The Value of Integrity: A Pillar of Everyday Life

By Eric Evans, 3rd Dan

Integrity, often considered the cornerstone of moral character, is a timeless virtue that holds immense significance in our everyday lives. It is the alignment of our actions, thoughts, and words with our deeply held principles and values. While integrity may seem intangible, its impact is far-reaching and touches every aspect of our personal and professional lives. In this article, we explore why integrity is vital and how it influences our interactions, relationships, and overall well-being.

Integrity breeds trust, forming the bedrock of meaningful connections. When individuals consistently demonstrate honesty and reliability, others develop confidence in their character. By living with integrity, Moo Sul Kwan students convey authenticity and create an environment of openness, where people feel safe to express themselves. Whether it's in personal relationships, workplaces, or even casual encounters, trust is fundamental for effective communication and fostering healthy connections.

Integrity is closely tied to personal growth and resilience. When we commit to living in alignment with our values, we cultivate self-awareness and a sense of purpose. Upholding our principles requires courage and self-discipline, leading to personal development and the ability to make informed decisions. Colorado Taekwondo classes help students develop these principles and self-discipline. Moreover, the integrity developed in class enables us to weather challenges with resilience, as it provides a moral compass to guide us through difficult times, instilling a sense of conviction and strength.

In today's interconnected world, reputation holds significant importance. Integrity plays a crucial role in shaping how others perceive us and ultimately impacts our professional and social success. Consistently acting with integrity establishes a positive reputation built on reliability, credibility, and ethical conduct. This reputation, in turn, opens doors to opportunities, fosters cooperation, and attracts like-minded individuals who value integrity. Moreover, integrity cultivates loyalty, as people are more inclined to support those who consistently display honesty and transparency.

Living a life of integrity is essential for nurturing inner harmony and well-being. When our actions align with our values, we experience a sense of congruence and inner peace. Integrity helps us avoid the internal conflict that arises from compromise and deceit, fostering emotional well-being and mental clarity. By practicing integrity, we nurture a positive self-image, boosting our self-esteem and overall satisfaction with life.

Integrity serves as an essential compass in our journey through life. Its significance extends beyond individual actions, influencing our relationships, reputation, personal growth, and overall well-being. By cultivating integrity in our daily lives, we build trust, authenticity, and resilience while enhancing our chances of success and fostering inner harmony. As we strive for a more ethical and just world, let us recognize the enduring value of integrity and embrace its transformative power in shaping a brighter future for all.

34th DMAC Results!

 

The 34th Denver Martial Arts Champs was held on September 6-7 at Alameda International School. Over 300 students of all belts and ages competed, learned, and had a memorial day. Photos will be available soon on our website's Photo page.

Special thanks to all family members and friends for their support to make this special day possible!

Congratulations to our Grand Champions, Meredith Botnick and Katie Minden!

DMAC Results

POOMSE

1st place

Collin Kreutz, Caleb Feagans, Katie Minden, Lily Strickland, Averie Chavez, Diego Quezada, Evan Mcewan, Zoe Economou, Emma Burden, Tristyn Cvanciger, Brandon Kirt, Gavin Vahle, Katie Harding, Ellie Pechon, Henry Lewis, Eddie Garner, Daniel Gray, Franco Ramirez, Kendrick Toney, Tara Cady, Mary Groff, Joshua Dollar, Everett Ungar, Duncan Zook, Henry Chiabotti, Kira Rhyden, Jack Wicken, Anthony Garcia, Makenzie O'Connell, Elias Amann, Carter Camp, Isabel Cole, Haley Holley, Wyatt Knorr, Siri Molnar, Gwen Spilling, Lyra Bratz, Leo Duffey, Cyrus Khatri, Dylan Kiser, Asher Yushka, Noah Buteyn, Jay Karkula, Sophia Palfreyman, Kolbe Pries, Yuvan Rauniyar, Keira Teska, Avery Liu, Rahi Rauniyar, Ron Deiotte, Laz Logan, Andra Deiotte, Anitej Narumanchi, Natalie Teska, Adeline Alayash, Ashton Hogue, Natalie Huntley, Veronika Lesyk, Leuyen Nguyen, Arwyn Robinson, Mckenzie Farmer, Arnav Narumanchi, Luna Rivera

