ST. PETERS-- Fifteen students from the King Yen Taekwondo school have been promoted. The students were given their Taekwondo examinations May 31, and passed. Each athlete moved up a belt color.
In accordance with the examination rules and regulations of the World Taekwondo (WT) in Seoul South Korea, the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF) and under the rules of the St. Maarten Taekwondo Federation, the King Yen Taekwondo school held on Saturday their 2nd Quarterly 2025 TKD exams in the Gymnasium of the Helmich Snijders Hillside Christian School in St. Peters.
These exams were authorized by 9th Dan Black Belt Grandmaster Theo Liu.
Grand Master Liu was assisted by his SXM growth 3rd Dan Black Belt Master Lee-Ann Liu and 2nd Dan Master Paul Djasmin.
Testing helps students see the importance of setting and working towards goals, learn self-confidence, which is an important life skill we want them to learn Grand Master Liu explained.
The students underwent a battery of physical tests that involved the demonstration of TKD martial arts Forms (Taeguks), several defensive and offensive techniques, and sparring. The testing concluded with the students having to break boards and do free sparring.
The scoring was based on proper order, beauty, grace, rhythm, accuracy, confidence, power, technique and attitude. The total points together with regular class attendance and good behavior determines if the student may advance to a higher rank.
For the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF) it is more important to preserve the forgotten values of traditional Taekwondo than style or system.
The spirit of Taekwondo is to train the body and mind to cultivate people who are indispensable in our society.
“In general it is very important for parents to support their kids in whatever activity or hobby they are involved in," Grandmaster Liu observed.
“Each time the students graduate from one level to the next, it is a positive development for the Taekwondo sport for our country St. Maarten. It contributes tremendously to our island's participation in regional and international Taekwondo tournaments. The seeds sown have been reaping now great results," Grandmaster Liu concluded
Promoted were:
4th kuye
Earning a Blue belt were Gunesh Natram and Kallis Roomes
6th kuye
Yerachmiel Schaak and Methusael Schaak earned their green belt.
7th kuye
Moving up to a Yellow belt with a green Derryck Collado Montero and Jessie Ramcharan.
8th kuye
Shania Shamdeo and Ah’Brielle Wigley, earned the right to wear a Yellow belt.
9th kuye
A white belt with two yellow stripes went to Deshean Hennis, Isaiah Jones Morris and Je’leel
Samuel.
10th kuye
Four earned a white belt with one yellow strip. They were Deshean Hennis, Gia Fontenelle, Amayah
Peters and Royal White.
