Lorette 10 Year Old Achieves Taekwondo Junior Black Belt

Aethos Taekwondo’s Lorette Branch acquired the distinction hosting the first student promoted by Master Lionel Bernier to the rank of 1st Poom Black Belt on July 14. This is the junior black belt earned by those students who are under the age of 15 years.

According to Bernier, ten year old Matylda Stasica earned this promotion on the backs of the outstanding performances she displayed in January at her red belt test and in April at her black stripe test. In both instances, the testing committees had awarded her consecutive Outstanding Performance awards.

Bernier was encouraged to promote Matylda to 1st Poom by fellow Master Robert Quon after reviewing the material prepared on Matylda compiled by Bernier.

Elisabeth Fust, the Senior Instructor who oversaw much of Matylda’s training, also supported the decision to promote the young girl.

“We will never have another like Matylda,” noted Fust. “It also helped that Matylda was a double Gold Medal winner in patterns (poomsae) and sparring (kyorugi) at the February 2023 Winter Classic Taekwondo Tournament hosted by Taekwondo Manitoba. This is a first for Aethos Taekwondo.”

The promotion officially took place on July 27 at the Lorette dojang of Aethos Taekwondo in the presence of the club’s black belts, Matylda’s family, and colour belts. Master Bernier presented Matylda with a “Book of Memories” that documents her journey in Taekwondo from white belt to 1st Poom Black Belt.

Matylda will now enter into a new chapter in her Taekwondo journey as she and her family leaves Lorette at the end of July for their new home in Ottawa.

Bernier said Aethos Taekwondo was honoured to have laid the foundation Matylda’s knowledge and skills in Taekwondo.

Matylda will likely join Phoenix Taekwondo in Ottawa that is headed by a qualified National Coach.

“I wish all the best for my little Fighting Dragonet,” added Bernier.