2nd place

Tyler Murphy, Kathleen Sautel, Katie Dahle, Konner Evans, Jasmine Salamera, Meredith Botnick, Nathaniel Keckler, Allan Stanton, Ace Ashworth, Keira Sherman, Zachary Cotner, Mason Zerbib, Cooper Curry, Rebekkah Copel, Joel Hall, Logan Martin, Armando Gomez, Landon Adams, Anna Copel, Tk Nguyen, Christopher Cochenour, Ariana Lamb, Eli Anceravicius, River Manuelito, Alice Burgin, Millie Hessler, Ada Lekan, Keegan Christenson, Violet Wondel, Jack Arland, Luna Bratz, Ellie Combs, Timofii Lesyk, Ron Meyer, Truc Nguyen, Mila Olivares Castro, Colin Williamson, Torin Dimascio, Zane Farrier, Austin Gross, Shreeyan Khatri, Stryder Martin, Eoin Daly, Quinn Hester, John Hicks, Kara Koster, Betsy Nanguse, Tyler Tillman, Asher Whalen, Jackson Bloor, Caroline Fogg, Mia Garcia, Aaron Botnick, Cory Balk, Ben Buteyn, Tyrion Bieker, Hendrix Lacey, Jack Macdonald, Loxley Mcelhaney, Rowan Meyer, Jace Bauer, Sage Melone, Erin Wolf, Sage Petty

3rd place

Peyton Brauch, Abbey Salamera, Ed Stanton, Colston Yoder, Kirun Agarwal, Marley Powers, Jordan Rutz, Thomas Burden, Bob Padget, Ivy Jensen, Kaylyn Mcewan, Rue Weerapura, Zuri Cady, Oliver Garner, Vincent Andonov, Dan Copel, Jase Hessler, Aliyah Huckaby Rafaelson, Alex Kirt, Rose Basnet, Hilde Groff, Bill Graves, Presley Hobler, Gabriel Kahan, Christina Sanders, Amallia Chapman, Alec Rhyden, Landon Sidley-Mercado, Alexander Aguilar-Glaub, Laura Martinson, Anastasia Contreras, Hayden Jeffries, Leanh Nguyen, Sheen Pandita, Isaiah Sanchez, Bryce Yushka, Lorenzo Gomez, Ailani Lopez Martinez, Thomas Mcnair, Elijah Yushka, Jameson Bloor, Taylor Crane, Laurel Cummings, Naomi Kaup, Hassid Mendoza Cruz, Quintyn Upshaw, Dominic Ditallo, David Enriquez, Aleina Evarts, Peter Morehead, Amy Milligan, Jaydn Bauer, Elena Behm, Crystalie Wolfe, Evan Anceravicius, Annelise Carey, Jordan Lawyer, Saoirse Meyer, Robert Poe, Olivia Roberts, Marie Spears, Lennon Petty

4th place

Kyle Feagans, Sarah Dahle, Ethan Price, Quynn Cotner, Elsie Mcdonald, Dale Sanders, Lillian Eichelberger, Josie Landis, Nethika Suraweera, Warren Mcdonald, Sam Powers, Shiven Venkat, Zachary Kahan, Jennifer Kautz, Ryan Marine, Stella Reyniers, Jackson Foster, Sean Marrufo, Aspen Swift, Zach Trujillo, Theron Bearce, Finn Deiotte, Olivia Ivie, Rylan Lamkin, Issay Mendoza Cruz, Neev Pandita, Milo Conner, Weston Evarts, Emery Hetzel, Lily Rosetta-Mcbryde, Andrew Kahan, Dawson Portera, Sebastian Schuster, JJ Defelice, James Klausner, Ruth Berry, Luca Chrzan, James Daly, Hugh Dionne, Rowan Lamkin, Avery Madison, Calvin Spears

TIGER POOMSE

1st place
Clesse Hilton, Theodore Peterson, Oliver Scears, Hudson Wiegand, Skylynn Benefield, Luke Hilton, Dashiel Landry, Leo Claveau, Leighton Evarts, Atticus Albrechtson, Jaxton Archuleta-Kordis, Silas Corbett, Enzo Santana, Carson Simmons, Sloan Chrzan, Violet Lopez, Tyler Poe, Zachary Wolf

SPARRING

1st place

Collin Kreutz, Katie Minden, Zoe Economou, Ellie Pechon, Henry Lewis, Daniel Gray, Kendrick Toney, Tara Cady, Duncan Zook, Kira Rhyden, Haley Holley, Wyatt Knorr, Siri Molnar, Gwen Spilling, Lyra Bratz, Luke Hilton, Sophia Palfreyman, Kolbe Pries, Yuvan Rauniyar, Avery Liu, Ron Deiotte, Natalie Teska, Natalie Huntley, Arnav Narumanchi, Nathaniel Keckler, Mason Zerbib, Tk Nguyen, Eli Anceravicius, Violet Wondel, Luna Bratz, Torin Dimascio, Zane Farrier, Austin Gross, Shreeyan Khatri, Eoin Daly, John Hicks, Betsy Nanguse, Cory Balk, Loxley Mcelhaney, Rowan Meyer, Ed Stanton, Marley Powers, Kaylyn Mcewan, Aliyah Huckaby Rafaelson, Alexander Aguilar-Glaub, Laura Martinson, Lorenzo Gomez, Crystalie Wolfe, Lennon Petty, Warren Mcdonald, Sam Powers, Theron Bearce, Emery Hetzel, Ruth Berry, James Daly, Hope Morgan, Vivi Brown, Alexis Chavez, Ace Garcia, Henry Andonov, Dalila Lopez, Evan Clough

