChrystal easily broke his board with an autobahn kick.  The Millers were sponsored for black belt by Senior Master Mark Henkel, and McChrystal was sponsored by black belt Ben Goodberlet.

Jeremy Kunst and Daniel Roach joined the black belt ranks after they demonstrated advanced kicking and sparring skills, and did five taegeuk forms.  Kunst easily broke his board with a spinning sidekick, and Roach preceded his spinning sidekick with a butterfly kick.

Three of the color belts who successfully tested also received trophies.  High yellow belt Jose Garcia won first place for excellence in testing.  High blue belts Brayden Charneski and Jacob Zimmerman were awarded second and third place for most improved students.  The testing was judged by an especially distinguished panel, as Stevens Taekwondo Academy founder and master instructor Dwight Stevens was assisted by his son Grandmaster Robert Stevens of Denver, and senior masters Mark Henkel and Bill Dragolovich.

Three Generations of Excellence

“The family that kicks together, sticks together” is the motto of Stevens Taekwondo Academy, where many family members have trained together, developing skills and closer relationships. 

At the most recent testing for belt promotion, this was highlighted when three generations of the Stevens family, all black belts, participated.  Dr. Dwight Stevens, founder and master instructor, judged the testing of color and black belts.  He was assisted by his son, Grandmaster Robert Stevens, who founded and leads the Stevens World Taekwondo school at the Denver Athletic club.

Three generations of Stevens black belts

Abby and Bella Stevens doing keumgang in unison

The third generation was represented by  Robert’s daughters Abby, 14 years and third degree black belt, and Bella, 11 years old and second degree black belt.  The sisters demonstrated the keumgang form, second degree black belt form, in sharp synchronization.  Abby and Robert Stevens awed the on-lookers when they performed Chunkwon, the  seventh degree black belt form, in unison.  Bella held everyone’s attention as she showed the creative form which recently earned her a gold medal at games in Colorado Springs, incorporating flips, splits and  music.

Black belt Mark Henkel, who has trained with Stevens for 26 years, says the Stevens’ family model is one he’d like to follow.  “My wife and sons are black belts, and I would love to see my grandchildren train when they are older.”

The senior Stevens has led his school at the YMCA for the past 33 years, and has trained hundreds of black belt practitioners now spread across the United States.  Stevens Taekwondo A New Way of Life, Stevens Point, run by Senior Master Karen Johnson, and Amherst Taekwondo, run by Master Mary Allen, are local branches, with several affiliated schools and programs run by other STA black belts, including the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo program, taught by Johnson.

Reminders:

A facebook group (Stevens Taekwondo Academy) is available to students of Dr. Stevens or Senior Master Karen Johnson.  Affiliated instructors may also join, so as to  convey information to their students.  Photos and video or the black belts breaks and demos are posted there.  Please clear any postings or events items with one of the instructors.

The YMCA classes for this session run through September 4.  HOWEVER, classes on August 26 and 28th will be held in the APR at the south end of the Y.  There are no classes September  9 and 11th, with the first fall session beginning September 16.

The next testing date is October 14, 2014.

Fall is always a time of change.  Black belts who wish to share new locations, jobs or accomplishments, email Senior Master Hilde at henkelfm@wctc.net

June 2014 Testing and News

Jocelyn He, Hero Vue, Macey Cevan

Nearly forty martial artists spent part of Father’s Day  proving their skills and earning higher taekwondo ranks in promotion testing at Stevens Point YMCA.  Two fathers tested with their children and two brothers achieved black belt together, underlining the Stevens Taekwondo Academy motto “The family that kicks together, sticks together.”

Ben Nummelin earned the rank of fourth degree black belt and the right to be called a taekwondo master with  the very sharp demonstration of the pyongwon  form, advanced  kicking and sparring skills and then smashed his board with a 360 roundhouse speed break.  Nummelin also  spoke on the benefits of physical conditioning.

Nichole Shave moved up to third degree black belt demonstrating kicking combinations, sparring skills and the  taebek form.  Shave broke two boards with spinning roundhouse speed breaks.

Michael Buchkowski achieved second degree black belt rank with his performance of Keumbang, advanced sparring and kick combinations.  Buchkowski  broke a two-inch board with a back spinning side kick.

Jonathan Carroll, son Blake Carroll and daughter Grace Carroll all earned full black belt rank with their successful testing together.  The trio all performed koryo and four taegeuk forms, demonstrated  advanced kicking and sparring techniques and each broke a board with a spinning side kick.  The Carrolls were well prepared and answered numerous questions on the history, symbols and affiliations of taekwondo.

Tristen Smith, brothers Reece and Griffin Peeters, Payton Buchkowski, whose father Michael  is also his instructor, and eight-year-old Isaac Witte earned deputy black belt ranking through their demonstrations of five taegeuk forms, kicking and sparring techniques and board breaking.  Smith, Reece and Griffin Peeters and Witte used back spinning side kicks to break while Buchkowski  broke with a spinning roundhouse kick.

Dr. Dwight Stevens, founder and director of Stevens Taekwondo Academy, awarded three trophies for excellence in testing.  High red belt Jocelyn He won first place, high yellow belt Hero Vue earned second and yellow belt Macey Cevan took home the third place trophy.  

Stevens was assisted in the judging by senior master Mark Henkel.  The students tested are trained at Stevens Taekwondo Academy YMCA, Stevens Taekwondo A New Way of Life and at North Star Taekwondo Academy.

Other News:

Master Kevin Klapoetke successfully defended his doctoral thesis this month, completing his doctorate in physics at University of Minnesota.  The title of the thesis was "Measurements of Z Transverse Momentum Shape Using a Novel Variable at the CMS Detector,"  which is way beyond me. 

The father of Senior Master Hilde Henkel, and grandfather of Senior Masters Jim and John Henkel died late in April.  All the Henkels thank the many black belts for their sympathy and understanding, especially the kindness and support  of Dr. Stevens and Rob Stevens.  

Schedule Reminder: 

The YMCA classes run through July 17, with no classes July 22 and 24.  The next session begins  July 29.  The next belt promotion testing is August 10, 2014.