Oneonta Taekwon-do

Priscilla, Kris, John, and Ken all earn black stripes at their promotion test in January, 2010.

John and Kris perform the pattern Hwa-Rang.

Now, it’s Ken and Priscilla’s turn:

With an excellent board breaking display, all 4 of our red belts each broke 2 boards with each leg in a continuous manner. Taekwon-Do emphasizes equal training for left and right sides of the body for balanced results. This demonstration shows how effectively our students have practiced.

Kristian and Priscilla are on their way to black belt after passing the test for their first black stripe. They will now begin learning the final color belt pattern Choong Moo. For their test, they were required to demonstrate the ability to break with each leg equally by breaking two boards with a back kick. We are reminded that in Taekwon-Do, left and right must always be developed equally.

Full contact sparring is required for red belts during promotion tests. Here is the video of Kristian and Priscilla sparring. Note that more footage is available on the…

Demonstrating well-balanced training, John Buck breaks 2 boards with each leg using a back kick at his promotion test in July 2009.

Priscilla demonstrates breaking two (2) boards with a back kick.

Priscilla McCabe demonstrates the pattern Toi-Gye, a 37 movement pattern. Toi-Gye is the penname for scholar Yi Hwang, an authority in neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements represents the 37th parallel on which Yi Hwang was born.

Hwa Rang is a 29 movement pattern named after a youth group in early 7th century Silla Dynasty. This is one of the many patterns that Matt and Owen have had to achieve in order to demonstrate their next step…. becoming a 1st Degree Black Belt. Obtaining the Black Belt is an honorary achievement for any martial art.

There are many qualities that must be achieved for any belt, whether it be yellow or black. Each belt signifies an advancement of learning. The higher the belt the more the student has increased their awareness and personal growth.

The…