Pil Sung Taekwondo students earn world certification
Passed with flying colors: Pil Sung Taekwondo in Guilderland had 15 students earn world certification this week. From left, front row: Hunnan Jafri, An Nguyen, Matthew Drake, Hena Shiju, Trinity Kenney, Suraj Kadajji, Surya Krishnakumar, and Dylan Lawless. Middle row: Joe Hasan, Sean Heller, Matthew Krieg, Joseph Kenney, Shiju Salahudeen, Hassain Shiju, Sidharth Shamshabad, Jack Javoroski, Shashank Shamshabad, and Nina Beauchaine. Back row: Brendan Tarantino, Kirk Fisher, William Witzleben, Shreyas Nampoothiri, Ethan Lawless, Mahsum Jafri, Christopher Lam, and Rosanna Hsu.
GUILDERLAND — Last Saturday, 15 students at Pil Sung Taekwondo in Guilderland completed an advanced belt testing held to international standards set forth by the World Taekwondo Headquarters (Kukkiwon) in Seoul, Korea.
Twelve of the students earned their first-dan (degree) black belt in the Korean art of Taekwondo, for which several years of intense training is required. Newly promoted black belts include Matthew Drake, Hunnan Jafri, Mahsum Jafri, Jack Javoroski, Suraj Kadajji, Surya Krishnakumar, Shreyas Nampoothiri, Shiju Salahudeen, Shashank Shamshabad, Sidharth Shamshabad, Hassain Shiju, and William Witzleben.
Both Sean Heller and Christopher Lam earned their second-dan black belts after training a minimum of two years beyond their first-dan promotion.
Brendan Tarantino was promoted to third dan after continuously training since his second-dan promotion three years ago.
In addition to the promotional exam, four students participated in a pre-test to prepare for the full black belt testing in six to 12 months. Another six individuals took a maintenance exam as they incrementally work toward advanced rank of second through sixth-degree black belt.
Sixth-dan Joe Hasan, owner and master instructor at Pil Sung Taekwondo, administered the testing.