2nd place

Kathleen Sautel, Kyle Feagans, Sarah Dahle, Diego Quezada, Meredith Botnick, Jordan Rutz, Quynn Cotner, Ahas Weerapura, Ace Ashworth, Zachary Cotner, Ivy Jensen, Rue Weerapura, Nethika Suraweera, Rebekkah Copel, Joel Hall, Zuri Cady, Oliver Garner, Shiven Venkat, Franco Ramirez, Mary Groff, Landon Adams, Ariana Lamb, Ryan Marine, Jackson Foster, Joshua Dollar, Henry Chiabotti, Jack Wicken, Makenzie O'Connell, Millie Hessler, Ada Lekan, Keegan Christenson, Gabriel Kahan, Issay Mendoza Cruz, Carter Camp, Isabel Cole, Leo Duffey, Cyrus Khatri, Jack Arland, Ron Meyer, Sheen Pandita, Ailani Lopez Martinez, Milo Conner, Jay Karkula, Keira Teska, Rahi Rauniyar, Tyler Tillman, Taylor Crane, Naomi Kaup, Hassid Mendoza Cruz, Amy Milligan, Andrew Kahan, Dawson Portera, James Klausner, Andra Deiotte, Ashton Hogue, Veronika Lesyk, Ben Buteyn, Elena Behm, Evan Anceravicius, Jordan Lawyer, Rowan Lamkin, Avery Madison, Calvin Spears, Sage Petty

3rd place

Caleb Feagans, Katie Dahle, Konner Evans, Colston Yoder, Kirun Agarwal, Elsie Mcdonald, Lillian Eichelberger, Andra Vieru, Emma Burden, Gavin Vahle, Josie Landis, Logan Keckler, Cooper Curry, Armando Gomez, Christopher Cochenour, Dan Copel, Jase Hessler, Alex Kirt, Rose Basnet, Jennifer Kautz, Stella Reyniers, Zach Trujillo, River Manuelito, Bill Graves, Presley Hobler, Amallia Chapman, Alec Rhyden, Olivia Ivie, Mia Martinez, Landon Woodland, Neev Pandita, Ellie Combs, Timofii Lesyk, Mila Olivares Castro, Colin Williamson, Hayden Jeffries, Leanh Nguyen, Isaiah Sanchez, Elijah Yushka, Noah Buteyn, Quinn Hester, Jackson Bloor, Caroline Fogg, Mia Garcia, Dominic Ditallo, Aleina Evarts, Peter Morehead, Anitej Narumanchi, Arwyn Robinson, Tyrion Bieker, Jack Macdonald, Jace Bauer, Jaydn Bauer, Annelise Carey, Robert Poe, Luca Chrzan, Luna Rivera, Erin Wolf

4th place

Peyton Brauch, Shekina Detienne, Darcy Stanton, Lily Strickland, Evan Mcewan, Dale Sanders, Kayla Albrechtson, Lily Laird, Brandon Kirt, Keira Sherman, Thomas Burden, Bob Padget, Logan Martin, Keatyn Adams, Zachary Kahan, Sean Marrufo, Aspen Swift, Anthony Garcia, Alice Burgin, Christina Sanders, Landon Sidley-Mercado, Finn Deiotte, Rylan Lamkin, Elias Amann, Dylan Kiser, Stryder Martin, Anastasia Contreras, Thomas Mcnair, Weston Evarts, Lily Rosetta-Mcbryde, Kara Koster, Jameson Bloor, Laurel Cummings, Quintyn Upshaw, David Enriquez, Jacob Schuster, Adeline Alayash, Leuyen Nguyen, Hendrix Lacey, Saoirse Meyer, Hugh Dionne, Sage Melone, Marie Spears

FIRST POINT WINS!

1st place

Hope Morgan, Kyle Feagans, Katie Minden, Ed Stanton, Marley Powers, Alexis Chavez, Meredith Botnick, Ahas Weerapura, Zachary Cotner, Ivy Jensen, Rue Weerapura, Nethika Suraweera, Gavin Vahle, Sam Powers, Rebekkah Copel, Zuri Cady, Shiven Venkat, Cooper Curry, Keatyn Adams, Henry Andonov, Armando Gomez, Dan Copel, Jase Hessler, Rose Basnet, Stella Reyniers, Duncan Zook, Ada Lekan, Issay Mendoza Cruz, Amallia Chapman, Alec Rhyden, Rylan Lamkin, Neev Pandita, Haley Holley, Wyatt Knorr, Gwen Spilling, Lyra Bratz, Luna Bratz, Torin Dimascio, Zane Farrier, Emery Hetzel, Ellie Combs, Colin Williamson, Isaiah Sanchez, Stryder Martin, Kolbe Pries, Ron Deiotte, John Hicks, Andrew Kahan, Noah Buteyn, Mia Garcia, Natalie Teska, Natalie Huntley, Cory Balk, Loxley Mcelhaney, Rowan Meyer, Crystalie Wolfe, Ashton Hogue, Evan Anceravicius, Jordan Lawyer, Tyrion Bieker, Jaydn Bauer, Annelise Carey, Arnav Narumanchi

