Apex gym promotes 14 students to yellow belt
(Photo by Victor Corral Martinez) Coach Brad Anderson watches Jimmy Wright perform his high kicks.
The whole gym comes together to celebrate the accomplishments of everyone as a team.
(Photo by Victor Corral Martinez) Coaches Anderson and Arcinas awarding belts for students who passed the testing.
(Photo by Victor Corral Martinez) Coaches Anderson and Arcinas speaking to the students testing for belts.
BONNERS FERRY — Apex gym and Taekwondo coach Brad Anderson awarded 14 yellow belts to well-deserving students after they completed a complex test showcasing their knowledge and respect for the discipline.
The school initially began with most starting as white belts, and the first promotion was five students receiving their yellow belts, but the word is out, and many have joined to learn under Anderson.
“Taekwondo is really good for kids because it teaches them discipline and respect,” Anderson said, “They not only respect themselves but their teammates.”
Anderson has been teaching Taekwondo for the last year at APEX gym but briefly shut down because of COVID-19 restrictions placed on the gym.
Anderson and his partner Aileen Arcinas have worked hard to teach students ranging from 5-year-olds to adults.
Both coaches are collegiate competitors trained at California State University — East Bay; combined, and they have 25 years of training in the field.
Anderson is a 2nd-degree black belt, and Arcinas is a 3rd-degree black belt with experience in sparring style and using this style to create a strong team.
Passionately describing his style of training, Anderson aims to train individuals to be disciplined and respectful, “Our style is Olympic style sparring taekwondo, and we really focus on the team and team building and making sure everyone is part of the team.”
The yellow belt test included knowledge of Korean numbers, shadow sparring, proper movements and high kicking.
Many students like Jimmy Wright, 10, train on Tuesday and Thursday every week from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. to learn and prepare for sparring and knowledge of the discipline.
The work is hard, physically and mentally demanding, but these students have accomplished much even after the many disruptions due to COVID-19.
According to Apex, Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art specializing in head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.
This combative sport was developed during the 1940s and 1950s by Korean martial artists, taking root in Japanese Karate, Chinese martial art and indigenous Korean martial arts.
Arcinas and Anderson are just one element of the martial arts world at Apex Gym, which offers instruction in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Woman’s Self-Defense, Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing.
For more information, you can contact Apex Gym at Apexfitgym.com.
