Tae Kwon Do Test

John started a traditional Tae Kwon Do class/program at the Phippsburg Elementary School in the fall of 2005. He volunteers his time to instruct the program and loves working with the youth of Phippsburg. He currently teaches the class twice a week for two hours a class on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There are currently fourteen students who are enrolled with 10 of them being very committed to their training. The class held its second test today April 19th. The first test was held in Phippsburg at the Elementary School in February of 2007. Today's test was held at the Lyndon Tree Meetinghouse next to the Phippsburg Congregational Church. Six students earned the right to test for their next belt some after more than three years of training. Three tested for their yellow belts Christine, Andrew Schade, and Justin Collander. Three other students tested for their green belts Truman Slocum, Zechariah Thomas, and Mikey McCaloney. All six students gave their best efforts and were promoted by John's instructor and childhood friend Sabumnim Jeff Vanoudenhove 4th Dan Black Belt in Chung Do Kwan style of Tae Kwon Do. Jeff travelled all the way up from Chicopee MA to conduct the test. Now that is a good friend you can count on! He conducted the prior test and instructed a class at P.E.S this past fall. The test included showing proficient knowledge and execution of all 16 basic blocks, kicks, and strikes. The students also had to demonstrate advanced basics such as axe kicks, crescent kicks, spinning side kicks. They then performed three step self defense techniques, one step self defense, wrist releases, choke releases, free style sparring and then finished with board breaking. Jeff announced that he would be coming back to Phippsburg in a couple of months to conduct another test for three other white belts. He also announced he would test John for his brown belt. John has been training in Tae Kwon Do off and on since he was in 7th grade. He finds teaching it to be very rewarding. He is planning to take another trip down with some of his students in the next month to train with Jeff's class in Easthampton MA. John made six trips last fall to train with Jeff's class but had to stop because of the high gas prices.