Meet The Master

Fred Van Hecke has endured the blood, sweat and tears of more than a half century of taekwondo training.

Passing grueling tests moved him up the black belt ranks, but his latest honor puts him in rare company.

Van Hecke, of the Town of Grafton, this month was named grand master ninth degree black belt, taekwondo’s highest attainable rank. He is the first person in the state to earn the distinction in International Taekwon-Do Federation-style taekwondo.