Martial Artists from Around the US Converged on Fortuna This Weekend to Test Their Mettle
Over the weekend, hundreds of martial artists and their families from across the United States converged on the Friendly City of Fortuna for the World Tang Soo Do, Region One test and tournament.
Testing for a second-degree blackbelt, 41-year-old Ross Huber, lined up in the front row. His eleven-year-old daughter, Eva, a blue belt testing for black, lined up in the row behind him, as mom Alexis watched in the stands. The scene was not unfamiliar to the parents; years earlier Alexis had watched as Ross and older daughter, Sasha, tested for their first-degree blackbelts together at a regional test in San Francisco.
Eva and Ross Huber with mom Alexis in the stands [All photos and videos by Lisa Music unless noted]
The World Tang Soo Do Association, founded in 1982 by Jae C. Shin, has over 100,000 students training in 36 countries worldwide. The Korean martial art is related to the indigenous martial art, Hwa Rang Do that is over 2,000 years old.
Martial artists carry on the traditional art today in martial arts studios across the world, divided into regions. In Humboldt County, Master Becky Wolverton has been teaching Tang Soo Do for the last 24 years. She currently has two studios, Dragon Heart Tang Soo Do in Garberville and Dragon Fire Tang Soo Do in Fortuna where young and old meet to train their bodies and minds. “Tang Soo Do is for all ages and abilities,” she told us.
Master Wolverton began training in Tang Soo Do when she was 41 years old after watching her young daughters train from the sidelines. In the 28 years since, she has rose to the rank of fifth-degree master. As a studio owner for the last 24 years, Master Wolverton has trained countless students, 84 of which earned blackbelts under her tutelage, with half of those going on to achieve higher degrees of blackbelt. In 2018 she became the Regional Director of region one.
On Friday, May 6th, blackbelt candidates across Region One, were put to the test at the Fortuna Middle School. Thirteen candidates from across the region made the trek to the remote North Coast town for the bi-annual regional blackbelt test. Eleven Ten of the students were blue belt practitioners testing to earn blackbelts, with two three first-degree blackbelts testing to earn their second-degree blackbelt.
Family members, friends and fellow Tang Soo Do practitioners watched from the stands as the smell of sweat permeated the air. As the minutes turned to hours, blackbelt instructors proctoring the test encouraged the candidates to keep their energy up, telling them to dig deep, as years of training culminated in one night under the florescent lights of the middle school gym.
The three-hour long test was a series of endurance exercises intermixed with performance of hand and foot techniques, self-defense techniques, forms, sparring and weapons demonstrations. The candidates were judged by a panel of high-ranking blackbelts and masters of Tang Soo Do on agility, memory, endurance and precision of technique.
After the final segment of board-breaking was complete, candidates lined up as Master Wolverton and the panel of judges spoke to the group, ending with words of praise from Grandmaster Strong, the leader of the World Tang Soo Do Association who had flown from Alabama to attend the two-day event.
Blackbelt competitors posed with judges Kristina Olsen and Kisa Whipkey for a photo after competing
About twelve hours later, early Saturday morning, blackbelts and spectators poured into the Fortuna High School gymnasium as the regional tournament began. Tang Soo Do blackbelts competed in rings against other blackbelts in divisions based their age and rank. Judges scored empty-hand forms and weapons forms as each practitioner performed designated forms for the panel. The practitioners were then paired up for sparring, points being awarded for well-placed and controlled kicks and punches to vital points. Points were tallied and medals awarded.
As the blackbelt competition ended, the gymnasium filled with approximately 350 spectators as over 170 competitors took to the floor during the opening ceremony. During the hour-long ceremony, Master Wolverton thanked the participants for attending the tournament, the first in-person tournament since the start of the pandemic. In attendance at the event were region one practitioners and masters as well as Tang Soo Do practitioners from as far away as Pennsylvania, including the leader of the World Tang Soo Do Association, Grandmaster Strong, from Alabama.
During the opening ceremony Grandmaster Strong presented two blackbelt students their Dan Certificate as well as presented two third-degree blackbelts with their fourth-degree blackbelts and plaques.
The momentous occasion was especially touching for Master Wolverton with both of the women promoted to fourth-degree blackbelt having trained under her for decades. Kisa Whipkey, Master Wolverton’s daughter, received her fourth-degree blackbelt from Grandmaster Strong as her mom watched.
Grandmaster Strong promotes Meredyth Phillips to the fourth-degree master rank [Photo from Master Wolverton]
During the opening ceremony, last year’s winners of the tournament cups returned the trophies to the front table signaling the start of the competition as the cups were once again up for grabs.
The creativity division followed the opening ceremony, a routine incorporating Tang Soo Do techniques with a story line set to music. Two teams competed, with the Summit Mist Martial Arts team from San Francisco taking the first-place medal for their performance.
Once again competitors and judges took to the floor, organized in rings spread throughout the gymnasium. One by one, each division was called from the youngest Tiny Tigers/ Little Dragons category, up through the senior division; from white belts to blue belts, the lower ranks competed.
Parents clamored around to take photographs, shouting words of encouragement to the young competitors. As the older groups took the floor, camaraderie shone as students high-fived each other after they performed for the judges, cheering one another on.
