A group of Tae Kwon Do students are walking softly and carrying big kicks after successfully earning black belts at the Squamish Martial Arts and Yoga Centre on Saturday (Aug. 23).For the six students, the final test was a chance to show friends, family, and their instructors the result of years of intense training. They showcased their physical stamina with conditioning drills and practiced patterns and kicking drills, finishing the test by sending kicks and punches through wood boards.Wife/husband head instructor team Michelle Park and Scot Strachan have been training the students, including son Jesse, for many years. Strachan said it's rare for six students to vie for black belts at the same time. "I'm very proud of them all and watched them grow up into young adults," he said."It's a long road and there are ups and downs. I'm very proud that they persevered and stuck with it."Jesse started learning the Korean martial art when he was three years old. Now 17 and heading to Simon Fraser University in the fall, Jesse was the only student vying for his third degree black belt."I loved it a lot from a very young age," said Jesse, adding that he trains to keep fit and has never been forced to use his skills. "I try to avoid those situations."Jason Bartley, 27, received his second degree black belt along with Keith Gardner. For Bartley, Tae Kwon Do helped propel himself out of an unhealthy lifestyle. After graduating high school, he didn't have much direction in a life filled with partying."I was out of shape and not living a good lifestyle. I smoked and partied a lot," said Bartley, who took up martial arts when he was 18. "So I just came down here, started training and never stopped. It has helped me stay healthy and stay on a more positive direction in life."Currently working in framing while teaching martial arts, Bartley hopes one day he'll be able to make a living teaching others his skills fulltime.For Strachan, who has been instructing for 19 years, watching his students persist and achieve their goals is a rewarding experience. Each one, including first degree black belts Itzia Vriend, Dyland Shard and Arpin Bhullar, approached Tae Kwon Do armed with their personal strengths and had to overcome their own distinct challenges."Some people are very physically strong but they have trouble remembering the patterns while some people have strong memories but they aren't as physically gifted and they have to work stronger in areas," he said.But there's one thing that keeps them all at a level playing ground, he said with a smile."They were all complaining about the 100 pushups."
