Master Debbie Gutzwiller Teaches Self-Defense During Black Belt Weekend

Congratulations to our newest black belts, Reid Powers, Abigail Almeroth and Nolan Swain! This November, Senior Master Debbie Hagedorn-Gutzwiller traveled from Ross, Ohio, to join us for Black Belt Weekend, and it was a weekend to remember.

Self-defense with Master Debbie and Master Meredith

The weekend opened on Friday evening with a self-defense seminar taught by Master Debbie and Master Meredith Sasseen. It was open to everyone and beginner-friendly, and it focused on situational awareness and hands-on practice.

Master Debbie holds black belts in Taekwondo, Hapkido and Kuk Sool Won. She owns Korean Martial Arts and Fitness in Ross, where she teaches Taekwondo, Hapkido, kickboxing and fitness, and she serves as a Regional Director for the Global Hapkido Association, training and mentoring future instructors. Master Meredith is a certified Global Hapkido Association instructor who specializes in self-defense for travelers and ex-pats, and she teaches here in Santa Barbara.

Three new black belts

On Saturday morning, Reid, Abigail and Nolan stepped onto the mat for their first degree black belt test. They demonstrated the skills they had worked so hard on throughout their training, and all three earned their black belts. We're so proud of you.

Thank you to every family member, friend and fellow student who came to cheer them on.

Why we learn from guest masters

We believe every martial artist grows by learning from different teachers. A guest master brings a new lens to the techniques our students practice every week, and training beside a master from another school reminds all of us that we belong to a much bigger Hapkido family.

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