Regional Black Belt testing to be held in Fallsburg

Over 100 candidates to be evaluated for promotion

MOUNTAINDALE, NY — On Saturday, October 20, over 100 martial artists and their families will come to Sullivan County for the 120th Black Belt Testing for the U.S. Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation. The candidates to be evaluated come from all over New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maryland. The testing will be hosted by local martial arts school Upstate Karate of Mountaindale, owned by area resident Alexandra Lalieu, and held at the Fallsburg High School.

The local community will be permitted to watch most of the testing events, which will include basic and advanced techniques, jump kicks, forms, self defense, endurance, sparring, general knowledge and board breaking. Lalieu is a fourth Dan (black belt) and a certified master instructor who has been training for over 21 years. Among those being tested will be local businesswoman Barbara Schmitt of Mountaindale, who will face the challenging instructor (Kyo Sa) certification examination as well as testing for the rank of second Dan. She and her children became the first three students to join Upstate Karate of Mountaindale on the day it opened.

The evaluation will be presided over by Grandmaster H.C. Hwang, president of the World Moo Duk Kwan and the U.S. Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, and will be conducted from 9:00 a.m. until about 2:00 p.m., with a special workshop for non-testing federation member students at 8:15 a.m.

For more information call 845/434-0500.