2nd place

Caleb Feagans, Katie Dahle, Darcy Stanton, Abbey Salamera, Ethan Price, Averie Chavez, Allan Stanton, Ivy Strickland, Zoe Economou, Mason Zerbib, Warren Mcdonald, Ace Ashworth, Joel Hall, Oliver Garner, Tara Cady, Tk Nguyen, Aliyah Huckaby Rafaelson, Mary Groff, Ryan Marine, Jackson Foster, Jennifer Kautz, Vincent Andonov, Eli Anceravicius, Alexander Aguilar-Glaub, Laura Martinson, Joshua Dollar, Henry Chiabotti, River Manuelito, Presley Hobler, Olivia Ivie, Alice Burgin, Shreeyan Khatri, Lorenzo Gomez, Isabel Cole, Jack Arland, Ailani Lopez Martinez, Dylan Kiser, Thomas Mcnair, Betsy Nanguse, Jay Karkula, Keira Teska, Tyler Tillman, Amy Milligan, Dawson Portera, James Klausner, Aleina Evarts, Kara Koster, Laurel Cummings, Aaron Botnick, Sebastian Schuster, James Daly, Ben Buteyn, Elena Behm, Rowan Lamkin, Avery Madison, Calvin Spears, Luca Chrzan, Hendrix Lacey, Sage Petty, Erin Wolf

BREAKING

1st place

Hope Morgan, Averie Chavez, Diego Quezada, Lily Strickland, Evan Mcewan, Zachary Cotner, Zoe Economou, Zuri Cady, Logan Martin, Tara Cady, Daniel Gray, Sean Marrufo, Anna Copel, Makenzie O'Connell, Bill Graves, Christina Sanders, Ron Meyer, Naomi Kaup, Jackson Bloor

TARGET KICKING

1st place

Rue Weerapura, Shiven Venkat, Cooper Curry, Dalila Lopez, Franco Ramirez, Landon Adams, Clesse Hilton, Skylynn Benefield, Dashiel Landry, Evan Clough, Zachary Wolf

2nd place

Oliver Scears, Luke Hilton, Jj Defelice, Jaxton Archuleta-Kordis, Sloan Chrzan

STAFF POOMSE

1st place

Collin Kreutz, Mark Scott, Katie Dahle, Katie Minden, Meredith Botnick, Nathaniel Keckler, Matthew Roberts

2nd place

Peyton Brauch, Shekina Detienne, Ed Stanton, Ethan Price, Konner Evans, Quynn Cotner, Lillian Eichelberger

3rd place

Kyle Feagans, Kathleen Sautel, Caleb Feagans, Darcy Stanton, Abbey Salamera, Jordan Rutz, Colston Yoder

This Weekend: 34th Denver Martial Arts Champs!

We are looking forward to our tournament this Friday and Saturday, September 6th and 7th!  

Competition and Arrival Times: 

Black Belts will compete on Friday night at 6 pm.  Spectators are welcome.  

All other students (white through red) will compete on Saturday. You will find details on your competition time below.  You will need to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start time of your competition to check in, etc.  Some divisions may begin early, so please be at Alameda at your arrival time.  Thank you.  

Purple, Brown, & Red belts, all ages: 8 am start time, 7.30 am arrival time

Ages 8 and under; white, yellow, orange, green, blue belts and all tigers: 10.30 am start time, 10 am arrival time

Ages 9 and up; white, yellow, orange, green, blue belts: 1 pm start time, 12.30 pm arrival time

Location details, parking:

The tournament will be at Alameda International High School which is located at 1255 S Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80232.  

Please park in the large parking lot on the southwest corner of Louisiana and Allison St. (There is another parking lot on the northwest corner of Arizona and Allison / north of the tennis courts that can be used for overflow parking).

Please do not double park and/or block someone in.  If both parking lots are full, there is a lot of neighborhood street parking available in the area or you can see if there is room in the main entrance parking lot.  

You will enter the school through the doors facing west. The title 'ALAMEDA INTERNATIONAL' is written in large block letters above the doors.  It is marked with a red star in the graphic below.  

Checking students in and getting them to their rings:

Once you enter, you will be directed to a check-in table.  The check-in will be divided up alphabetically by last name so please proceed to the table marked with the first letter of your last name.

While checking-in, someone will write ring numbers on your hands.  You will have a green number on your right hand and a red number on your left hand.  Once you have your ring numbers, you will head to the upper bleachers of the gym to settle in.  You will be called down to the floor for the group photo and will proceed to the green ring number after the group photo.

