Four Tae Kwon Do students who attend classes at Meridian Ranch Recreation Center earned black belts in March. A group of students traveled to South Carolina for testing. Tom Tang, Sarah Webb, Jeremiah Blask and Laurel Burlew tested and competed in the event, each achieving the rank of first degree black belt.Instructor Rod Preble said the black belt level is the first step in serious martial arts study. He said students usually study for three years before reaching the rank. They must demonstrate the ability to break a piece of wood 3-inches thick and are judged on their proficiency in sparring, forms and three-step drill.”This is a significant test to their maturity and persistence,” Preble said. The Chung Do Kwan school of Tae Kwon Do only awards full black belts. “The students performed to the expectations of every adult,” he said.
