Cedar Valley Taekwondo

05/31/2026

Twenty-three students braved the Mason City mat testing for their next belt. They all did a great job and represented CVTKD superbly.

Family YMCA of Black Hawk County

05/29/2026

Iowa Games is less than two months away. Hope you are considering this excellent opportunity to participate in a well-run tournament. Register by June 2 to save some money!

2026 Iowa Games Taekwondo Tournament

Sunday, July 19, 2026
Bell Center at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa

Forms and sparring divisions for all ages and abilities.

Registration:
• $55 by June 2
• $65 June 3 to July 7

Black Belts ages 10+ and adult color belts (18+) using Daedo scoring:
• $70 by June 2
• $85 June 3 to July 7

Hope to see a great Cedar Valley Taekwondo/RICE Tae Kwon Do turnout! 🥋

05/08/2026

2026 Iowa Games Taekwondo Tournament

Sunday, July 19, 2026
Bell Center at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa

Forms and sparring divisions for all ages and abilities.

Registration:
• $55 by June 2
• $65 June 3 to July 7

Black Belts ages 10+ and adult color belts (18+) using Daedo scoring:
• $70 by June 2
• $85 June 3 to July 7

Hope to see a great Cedar Valley Taekwondo/RICE Tae Kwon Do turnout! 🥋

04/27/2026

Cedar Valley Taekwondo participated in Healthy Kids’ Day at the Family YMCA of Black Hawk County on Saturday, April 18th!

Our instructors and black belts had a wonderful time working with kids, introducing them to Taekwondo, and sharing the values of confidence, discipline, and fun through martial arts.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit us—we loved being part of such a great community event! Kayla James Sara Poock Family YMCA of Black Hawk County

04/23/2026

Mats are getting put down at 6:00 p.m. sharp please wait in the gym until you are told to come in the room by an instructor

04/17/2026

A new chapter is ahead!

Cedar Valley Taekwondo – Mason City is transitioning to RICE Tae Kwon Do on June 1, 2026, under the leadership of Master Lee Shafer and Master Tom Brotherton.

Both Cedar Valley Taekwondo and RICE Tae Kwon Do are proud Pak Family schools, guided by Grand Master Yong Chin Pak and Master Matthew Hamann.

Pictured are some of the leaders who have shaped and will continue to support this program:
Mr. Kole Franklin (Current Assistant Instructor), Ms. Heather Eckler (Current Head Instructor), Grand Master Ron Rice (Guiding Mentor, RICE Tae Kwon Do & Cedar Valley Taekwondo), Master Lee Shafer (Owner/Instructor, RICE Tae Kwon Do), Master Kayla Rommann (Head Instructor, Cedar Valley Taekwondo – Waterloo), and Master Teresa Nickell (Owner/Instructor, Cedar Valley Taekwondo).

Not pictured: Master Thomas Brotherton (Assistant Instructor, RICE Tae Kwon Do) and Master Alexis Redeker (Past Head Instructor, RICE Tae Kwon Do & Cedar Valley Taekwondo).

While the name and leadership are changing, the heart of the program remains the same—with familiar faces continuing to be part of the journey along the way.

04/14/2026

After the headache of trying to notify everyone short notice about classes tonight I have decided to start a group me which is an app that allows us to have instant messaging in a private capacity, please private text/email me for the link if you don't already have access! - Master Rommann

04/14/2026

ALERT!!!

Cedar Valley classes are canceled at the YMCA due to storm damage tonight April 14th 2026

04/14/2026

Hello family, as some of you may have heard from your kids we are making some adjustments to vlass times.

Other classes have been added to the roster and unfortunately that does mean we cannot get into the room before 6:00 p.m.

All students need to show up at 6:00 to either assist with mats or those who are not actively assisting can stretch or warm up in the center of the room.

Classes will begin hopefully at 6:15 if all goes well with setup. We will end classes around 7:15 and begin picking up the mats and bow out by 7:30 at the latest. Please be patient with us as we do our best.

Healthy kids day is April 18th we would like people to show up and be prepared to demonstrate skills or offer any answers to questions based on your experience.

Thank you for your patience!

01/08/2026

It is with a heavy heart that we share this obituary, anyone who spent a lot of time at the YMCA was familiar with Mitch Gates. To be completely honest he was the backbone of the Y. Between his genuine caring attitude and his bright smile, it was easy to like Mitch. Rest easy friend.

Mitchell "Mitch" Gates, 38, of Evansdale, died Thursday, January 1, 2026, at MercyOne Hospital in Waterloo. He was born September 27, 1987, in Waterlo...