Parents of younger students competing at 10.30 am, you will take your student down to the gym floor when called for the group photo.  After the group photo and announcements, black belts will take the students to their correct ring number which will be the GREEN number on their right hand. The ring number will be labeled with big signs.  These ring signs are not color coded, so please look to the ring number on your student's hand that is green and disregard the color of the ring sign.  

Once students are settled at their rings, we ask that spectators stay in the upper bleachers and off the gym floor for safety and to provide more room for the competitions.  Please show your students where you will be so they know where to find you.  If you have a very young child (tigers ages 2 - 4) who needs assistance, it is okay if you need to stay nearby on the gym floor. 

Tiger students (2-4 and some 5 year olds who attend 30 minutes classes) will compete in two divisions in the same ring and then will be dismissed for the day.  

All other students will compete in poomse first.  After that competition ends, students will then go to the RED ring number on their LEFT hand for sparring (school program students will not spar but will compete in Self-Defense in Walking Drills instead). 

Parents of students ages 7 and under, please come down to the podium to collect your student after their first competition and to help them get to their second.

After your student is done competing in all of their divisions, please come down to the edge of the gym floor to collect them.  Thank you.

Sparring will also be the final competition for white and yellow belts ages 9 - 11.

Orange belts and above, ages 12 and up, will also compete in breaking.  After their sparring division concludes, please stay in the gym and listen for their name to be called to their breaking ring.

Etiquette and Uniform

All students should arrive already dressed out in their uniforms with their belts tied.  Anyone with long hair will need to have it tied back securely.  No jewelry is permitted, and freshly pierced ears need to be covered from front to back with medical tape and/or bandaids.  Students should wear a white crewneck t-shirt beneath their uniform top.  Students should not wear jeans or secondary pants underneath their uniform pants as this will inhibit their ability to kick.

Boards

If your student is competing in breaking (students age 12 and up, orange and above), they will need to provide their own boards for this competition.  Please touch base with your instructor with any questions you may have here.

Lastly, please do not attend the tournament if you or your student is ill or has tested positive for Covid.  Thank you.  

If you have any questions at all, please reach out to your instructor.  We are so proud of all of our students' hard work and preparation, and we look forward to this weekend!  Thank you.

Integrity at its Finest

By Bridget Sautel, 5th dan

To embody the quality of integrity requires upholding a consistent state of honesty, and not letting anything compromise moral and ethical values one may have. From the very start of our CTI Taekwondo training, we strive to develop a ‘black belt attitude,’ which cannot be mastered without embracing integrity. Establishing this characteristic in taekwondo will allow for the student to transfer this into their everyday life’s outside of class, resulting in a successful well-rounded lifestyle. Integrity can then be passed on to future generations, including white belts just starting class, and can become an infinite process of sharing the essence of what integrity is all about. 

As a white belt moving up through the belt colors, it becomes clear quickly that practice at home is needed for memorization of poomse and to maintain physical fitness. Taking the initiative to practice outside of class involves integrity, because it is something that you have to take upon yourself by choice. Having this much needed practice outside of class will permit the student to continue using integrity when back in class, by executing their OWN moves within the group, without copying others. This will boost the class as a whole and convince others that integrity is crucial in martial arts training. 

There are many ways that integrity is developed within a CTI class, including always keeping your fellow students safe, learning how to make mistakes and learn from them, and being honest with ourselves when a certain technique or poomse could use some improvement. All of these pieces of integrity will undoubtedly carry over into our everyday lives outside of taekwondo, into school, work, and in other social situations. At school, integrity can be used when doing homework, taking tests, and developing relationships with teachers/peers. At work, integrity can mean standing up for what’s right and doing what you should be doing even if no one is looking. In public, the student is a representative of CTI, which can mean helping people out who are in need, being cordial and empathetic to the unknown, and being honest with family, friends, and spouses.

Integrity involves finding ways to better yourself and become a self-directed learner, and is a quality that will always get you farther in the long run- even if it’s not easy! Integrity allows you to feel confident that you put all effort into what you do and believe in, and most importantly can be passed on to future generations and white belts.

Coming Right Up! 2024 DMAC Tournament!

By Konner Evans, 2nd dan

Mark your calendars because the 34th Denver Martial Arts Championships is right around the corner! The Denver Martial Arts Championships will be hosted at Alameda International on September 6-7. Join us for exciting competitions for student of all ages and belt.

The Denver Martial Arts Championships is the beginning to another exciting year of Moo Sul Kwan tournaments! This is a great opportunity for your student to learn the importance of competition and sportsmanship. Don’t miss your chance to start this year off strong!

