West Coast Martial Arts students test for black belts

West Coast Martial Arts sent 12 students to San Jose to test for their black belts in November.

Five of the 12 were already black belts going for their second degree.

Candidates for first degree black belts included Malina Wilson, Zach Cupp, Justin Stearns, David Vees, Brianna Randall, Spencer Stearns and Brittany Wilson.

The candidates for second degree were Alex Kallas, Justin Freeman, Alex Cich, Jake Kangas and Tim Bowers.

The students tested in many areas of martial arts training such as point sparring, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsue, boxing and Thai boxing, UFC-style MMA techniques, Eskrima stick fighting, kicking, traditional forms, physical endurance, board breaking and a written essay and written test.

The second degree black belts had to spend months choreographing their own creative form and performed it in front of a large crowd at the University of Santa Clara auditorium.

These students have been training from 5 to 10 years and have been very dedicated to their training.

They have been getting in the best shape of their lives and helping teach classes several days a week for the last six months in preparation for the test.

Bowers and Kallas each received two best-tester awards and Cich received one for being the best testers in their respective age groups out of 250 athletes.

Leading the testing was master instructor Ernie Reyes Sr., recently voted one of the top black belts of the 20th century and inducted into the black belt hall of fame and master instructor George Fujii from Gardnerville. Fujii has recently been nominated for the black belt hall of fame.

For more information on West Coast Martial Arts, contact 782-8343.