Newly minted Master Meredyth Phillips explains the rules of sparring to young competitors
The youngest of the competitors trickled out of the gymnasium, exhausted after a long day, smiles lingering on their faces as they clutched medals hanging around their necks. The older kids and adults, hung on, patiently waiting as the competition came to a close eight hours later, eager to see who would walk away with the coveted cups.
As the winners were announced and made their way to the front to accept their awards from Grandmaster Strong, their fellow Tang Soo Do practitioners cheered loudly.
When the winner of the Senior Male Dan Cup was announced, one blue belt with Dutch braids cheered a bit louder as she watched her father jog to the front to accept his award. The Hubers returned home with a cup and the knowledge that they passed their blackbelt tests, but most importantly, with memories that will stay with them for years to come.
2022 Region 1 Cup Winners:
Junior Female Dan Cup Winner – Jillian Kirgin from Reno United Tang Soo Do
Junior Male Dan Cup Winner – Thomas Chang from Summit Mist Martial Arts
Adult Female Dan Cup Winner – Gelsy Funes-Salazar from Reno United Tang Soo Do
Adult Male Dan Cup Winner – Edward Rodriguez from Incline Martial Arts
Senior Female Dan Cup Winner – Dena Kirgin from Reno United Tang Soo Do
Senior Male Dan Cup Winner – Ross Huber from Dragon Heart Tang Soo Do
Junior Female Gup Cup Winner – Kinsey Lancaster from Roseburg Martial Arts
Junior Male Gup Cup Winner – Jeffery Briswalter from Reno United Tang Soo Do
Adult Female Gup Cup Winner – Abigail Vickers from Roseburg Martial Arts
Adult Male Gup Cup Winner – Jesse Ernst from Loyal Heights Martial Arts
Senior Female Gup Cup Winner -Anna Echaniz from Summit Mist Martial Arts
Senior Male Gup Cup Winner – Clifford Skaggs from White Dragon Tang Soo Do
Local blackbelt Candidates that tested and passed on Friday night:
Ross Huber from Dragon Heart Tang Soo Do tested for second-degree blackbelt
Leland Saloman from Dragon Heart Tang Soo Do tested for first-degree blackbelt
Eva Huber from Dragon Heart Tang Soo Do tested for first-degree blackbelt
Clifford Skaggs from White Dragon Tang Soo Do tested for first-degree blackbelt
To learn more about the World Tang Soo Do Association, visit their website at https://worldtangsoodo.com.
To learn more about Master Wolverton’s studios in Humboldt County, visit her Facebook page here or visit the region one Facebook page here.
Master Kristina Olsen with student Mason Schmitt from Paresh Martial Arts in San Francisco
A blackbelt performs and open-hand form as the panel of judges watch
Two orange belt students spar as center judge, Bob Gross, monitors
Young competitors wait patiently ringside
A competitor comforts another young competitor as he grapples with a difficult loss in youth sparring which entails pulling “flags” from your competitor’s belt
Two young Roseburg Martial Arts students watch the other competitors from the stands
Autumn Hill and Korina Castillo from White Dragon Tang Soo Do said their favorite part of the event was meeting new friends
Note: This author and the owner of Redheaded Blackbelt, Kym Kemp, both trained and earned black belts under Master Wolverton.
This article is written by Lisa Music, a local freelance journalist. To reach Lisa about tips, questions or comments, email her at [email protected]
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
I love and support all martial arts. I do find it very concerning that many modern martial arts instill students with a false sense of their ability to defend themselves. This is primarily due to the rules of the combat sport associated with the martial art and sparring.
Scoring points for light contact does not realistically simulate self-defense situations or develop practices suitable for self-defense.
There’s nothing wrong with that, so long as the practitioners understand that without full contact sparring and a combat sport component allowing full contact, they are not preparing unarmed for self-defense.
Not if they use the crane kick!! 😉
I think you’re missing the point here. Self defense is somewhere down the list from respect for self and respect for others, balance and physical control and the lifelong friendships that are formed in a dojo. 🙏
No I’m not missing the point. You are correct that from SOME martial arts self-defense is low on the list. The problem is that, all that too often, that doesn’t seem to be communicated to the students practicing those martial arts.
If it were explained to them that they would be preparing themselves for a self-defense situation about as well as if they were to be taking dance classes, that would be a good thing.
A lot of female participants. That’s a good thing. And a lot have achieved high goals.
Only form of defense that’s not illegal in ca.
Judging by the pictures, I think its safe to assume black belts aren’t what they used to be. Woke blackbelts if you will. p.s. every one gets a trophy.
Except you.
There’s a saying… “ fuck around and find out”. That comes to mind when reading your comment.
And there’s also a saying…..”don’t write a check your ass can’t cash”. Good job Shane calling out non contact black belts. No contact means no experience getting hit.
Awesome article! What great coverage of a local event.
Congratulations to all the tested participants! What an ordeal you have gone through and are absolutely the better for it. I know all have trained near daily for months and years to get through the tests both successfully and unsuccessfully! If unsuccessful keep training and hone down everything until you are virtually a bullet. So you can sail through the next testing efforts. You know you can.
Everyone take a moment of breath before the next day of training. Give your feets a nice massage!
WTSDA is an excellent route to self esteem and confidence building. As well as the implementation of discipline.
Well done all! Everyone can benefit from the program. I encourage all females to do so.
Ko Map Sum Ni Da
Great article (love the positive attitude)! That picture of the Hubers was so cute and clever.
Grasshopper