Events Include:

• Poomse
• Tiger Poomse
• Most Kicks
• Sparring
• First Point Wins
• Breaking
• Target Kicking
• Staff Poomse

Schedule:

• Friday: 
• 6:00pm - Black Belts
• Saturday:
• 6:30am - Black Belts
• 8:00am - Red, Brown & Purple (all ages)
• 10:30am - White-Blue (ages 8 and under)
• 1:00pm - White-Blue (ages 9 and up)

Spectators are welcome to come and watch anytime!

Registration for the tournament online by clicking on this link! Registration is due August 29th. Your student should receive a brochure in class soon with more information about the tournament. Talk to your instructor for more information or any questions about the tournament!

Tournaments are key to being a successful student in Moo Sul Kwan. Students will improve in their Taekwondo training but also develop and improve important life skills. Students will get valuable feedback from both their fellow competitors and judges on how they can improve. Students also learn the value of competition. Competition inspires everyone to work harder in class to continue to improve. Students also learn how to understand and follow rules of competition. 

Students will also benefit from tournaments by building relationships with their peers. At tournaments students have the opportunity to meet other students around their age and belt level as well as everyone else in the Moo Sul Kwan family. Students will also learn to respect others such as their fellow competitors. Also to respect and listen to those in authority. Also participants will learn to have good sportsmanship by learning to show respect to their fellow competitor regardless of the results of the competition. 

Participating in Tournaments also gives students the opportunity to compete on their own which will help them learn to think as an individual. In doing so students will also develop confidence in themselves. 

Tournaments help students develop essential skills both in Taekwondo and in life. Tournaments push students to strive for the next level of their training. Don’t miss your chance to participate in the 34th Denver Martial Arts Championship and register today!

The Benefits of Training at a Martial Arts School

By Mark Scott, 4th dan 

What is different about martial arts compared with other sports and exercises? All sporting activities have the benefit of providing exercise. Martial arts have more benefits that other sports don’t provide. The benefits extend and change across the different ages engaged in a martial arts school. Benefits for children might not be as important to an adult in martial arts. Similarly, the benefits that an adult receives might not be necessary in a developing child.

For the young child, the benefits are less about the fitness and self-defense, but focuses more on discipline and control. As described in this article from Colorado Taekwondo Institute (The Best in Preschool Martial Arts 2024), the children will learn most of the same techniques as teens and adults. Many of the same details will be enforced, but the focus for the younger children will be on body control, mental fortitude and self-discipline. The younger student will gain self-confidence and benefits in their grades at school and behavior at home.

One article from the Colorado Taekwondo Institute website (Morgan, H 2016) details the eight benefits children can get from martial arts classes. As martial arts require practice to get better, martial arts encourage physical activity to get better and progress. Martial arts also increase self-esteem and encourage social interaction and teamwork which are important to the development of a child as they grow up. Martial arts also helps children learn respect and the ability to focus and concentrate as needed. Another important benefit is non-violent conflict resolution. Learning to control anger and find ways to solve problems outside of fighting. And especially at Colorado Taekwondo Institute, the benefit of the educational development through the stages of progressing with the training and reaching goals.

Martial arts also benefit kids with ADHD. In the article by Michael Lara, M.D. (Lara M, n.d.), found that kids with ADHD involved with a martial arts school finished more of their homework. The kids were better prepared for classes in school. The kids showed improvement in their grades. Other improvements were seen as they tended to break fewer rules overall and jumped out of their seats less often than before the martial arts classes.

Adults are looking to get into shape, to learn self-defense skills or joining a martial arts class to try something new. Some might use exercise as a means to relieve stress, but those in martial arts classes have a proven method for stress release.  In one study (Johnstone, A 2018) adults who participated in martial arts for three to six months were shown to have reduced depression symptoms, reduced levels of stress and higher self-esteem.  The adults were also able to manage stress better after prolonged martial arts classes.

Another important benefit found in practicing at a martial arts school was found in the same study. Practicing martial arts increases the ability to retain and restore memories. The martial arts students were found to be able to memorize and recall complex sequences better than the control groups. As martial artists have to memorize many moves and sequences as part of training, it would make sense that a martial artist would excel in this area.

Many studies (Naves-Bittencourt 2015) detail the effectiveness of classes at a martial arts school as engaging the brain in ways that enhance the physical and mental abilities. The effectiveness of martial arts as an exercise has an increased health benefit over other forms of exercise. The studies indicate a better level of stress management and overall better quality of life.

 

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The Best in Preschool Martial Arts 2024, Colorado Taekwondo Institute website, accessed 20 May 2024, <https://coloradotaekwondo.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-best-in-preschool-martial-arts.html>.

