5th Dan Testing Press Release

Bernie J. Fritts, age 32, a native of Oliver Springs, Tennessee and currently residing in Lakeland, Florida, endured a grueling four and a half hour test on Saturday, February 17, 2001, to earn his fifth degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo. The test took place in Lakeland, at The Christian TaeKwonDo University under the supervision of seventh degree Black Belt, Grandmaster Brenda J. Sell.

The test was comprised of five segments beginning with the preparation of a portfolio, which chronicles Master Fritts personal history in TaeKwonDo. He began his training at the Oak Ridge location of TTJC in 1986 at the age of seventeen. While a red belt, he suffered an extensive ankle injury, which, had he taken his doctor’s and family’s advice, would have been a career ending injury. However, since Master Fritts has never been one to easily quit or give up on anything, he certainly wasn’t going to let this injury stop him from achieving his goal of earning his Black Belt or from attaining his dream of owning his own TaeKwonDo school. He continued to train despite this setback and earned his first degree Black Belt in 1990. By 1993, Master Fritts opened his own school, Family TaeKwonDo Center, in Knoxville.

During the years, he has trained and accompanied hundreds of students as they have competed in tournaments from the local to the national level, including numerous Junior Olympic medal winners. His highest ranked student, his stepdaughter, Kristin Newby, earned eight Junior Olympic medals before deciding to retire from competition at the age of thirteen. Master Fritts will be overseeing her fourth degree Black Belt test, which is the Master’s degree level, in late March. It is by his training and encouragement that Kristin has been able to achieve this level at the age of sixteen.

While working and training at the Family TaeKwonDo Center, Master Fritts became extensively involved in the tournament circuit, including sponsoring the East Tennessee Family TaeKwonDo Classic tournament in Knoxville each year. He also worked tirelessly at the state level in organizing and overseeing the annual Tennessee State TaeKwonDo Championships, serving for three years as the Tennessee State Secretary General to the United States TaeKwonDo Union and most recently in the capacity of Vice-President to the USTU.

In 1998, Master Fritts began his relationship with his mentors and instructors, Grandmasters Edward B. and Brenda J. Sell. During this time, he has renewed his commitment to excellence in TaeKwonDo, training with increased spirit and intensity. He has earned a position on the Sell Team, a Christian TaeKwonDo Demonstration Team. With the Sell Team, Master Fritts has performed at the local and regional levels including numerous schools, churches and at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. On the national level, he has traveled with the team and performed at numerous schools, churches and at various military bases including Fort Knox and West Point. In 1999, Master Fritts, along with the Sell Team, gave performances at the Osan Air Force Base and at schools and churches in Korea and was privileged to visit Kukkiwon, the headquarters of the World TaeKwonDo Federation, which is located in Seoul.

Master Fritts is also in demand as a seminar leader, however, with his past experience in organizing and running tournaments, his talents have been most recently utilized to organize and oversee the 3rd Annual United States Chung Do Kwan Association National Training Conference. This conference features guest Grandmaster Hae Man Park, Vice-President of Kukkiwon and instructor and mentor to Grandmaster Edward B. Sell. It is at this conference that Master Fritts will complete the final portion of his test, breaking, and be awarded his 5th degree Black Belt at a graduation ceremony.

Besides his portfolio, Master Fritts has already completed the performance of eighteen forms, preset patterns that apply the numerous stances, punches and kicks that TaeKwonDo is known for. He was also required to demonstrate one step sparring techniques in addition to traditional full contact sparring. As if this was not arduous enough, he endured a separate segment specifically to test his stamina. At the end of the four and a half hours, Master Fritts was tired, but happily achieved a test score of 9.56 out of a possible 10.

Master Fritts graduated Oliver Springs High School in 1986 and is the son of proud parents, Herb and Shirley Fritts and grandparents, Joe and Cora Cooper, all of Oliver Springs.