Fire Dragon certifies 23 black belts

By Sean Rooney on January 31, 2019.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

It’s a big deal for any martial arts dojo when one person attains a black belt.

But this week, Fire Dragon Taekwondo in Medicine Hat handed out certificates to 23 of them.

The big number is in part because some of them had tested last May, while another group test took place in December.

“The first one in particular was quite a large testing,” said instructor Jason Handley. “We’re about 300 students now, we’re in a situation where our testings for black belt are typically 15 or 16 people at a time.”

As a result, the age range of the recipients was predictably large. From an 11-year-old to Sandra Handley — Jason is her husband — at 50 years old, they all went through a rigorous set of tests.

“Our testing, it was tough,” said 13-year-old Sloan Akins, among 10 who attained a second-degree black belt. “Stay up for 24 hours, with no food, then you have the testing after that. I think the hardest part was to meditate for 30 minutes, you’re not supposed to move and you keep your eyes closed. Then you get a 30 minute break, then do it three times.”

Sandra had the added difficulty of doing it on an arthritic knee. But she had set a goal of getting her first-degree black belt before she turned 50. She was all-in.

“We’re pretty much constantly moving, which can be challenging,” she said. “It was hard, it was difficult, however we earned our belts. The camaraderie with your group that you’re testing with is just great.”

Akins has been involved in taekwondo since he was four years old and is already looking forward to potentially earning his third degree belt. But he recognizes it’s the journey of learning that is most valuable.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot, not just within the actual sport itself but as far as respect and self-control goes, taekwondo has definitely taught me a lot.”

Sandra Handley hopes to get a third degree someday as well, but after four years in the martial art has picked up some important lessons.

“What I’ve found for myself being a female, and not a very tall-statured female, the confidence, you carry yourself with confidence,” she said. “That situational awareness, the instructors and Master (Mark) Pellerin have been very good with making sure that’s part of it as we go through our training, not get ourselves into situations where we’re going to have to use self-defence, but to be really situationally aware and protect ourselves that way.”

Other second-degree black belts were awarded to Jeremy Akins, Seth Akins, Jared Darley, Teanna Oulette, Anna Ronnquist, Nicholas Samuelson, Thomas Dixon, Raymond Ngo and Jeremy Ngo.

Other first-degree black belts went to Robie Aberle, Jathen Boyd, Dakota Cole, Kyrina Cole, Gavin Grubert, Korben Johnson, Jayden Lanz, Sadie McLean, Kayla Meyers, Mason Pocsik, Kannan Stickel and Eric Stock.

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