Black belts awarded
<p>Left to right are, front row, instructor Janie Green; Alyssa Nicol, 39, Columbia Falls; Taylar Putnam, 14, Columbia Falls; Maria Frampton, 12, Whitefish; Seth Weidling, 15, Columbia Falls; Boyd Cole, 54, Columbia Falls; and instructor Jeff Green; back row, test board members David Holman, Carmen Noffisinger, Yvonne Tarr, Shannon Christenson, Jerelyn Jones, Patty Akovenko, Nicki Breivik, Kelcie Christenson, Trevor Gnauck and Sydney Cole.</p>
The American Karate Academy recently announced the advancement of five new First Dan Black Belts to the school.
The candidates completed a four-hour test on Sept. 14 for endurance, perseverance, knowledge of martial arts history and skill level.
They performed twelve forms, multiply kicks, blocks and stances, and broke four or five boards depending on age.
They survived escapes from grabs, holds and knives, and spent nearly an hour sparring constantly with one or more opponents.
They also were required to give a talk on how their training has influenced their lives.