Photo Provided Rick Lykins, left, receives his eighth-degree Grand Master Degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do on Oct. 13 from Grand Master Sok Ho Kang. Lykins is with the Kang Tae Kwon Do school in Parkersburg.

PARKERSBURG — Master Rick Lykins received his eighth-degree Grand Master Degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do on Oct. 13 from his instructor, Grand Master Sok Ho Kang, ninth-degree black belt, founder of S.H. Kang’s Tae Kwon Do Association in 1970.

In 1973, Kang, a Tae Kwon Do master, opened a school in Parkersburg. Tae Kwon Do is among the most popular of martial arts originating in Korea and is about 1,000 years old, he said.

Lykins has trained under Kang for the past 43 years. He is one of two people to train under Kang from the original school achieving the rank of black belt. In 1976, Kang entrusted the Parkersburg branch to Charles Hannah, his first black belt from the original school, with Lykins receiving his black belt two years later, becoming the second black belt from the original Parkersburg branch.

Under their leadership, the school quickly grew and they opened a school in Sistersville, which is now located in New Martinsville. Together then have taught Tae Kwon Do to thousands of students with about 400 receiving a black belt.

Lykins is the assistant head instructor of the S.H. Kang Tae Kwon Do Association, which has branch schools in several states with the main school located in Charleston. He holds monthly black belt classes and quarterly classes for the master black belt.

Other responsibilities include assisting with belt examinations and the yearly U.S. Open Tae Kwon Do Championship Tournament in Charleston.

Lykins plays an important part organizing Tae Kwon Do in West Virginia, according to a press release. The national organization started by Kang and five other Korean masters preserves traditional Tae Kwon Do.

Lykins is a past president and vice president and permanent member of the state board and is a member of the national board of directors.

Lykins has devoted his life introducing the traditional art of Tae Kwon Do and helping local youth prepare for the future, officials said. He also hopes to continue training under Kang for years to come.