Last month, Southbury Taekwon-do marked its 35th year of business partnership with the Southbury Parks and Recreation program. A holiday party was held at the Parks and Recreation building to celebrate after their seasonal promotion ceremony. In attendance were former Southbury Taekwon-do instructor Laura Schieble, and many friends and family of current and previous program participants. Following the promotion ceremony, family members were invited to compete in the annual Chon-ji Challenge where they performed the introductory color belt pattern. This year Bryan Wood was named Chon-ji Challenge Champion and received the coveted trophy. The evening closed out with food and “Taekwon-do Jeopardy,” a group favorite.
Bill Evans started the Southbury Taekwon-do program in 1988, and was the Chief Instructor, on and off until 2019. Other instructors over the years were Laura Sheible, Jeff Juliard, Glenn McGlynn, and Chris Tessitore. The current Chief Instructor is James De Carli, an award-winning fourth-degree black belt, who has been involved with the program for 18 years. He operates the business with his two sons, Rob and Dan, both second-degree black belts. Southbury Parks and Recreation Director Michael Ganem stated, “One of our core missions is to sponsor programs that appeal to multi-generations. Mr. DeCarli and Southbury Taekwon-do accomplish this mission. Congratulations on 35 years!”
Southbury Taekwon-do is an ongoing martial arts program that has taught generations of Southbury residents the value of sportsmanship, discipline, and physical fitness. Class registration is open to all ages seven and up. For more information and to register, please visit the Southbury Parks & Recreation website. You can also find more information about Southbury Taekwon-do at https://southburytkd.com.
Back row (left-to-right): Master James De Carli, Walter Krauss, Crystal Wood, Demetric Moss, Taylan Uludag, Robert De Carli, Daniel De Carli, Catherine De Carli, Okan Uludag
Front row (left-to-right): Ashley Sanders, Alexis Sanders, Celeste Wood, Leslie Broch, Walter Krauss, Jr., Weston White, Derya Eti, Zachary Dwyer