Four Mission Valley Taekwondo students promoted to black belt

after years of training

KALISPELL - What's the toughest part about a black belt promotion? Not the breaking of several boards with your hand or foot. Not the encyclopedia of moves that you have to have memorized. Not the pressure of the crowd or the judges watching your every move.

"The warm-ups," said four Mis-sion Valley Taekwondo students that had just endured an after-noon-long ordeal that not only tested their physical prowess, but their mental resolve as well.

"It's pretty intense," Levi Tal-sma, of Ronan, said. "It's four hours and it's constant motion."

17-year-old Talsma joined Naomi Dulmes of Ronan and her two daughters, Alex, 17, and McKenzie, 13, to travel up to Big Sky Martial Arts in Kalispell last Friday and to test for their first-degree black belt.

"It's more nerve-wracking than a tournament," Alex said.

The promotion is a culmination of years of practice and doesn't signify the end of the journey either - there's actually ten levels, or Dans, of black belt. All four studied under the tutelage of Randy Trudeau.

"I always loved the image of a black belt as a little kid," Talsma, who has been in martial arts for six years, said.

Naomi started doing Taekwon-do when her daughters picked up the sport seven years ago.

"It was something I thought I could do with my daughters," she said. "I hope it will be intertwined with them growing up."

For all four, the experience has been life-changing. Taekwondo is not just a sport that preaches physical fitness but courtesy, in-tegrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

"I've gotten more confidence than I ever had before," Talsma said.

Despite the outward appearance of it being a physical martial art, the sport is every bit a philosophy as well.

"You kind of get into it thinking it's going to be about the moves," Naomi said. "It's more about how to live your life."

Before their test, all the students had to submit a 10-page essay along with a resume for review. For each belt level, students learn a different "form" or series of movements and the black belt test requires students to remember exactly how each form is carried out precisely.

"Seven years worth of knowledge that we're going to test in four hours," Naomi said. Along with the regular classes, which are held two times a week, the students also trained additional hours to build lung capacity. All agreed that the toughest thing throughout the years was one of the tenants, perseverance.

"I think [the toughest part] is sticking to it," Alex said. "Some nights you'd rather stay home or go out with friends. That's giving up your entire night."

Along with doing martial arts, Alex also played golf for Ronan High School in the fall and soft-ball in the spring.

"It just started as something to do," Alex said. "It became some-thing more than an activity. It be-came part of who I am."

McKenzie said that motivation came from having her mother and sister doing the sport as well.

"It helps a lot," she said. "When you're down, they can always pick you back up again."

She, along with the other three, had to be at their best during the black belt promotion. The warm-up lasted over an hour and would have made most keel over and ask for a water break. All four stuck with it though.

"[The black belt] is very important. It's probably more important that my daughters get it," Naomi said. "I've made a commitment that I'm not going to quit."

After the warm-ups, the students were tested on their forms.

"They picked the forms at random and you have to recall them exactly," Talsma said.

The students were also asked to recall self-defense sets and then a board breaking segment that saw the four students create consider-able piles of lumber. The latter was more of a mental test as the students learned through the years of training that they needed confidence more than anything.

"The first time it's intimidating," Alex said. "Then you realize you can get through it."

All four were nothing but smiles after the promotion, hold-ing up their certificates for black belt which will be recognized worldwide.

Perhaps one statement was the most fitting.

"It was freakin' awesome," McKenzie said.