Forwards and Backwards

The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs was the site of a fantastic 27th Summer Expo weekend in early June!  Expo participants worked hard and played hard, training in classes from A to Z.  This year's Expo Teaching Staff included master instructors:  Grandmaster Charles Hildebrand, Grandmaster Jim Sautel, Master Merinda Sautel, Master John Sautel and Master Erik Albrechtson. Other excellent instructors included:  Freddy Sautel, Clayton Garner, Alice Meyung, Jamie Sautel, Bridget Sautel,  Abdu Kikhia, Brian Steward, Stephen Sautel and Noha Kikhia.

The action began on Friday after the group picture and line-up.  Michael Sandusky, 2nd dan, sang the National Anthem, and after the opening remarks, classes began.

Classes were held outside all around the campus area - the weather was perfect!  Students picked apart their poomse, one-step sparring, free-sparring, self-defense, basics, breaking techniques, kicking, punching, striking, blocking and more with the theme of this year's Expo in mind - "Forwards and backwards."

Grandmaster Hildebrand, President of MSK and the American Martial Arts Sports and Education Association, taught many great classes in the lodge room which had tremendous views of Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak.  There were also some other rooms used for seminars/dicussions on judging, special parent self-defense and workout classes, junior project classes and other classes that took place during the weekend.

Each year on Expo Saturday Evening, there is always something planned.  This year we were entertained with CTI Campus Fractured Fairly Tales.  The Conifer Campus started first and presented "The Three Little Pigs meet Caleb-locks and the Three Bears".  The Green Mountain Campus followed with "Snow White Belt and the Seven Black Belts".  The Littleton Campus gave their rendition of, "Cinderella meets her Fairy Godfather".  The Westminster Campus was next with "Little Junior Red Belt Riding Hood" and then the Golden Campus finished the skits with, "Grandmaster HIldebrand and the Bean Stalk."

Our own Moo Sul Rock 2011 band was in rare form as they played in between skits and for the rest of the night.  Bruce Dean sang a rendition of "Danny Boy" for Mr. and Mrs. Hildebrand to start off the evening.  The red belts soon got everybody dancing when the band played Mustang Slinkard for one of the visiting black belts.  The Moo Sul Twist Contest, poomse, line-dancing and just a lot of fun rounded out the evening.

After Sunday black belt early morning training, the Amazing Moo Sul Race 7 began.  This year's race broke the record for the longest of all time and presented many challenges to the teams of six or seven.  Each team represented one of the Presidents of the United States.  The John Adams Team won first place with a time of 2:33:25.  The older members of each team had to get up Mt. Park at the beginning of the race while the younger team members headed over to the Target Station.  After reuniting, the teams then made their way through the Amazing Moo Sul Race Course in an around the UCCS campus.

So many adventures in learning and fun took place during this year's 27th MSK Summer Expo.  To get the whole story, check with the students and instructors who were able to take part!

See you next year at Moo Sul Kwan Summer Expo XXVIII!