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Westhampton Beach senior earns black belt

Willow DuBrovin doing karate thumbnail266456

Westhampton Beach High School senior Willow DuBrovin impressively earned her black belt in Soo Bahk Do, the oldest Korean martial art.

“It was an incredible experience where I got to train with people across the state and country, and now that I've passed it, I can maintain these skills until the next test in two years,” she said.

To earn her black belt, DuBrovin was required to take part in a three-hour test that only takes place twice a year. With no breaks and constant testing, she demonstrated mastery of basic moves, 120 standard/jump kicks, three forms, two rounds of sparring, 120 punches in 30 seconds, one-step sparring, self-defense, a jump-back kick double board break, general knowledge and an essay.

DuBrovin began training for her black belt at Studio Moodo in her freshman year of high school. She previously trained in jiu-jitsu.

When not training, DuBrovin serves as a class assistant at Studio Moodo. She is also a biweekly columnist for Dan's Papers and writes a monthly column for the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Center in the Montauk Sun. In school, she serves as the chief marketing officer for her school’s Virtual Enterprise team, PuraVie, which recently earned first place at Virtual Enterprises International’s National Business Plan Competition. Additionally, she serves as the creative director of her mother’s company.

She will be attending Dartmouth College in the fall to pursue a degree in physics on a pre-med track.

The Westhampton Beach School District extends its congratulations to DuBrovin on her accomplishment.

Date Added: 5/21/2025