Knowledge, Creativity and School Pride

By Kyle Feagans, purple belt

Black Belt Team in Munich, Germany

There are many different ways to gain knowledge and creativity.  The process of gaining knowledge and creativity begins at an early age.  We gain knowledge and creativity from our elementary, junior high, high school and college teachers and professors.  They teach us to listen, read and think.  They encourage us to keep pushing, to be persistent to achieve our dreams and goals.  Fortunately and unfortunately knowledge, at times, is gained through life experiences.  Many of our most difficult life challenges are the ones that provide us with the most knowledge…knowledge that one day we can pass along to those we encounter through our life journey.

We gain and share knowledge and creativity in our work and home environment.  We are always surrounded by leaders, mentors, friends and family with years of experience.  They teach us the knowledge and creativity that they have gained in raising a family or in the occupation, business and industry we choose to pursue from their journey through life.  Like those before us, we will gain knowledge and creativity from the “School of Hard Knocks.” Then, at some point in time we will be provided with the opportunity to pass our experience along too.

Advancement of knowledge also brings creativity.  Creativity in itself is a sign of knowledge.  The art of Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo is an example of Knowledge and Creativity that has been passed along from generation to generation and from person to person.  Many of the poomse we learn are very old.  They have been created by a diverse group of people.  Their knowledge and creativity is evident in the line of movements, pattern and meaning of the poomse.  If it were not for the passion of those that posses the knowledge and creativity of taekwondo to pass it along to those with the passion to gain the knowledge and creativity the art would not be what it is today.

School pride can be shown in many ways.  It can be shown by the way we care for and encourage our fellow students.  It can be shown by our ability to listen to the upper belts, black belts and instructors that have a passion to help us meet our MSK Taekwondo goals.  School pride is seen because we treat others the way we want to be treated.  Our school pride can be seen in the way take care of the school itself.  We keep the changing and workout rooms as well as the workout equipment clean and organized.  We keep the lobby area clean for family, friends and guest so that they have an enjoyable and comfortable place to watch their family and friends workout.

I am very thankful for my family and home.  Being a father of two, while it has many challenges, it also bring a lot of joy and laughter to my life.  I continue to learn just how much knowledge and creativity it takes to raise children.  A creative solution to a problem that worked one day may not work the next day.  It always fascinates me when getting together with friends that conversations regarding our kids always comes up.  We talk about their happenings at school, their hobbies and discipline struggles.  It is during these conversations that I gain knowledge and get creative ideas that may work in my home.  I am thankful for the knowledge and creative advice that I get from my  family too.  Much of the advice they give is to remind me that they are a lot like me…now I understand why I have to be so creative and must gain so much knowledge.

What I Try to Do

By Don Symington, blue belt

From the August Homework - Knowledge, Creativity and School Pride

I often share my knowledge by teaching or mentoring others, especially in areas where I may be considered an expert or have greater knowledge.  This is related to my position at work where I often have to provide leadership and technical advice or direction.  I share by showing, advising, developing training materials and teaching.  I also share overall knowledge by how I act and approach situations.  I share knowledge at MSK by helping others or practicing with others, often answering questions or directing them to those with the knowledge and skill, if it is above my knowledge.

I try to act as a role model to others, both at the CTI Campus where I have younger students, or those of a lower belt as well as those that may be looking up to me as an adult.  I try to lead by example at work and home with great work ethics, working hard to achieve what I have set out to achieve.  By doing this I hopefully am helping show others what is right and how they can show the school pride.  I never disrespect the school or people and would not be afraid of standing up for the school or those wanting to be supported in showing school pride.  I hopefully help represent what the school pride is and strives to achieve.

I will try and spend more time and effort treating my family in ways that I would want to be treated.  As our family grows older my sons have gained much knowledge and experience and I need to understand that they have learned and developed into individuals that should be treated as peers more than children.  I should apply the training I have developed to listen more and lead by example more while maintaining a lighter side that takes time to try more creative things such as cooking and laughing more.

CTI Picnic Time

The summer season of 2011 - starting to wind down . . . what a fantastic summer!  Thinking back on the last couple of months makes your virtual CTI head spin . . . we got so much accomplished this summer that the fall promises to be something special.  Some of the things we did in the past past sixty days . . .the Moo Sul Kwan Summer Expo XXVII in Colorado Springs, Camp MSK '11 at Snow Mountain Ranch, the CTI Black Belt Team World Tour '11 in Germany / Austria, the Buffalo Bill Days Parade in Golden, CTI Promotion Tests, Water World, Special Workouts and Events.  We were so busy, the summer seemed to go by extremely fast.

Taekwondo Kids Having Fun!

So how do we end up a summer such as this?  Rest?  No!  We have a picnic!

Around 250 students, instructors, family members and friends attended our 4th Annual CTI Picnic at Tanglewood Park in Golden!  There were games, contests and some of the best food of the summer at our annual get-together.

At the picnic, we competed in throwing games like the Softball Toss, Frisbee Toss, Shoe Kickin
g, Ultimate Frisbee and the Football Toss.  Later, everyone's favorite, the Catch the Water Balloon Slingshotted by Three Dads, got everyone soaked and laughing as they tried to catch water filled balloons launched to the stratosphere!

Special thanks goes to everyone who came.  The food that was brought was outstandingly delicious and we had perfect weather and the best of company.  Thanks to the Golden Campus and Mr. Evans for hosting us in our annual day in the park.