Morgan, H 2016, 8 Reason Your Child Should Join a Martial Arts Program, accessed 10 May 2024, <https://coloradotaekwondo.blogspot.com/2016/02/8-reason-your-child-should-join-martial.html>

Lara, M n.d, The Exercise Prescription, accessed 10 May 2024, <https://chadd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ATTN_06_12_Exercise.pdf>

Johnstone, A 2018, Martial arts offers brain-boosting benefits for all ages, research finds, accessed 20 May, 2024, <https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/martial-arts-physical-mental-benefits-health-exercise-tai-chi-karate-a8342756.html>

Naves-Bittencourt, W et al 2015, Martial arts: mindful exercise to combat stress, accessed 20 May, 2024, <https://www.eurjhm.com/index.php/eurjhm/article/view/355>

Patience

By Ethan Price, 2nd dan

Patience is defined as the ability to accept or tolerate delay without becoming upset. 

As a Black Belt in CTI, Patience is far more than a necessary skill; it is practicing Patience that has led to attaining a Black Belt in the first place.

Students in CTI do not move quickly up the ranks without being patient. At all ages and abilities, the CTI student will only move as fast as he or she is capable of learning. However, there are set schedules of ‘time in rank’ (via stripes and credits) that mean that even the best students will have to wait for an appropriate amount of time to test for the next rank. 

The patience to work diligently towards the next rank requires self-motivation and self-control. The CTI student must take time to work on his or her skills, and must allow time for growth. Even the best instructors have taken a lot of time to perfect the skills they teach their students. Every baby step is a step forward. It takes patience to see the long view of attaining each rank up the ladder, but patience in small things will inevitably lead to positive results.

An important example of this is exemplified by a study done on children, where participants were presented with a marshmallow on a plate. The children were told that if they waited to eat it until the researcher came back, they would receive a second marshmallow in addition to the first. Not many children waited, and of those that did, they showed, in a follow-up study, that they had better life outcomes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment). This study has had numerous follow up experiments since then, and has shown similar results.

As a Black Belt, patience is a perfected skill, though it is all the more necessary in every way. Black Belts do not learn new poomse every class; they do not learn a new One-Step or Self-Defense technique every week. They will learn, if their instructor sees that they are ready. Black Belts will learn one small chunk of a poomse and then it falls to them to practice over the weeks before they will learn more. Patience is as essential to the Black Belt learning process as wearing the belt itself. However, it is not the patience of a Black Belt that makes them able to learn this way; it is patience gained through every rank that is the reason that they earn that belt at all.

CTI: Exceptional Quality if You're Looking for a Karate School

By Lily Laird, Teen Red Belt

There are a plethora of different martial arts schools in the Denver area, all of which are very similar. Some practice taekwondo, some practice karate, some practice jiu-jitsu, etc. It can be overwhelming to find a martial arts school out of the many being offered. There is so much information to consider and take in, and many schools focus on different aspects of martial arts. Lots of these schools only focus on the more “flashy” aspects of martial arts, focusing less on teaching the basic skills needed for successful self-defense. However, out of the many karate schools, Colorado Taekwondo Institute holds fast as a karate school that welcomes all people of all ages and truly gives students the skills they need to be successful in not only self-defense situations, but in various aspects of life. 

To begin, the idea of CTI being a taekwondo school can be overwhelming, as taekwondo isn’t as commonly heard of as karate is. However, the terms are so similar that they can often be used interchangeably. The only major difference between the two umbrella terms for similar types of martial arts is that karate originated in China and Japan, while taekwondo originated in Korea. In taekwondo, students will become familiar with Korean terms and numbers, while, in karate schools, Japanese will be used. However, the two forms of martial arts originated in around the same time period in relatively the same area.

As well, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute teaches Moo Sul Kwan taekwondo, which was originally brought over from Korea to the United States in 1969. This may seem overwhelming at first, as many traditional karate schools can seem extreme. However, CTI not only teaches equality and inclusion of all people who would like to learn self-control and self-defense, but has a supportive environment in the spirit of improvement and fun. Instructors are patient and well-trained, having gone through the same classes beginning students will go through. In all, CTI has produced over 350 1st degree black belts in Moo Sul Kwan taekwondo.

With 5 campuses in Colorado and many big events throughout the year, students get to meet and learn with new people of similar belt rank. CTI offers many events throughout the year, including camps, expos, seminars, and symposiums where students can learn from different instructors on specific topics. 

Finally, CTI also successfully teaches students many different skills necessary for a prosperous and peaceful life. For example, our motto is “Ho-Shin,” a Korean phrase meaning “self-control before self-defense,” which speaks volumes about the example we set for ourselves and for all students. We teach students how to manage anger, how to resolve conflicts peacefully and respectfully, how to treat others with patience, dignity, and respect, and how to, of course, defend themselves. Simply put, the motto reflects the values taught in CTI; how to control oneself and to only resort to self-defense, which is taught in class, if necessary. 

All in all, there are many karate schools out there, and choosing just one can be overwhelming trying to find martial arts schools and exploring the different forms of martial arts. However, out of the many schools offered, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute has a supportive and tight-knit community and environment, offers many different events, and teaches many different important values and morals. If one is looking for or interested in pursuing martial arts, CTI is a supportive, sincere organization open to all people of all ages. 

