Start the School Year Off Strong - The 33rd DMAC!

Mark your calendars for the 33rd Denver Martial Arts Championships to take place on September 8-9, 2023 at Alameda International. Our Denver Martial Arts Championships began in the early 1990s and has been our kick-off to one fantastic CTI-year after another! Practice well and always compete in the true spirit of the AMASEA, MSK, and CTI.

Moo Sul Kwan was brought to the United States in 1969 by Lee H. Park when he settled in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, home of Southeast Missouri State University.  Lee H. Park, 9th Dan, was an educational pioneer in the martial arts of the United States.  Great Grandmaster Park founded the American Marital Arts Sports and Education Association in 1981, and had many Moo Sul Kwan schools in the area.                                                                           

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute was founded in 1983. Today there are CTI Campus locations teaching Moo Sul Kwan martial arts in  Green Mountain, Littleton, Westminster, Golden, Conifer, and Craig, Colorado. The CTI also provides educational excellence at  many of our community’s elementary, middle and high schools, like the program here at Alameda International!

Black belts will compete Friday evening and all other belts will compete on Saturday.  Brochures with more information are available from your instructor. Events include:

• Poomse
• Tiger Poomse & Following Directions
• Sparring
• First Point Wins! 
• Black Belt Staff Competition
• Breaking 

Registration for the 33rd Denver Martial Arts Championship tournament on September 8th and 9th is officially open and online only.  Please register by clicking here and then click the red box that reads '33rd DMAC.'  Please note that even if you have informed your instructor that you will be attending the tournament, you still must register and remit payment via the above link.  

Karate Lessons - Martial Arts Classes at the CTI

By Peyton Brauch, 4th dan

Many people here in Colorado are looking to get themselves or a family member involved with some type of martial arts classes, but often don't know what is the best to choose. Often times people look into Karate lessons because it seems to be a popular sport for families, both kids and adults. But what really is the best martial arts to practice?

Karate and Taekwondo are fairly similar martial arts. Karate originates from Japan and tends to have more hand techniques in the martial art; while Taekwondo is a Korean martial art which tends to focuses more on kicks. They are pretty similar, and in fact, some people call Taekwondo Korean Karate. 

While both martial arts can be good for your body and mind, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is right in the Denver area. Established in 1983, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is one of the highest rated martial arts schools in the area. When looking into a martial art for yourself or a family member, it's more important to look at the quality of the program versus the martial art being taught. 

Taekwondo has many beneficial classes available for students of any age. If you are looking to try Korean karate classes, give the Colorado Taekwondo Institute a try. There are classes focusing on every age group and instructors that are dedicated to helping you reach black belt and achieve your personal goals in self-control, discipline, perseverance, physical fitness, and confidence. 

This organization has been around Colorado for over 40 years and has been helping students of all ages and abilities achieve their goals inside and outside of their martial arts classes. With locations in Arvada/Westminster, Golden, Lakewood, Littleton/Morrison, and conifer/Evergreen, there is sure to be a convenient location near you. The CTI has many opportunities for learning outside of normal classes which include the Summer Expos, Summer Camps, Day Camps, Tournaments, and more. 

If you are searching to try Karate lessons and you try classes at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, instructors and fellow students will make sure that you are welcomed and that you are learning at your pace. Instructors take the time to break down new moves and concepts you learn in class to provide you with a clear understanding of anything and everything learned through our program. Classes are circulated on getting students to, and even beyond, personal goals while also focusing on the mental and spirit related aspects of martial arts. Try out martial arts classes at any Colorado Taekwondo Institute anytime and reach out to learn more about what the CTI has for you.

Odyssey of the Sul was a Blast!

By Meredith Botnick, red belt

It’s not very often that adults get to go to summer camp, so when The Odyssey of the Sul was announced it offered a truly unique and special opportunity for adults to take a break from the real world for a few days. Spending a long weekend in the mountains doing a mix of camp activities and taekwondo was amazing and was an experience I hope to repeat in the future. 

Camp started on Thursday afternoon, and while it was a stormy afternoon in Denver it was absolutely gorgeous at Snow Mountain Ranch. Despite the forecast saying otherwise, the weather really couldn’t have been better all weekend. Once everyone was checked in, we gathered in the Centennial building for dinner which presented an excellent opportunity to meet students from other schools before everything kicked off. After the first of several amazing meals, we regrouped in Leggett and met our teams for the weekend. Each team was named after an Ancient Greek hero, and we began work on a demo that symbolized our heroes and incorporated different aspects of Moo Sul Kwan training before calling it a night. 

With the theme of camp being about a journey, on Friday many of us journeyed back to childhood with the camp activities. It was so much fun to try out archery, tackle my first climbing wall in nearly 20 years, and go zip lining surrounded by spectacular scenery. We capped off the day with a round of mini golf and then laughter and fun with the tubing hill and the “Minute to Win It” games after dinner. 

Saturday started with a bit of training before breakfast and then dove back into our Odyssey of the Sul with a hike to the waterfall with one step sparring and self defense training along the way. The hike was meant to be a journey and not a race, and our group leaders facilitated wonderful discussions along the way. It was really neat to get to know the other members of my group and learn about their individual journeys in Moo Sul Kwan. We came back having forged new and better relationships with our groups and gaining a better understanding not only of Moo Sul Kwan but each other. We spent the rest of the afternoon making our videos and prepping our demos before another fun filled evening of games, live music, and our own CTI version of line dancing. 

Sunday began with a bit of a bittersweet feeling of reflecting over the awesomeness of the last few days but knowing that like all good things camp must end and we all needed to get back to reality. We all performed our demos to the families that had gathered for the end of camp, and it was truly awesome to see the creativity each group used in their demos along with learning more about the Ancient Greek heroes. We were able to spend a last few minutes reflecting on our journeys, both as individuals and as a group, as we watched the video compiled of each group’s activities over the weekend. 

I drove back to Denver at the conclusion of camp feeling renewed in my journey within Moo Sul Kwan and ready to tackle my day to day life with new perspectives and energy. The Odyssey of the Sul was a truly unique and amazing experience, and I would highly recommend that the other adult students in CTI participate the next time we do a “big kids” camp.