Parade Poetically Projected

By Holly Madayag, red belt

The students woke early Saturday morning to a beautiful sunny day
Not a single cloud to threaten rain;
We donned our uniforms in the usual way
And prepared to show the masses how hard we train.

We anxiously waited for our turn

Our Parade Demo Team!

On a back street in downtown Golden;
And ever so quickly we did learn
That we were third in line and holdin’.

There were lots of folks and little shade
Excitement filled the air;
It was the annual Buffalo Bill’s Day Parade
And the CTI was proudly there!

We were honored to see some of the many other groups paradin’
Such an amazing sight;
Cowboys on horseback masqueradin’
Gymnasts backspringing with all their might!

And then it was time, it was our school’s chance
We marched in tall and proud;
Then each of us assumed our best low stance
With kihaps bold and loud!

As we neared the judges, we stood entirely still
Then Master Albrechtson gave the commands;
And we began breaking, poomse and a walking drill
You could hear a pin drop in the stands.

And in the crowd there was a little boy
We’ll just call him Tommy;
He watched in awe as the black belts broke
Then I saw him tug her shirt, point and say, “Look, Mommy!”

It was at that moment I surely knew
As I watched him hold his hand out for a flyer;
That this is why we do what we do –
And why our spirit will never tire.

I hope “Tommy’s” mom will sign him up
And he trains hard and becomes strong;
And then in next year’s parade he could march with us
And the crowd would get a chance to see his best Tae Geuk Il Chang!

CTI Taekwondo: A Journey to 30 - Something Again

By Jim Intriglia, orange belt

“Hey Dad, want to go with us on a day hike to the Square Top summit by Guanella Pass? It'll be fun! So were the thoughts of my seventeen year-old son, Dakotah. It was my son’s birthday; he was looking for something unique and fun for us to do on this special day

I thought back in the not too distant past, when the family drove up to Mt. Evans one bright sunny day. Upon arrival at the summit of Mt. Evans, I stepped out of the car and took a few steps. It then occurred to me that I could barely breathe. After walking a short distance, I suddenly began to feel dizzy, and though I would pass out at any moment. I sat down and tried to catch by breathe and shake the feeling of dizziness that was growing worse by the minute.

When I last visited Mt. Evans, I was 49 years old, weighed 235 pounds and sported a 38 inch waist. With a BMI index over 30, I was considered obese for my height (6’ 0”) and in poor physical shape. I suffered from asthma and was just diagnosed with sleep apnea a few years before, due mostly to being obese. Skipping forward to the present day, at 53 years of age, I weigh 213 pounds, have a 36-inch waist, and a BMI of 28. So what changed? In 2009, I decided to get back in shape, so I joined the Colorado Taekwondo Institute (Conifer campus) and began training.

Fast-forward to the present day, and back to my son’s question as to whether I wanted to hike to Square Top, at  an elevation about 13,800 feet above sea level. The last time I had completed such a day hike in the high country, I was thirty-something and in much better shape. I tipped  the scales at only 190 pounds. “I dunno, son. I am in much better shape since I began Taekwondo two years ago, but I don't know if I am in any kind of shape to do even a short high-altitude day hike. What's the elevation at the top of “Square Top”?

“13, 800 ft,” my son replied, “but you don't have to hike all the way up to the top if you don't feel up to it.”. So off we went, accompanied by a good friend, his seven-year old son, and their trusty mountain-hiking St. Bernard, Gracie.

Arriving at the top of Guanella Pass, we parked the Jeep and had a look at the peak we were going to attempt to top that day.

“That looks to be a good half-day hike to the top”, I shared with our group. “It's actually a couple of hours hike... not very far; a good preparatory hike for a fourteener”, said Deron, our good friend and hike guide for the day.

Looking at the summit and the long trail to it, I thought of the last time I had successfully completed a day hike like this: ten or fifteen years ago.

It wasn't long before I was caught-up in all of the beauty that surrounded us as we hiked to the summit. After hiking about an hour, we arrived at the steep part of the ascent to Square Top. “Now it will get a little tougher”, our friend Deron observed. As we hiked toward the top, I was looking mainly down at the ground, figuring out where I should place my foot next to get a good grip on the ever-increasing slope.

As we ascended, my breathing was quickening, though my muscles were not all that stressed. My day pack didn't seem all that heavy, even after walking a mile or so on varying terrain. We still had a hour or so to go, and I was still concerned that I would not be in any kind of shape to make it all the way to the top.

“That wasn't so bad, was it Dad?”

Huh? What? I glanced at my watch and realized that an hour had passed. Wow - how time flies when you are having fun!

I was having no trouble breathing, the muscles in my legs were barely tired, and I had barely broken a sweat during our trek. Glancing up at my son, I realized we had nearly reached the summit.

“What's our altitude?” I asked. “13,400 ft; I scouted a path to the summit; it about a hundred yards ahead,” said Dakotah.

Three hours later, we were all back at our vehicles looking at where we had all been-- the summit of Square Top, Guanella Pass. This hike was a piece of cake compared to one of our typical Taekwondo workouts, I thought to myself.

From my trek in the mountains, I learned that my Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo training had conditioned me in mind, body and spirit, much more than I had expected. I surely would have never been able to complete such a day hike several years ago, before I began training at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute. I am thankful for the results I have achieved thus far, and look forward to getting into even better shape as I progress in the CTI Taekwondo program.