Local women receive black belts

Contributed Photo/Courtesy Alissa Stockton: Allissa Stockton, left, and Keena Polen recently received their black belts in Taekwondo.

brooke@gilavalleycentral.net

SAFFORD – Their fists are as fast as lightning and they are just a little bit frightening.

Locals residents Allissa Stockton and Keena Polen recently received their black belts from Grand Master Kim in Globe. Grand Master Kim is an eighth-degree black belt and an international instructor with the World Taekwondo Federation from Korea. Stockton and Polen have trained under Grand Master Kim and Master Chad Chastine since 2010.

Contributed photo by: Alissa Stockton/ Grand Master Kim Walking on glass during the Black Belt Award cerimony and demonstration

Contributed Photo/Courtesy Alissa Stockton: Grand Master Kim demonstrates walking on glass during the black belt award ceremony.

Stockton, of Safford, is an acupuncturist, yoga instructor and dance instructor. She also teaches Tae Kwon Do and Hop Ki Do at Rose Hill Wellness in Thatcher. Although she is now a black belt, she began her training with only a basic interest. She was not training to earn her belts until she did further research on the subject.

“I have always been interested in martial arts,” Stockton said. “My research opened my eyes to how lucky I was to get with an organization that has legitimate lineage and ties to one of the oldest and most reputable organizations in the business.”

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