Lakewood Martial Arts Program

If you are looking for a martial arts school, to learn some self-defense, or just want a good workout class in the Lakewood area, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute could be just what you are looking for.  The school is located at 12354 W Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, Colorado, in the business center between the Starbucks and US Bank buildings. The location is perfect for the surrounding Green Mountain neighborhood and allows easy access to 6th Avenue and C-470 for those outside of the area.

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute’s Lakewood location offers classes for all ages. The classes are tailored for each age group. The instructors train for years in teaching techniques through Colorado Taekwondo Institute’s advanced weekend training program. The instructors learn how to train the body, mind and spirit with the structured training program founded from the traditions of Korean martial arts. All classes build a foundation upon physical fitness and basic martial arts techniques. These basics provide the building blocks to learn self-defense, discipline and self-directed learning that improves all areas of life.

The classes are held in clean, spacious and safe workout rooms inside the Green Mountain campus. The rooms have self-made suspension floors that allow for students young and old to practice and perfect advanced techniques without the fear or risks of uncushioned floors. The workout areas are well equipped with all equipment needed for the basic and advanced techniques and training that are part of the curriculum.

The curriculum of the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is a tried and trusted program. The basis of the program came from Korea to America in 1969 by Grandmaster Lee H. Park.  The Colorado Taekwondo Institute has been around over 40 years, and has been in the Lakewood area for over 30 years. The founder, Grandmaster James Sautel is an 8th degree black belt in Taekwondo. He leads the instruction and training of all the instructors of the 5 local Denver area schools. The lead instructor at Green Mountain is Grandmaster Merinda Sautel who is a 7th degree black belt. She has many years of experience as a professional teacher as both a Jefferson County School teacher and a martial arts instructor.

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute’s focus and mission is “To encourage world-class leadership through educational excellence and Moo Sul Kwan martial arts traditions”. The main focus is on education and providing a complete and positive learning experience for every student. That experience is enhanced by a wide variety of activities. From the many tournaments, the students learn to value competition, respect other competitors and manage the stresses of preparing and performing in front of others. The many training opportunities from expos, symposiums and seminars provide ample opportunity to learn from many different instructors and improve. Part of the experience of being part of Colorado Taekwondo Institute is to engage in the many social engagements and events that build friendships and good human relationships.

To try it out for yourself, come on in and talk to one of the friendly, welcoming staff at the Lakewood martial arts program. They will help you find the appropriate class to fit your needs. You can try an introductory class to try it for yourself. For more information come in, go to www.ColoradoTaekwondo.com or give us a call at 303-989-7542.

Preschooler Martial Arts Classes

By Elsie McDonald

Putting your child into a preschool martial arts program has many benefits. More importantly, putting your child in Colorado Taekwondo Institute’s (CTI), Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo Martial Arts program, has even more. CTI has programs for children as young as 2 years old (sometimes even younger!), with highly trained instructors, making it available for very young children to learn self control and discipline. 

At CTI, the children under the age of  5 years old are called tiger belts. Tiger classes are a great way for a child to burn off some energy. The classes offered to preschoolers are half an hour long and can be any of the days from Monday to Thursday, excluding holidays. In these classes, they will start with some jumping jacks, other warm ups, and stretches. They will then be guided through the basic kicks, blocks, and strikes that taekwondo is based around and allow the student to progress forward. They will learn poomse, which are patterns of movements, that can help build your preschoolers memorization and coordination skills. Other skills that can be enhanced by putting your child in taekwondo, include focus and impulse control. Besides being good for the focus of your preschooler, they are also fun classes that a child would enjoy. They usually have a game or some kind of fun activity at the end of class, if kids are well behaved throughout.

Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo is centered around our Korean founder, Lee H. Park, and his creation of the model concept. This concept shows that as the student gets older and increases in belt level, the techniques and moves they learn will become more complex and difficult. So once your child is no longer a preschooler, they can become a junior belt. Junior classes are 30 minutes longer, and they go more into depth with form and self-discipline. 

There are lots of benefits to preschooler martial arts, rather than starting later in life. The first junior belt that a child will earn after being a tiger, is a junior yellow belt. For example, a yellow belt that was a tiger beforehand, has more experience than a yellow belt who started when they were 6 years old or so. This means the yellow belt with tiger experience will most likely reach the next belt level quicker, already knowing self control and the basics of CTI. 

There are also events that your children and family can attend, such as tournaments, Friday fun nights, day camps, and our summer expo. All of the activities at these events are age appropriate for preschoolers and elementary schoolers, and vary from competition to fun classes and games. Some activities, the parents can come along also (tournaments and expos) while some others are well supervised by trained adult black belts (Friday fun nights and day camps). CTI offers age appropriate involvement for children and adults of any age. Check them out if you are looking into preschooler martial arts!