16th MSK Symposium

By Zach Greaves, red belt

This is the Moo Sul Kwan Black Belt Symposium, the experience that brings out the best in all of us in Moo Sul Kwan Martial Arts.  With all of the upper belts that drive up to Winter Park every year to understand and to learn more about Self-Defense, One Steps, Poomse, Sparring and Exercise, it shows our fiery passion and our dream to drive our bodies to their deepest limits to get better and stronger.

There were also advanced classes in Demonstrations, Target Kicking, Power Taekwondo, Staff, Side Kick Breaking and a class for CTI Campus Coordinators.  On the last day, the first Symposium Scrap began at 8:00 AM.   There were competitions in Poomse, Team Sparring and the MC Model Concept!

Training to build our bodies stronger and more resilient isn't all we do—we also sharpen our minds with an activity called "The Symposium Adventures" and we feast on the last night of the retreat with a banquet and great live music that celebrates our hard work.

Running through the forest with a team of disciplined warriors we have a common goal.  We search for orange flags to lead us to the next clue which will eventually lead us to victory.  This is the Symposium Adventures III where teams compete to have fun and to win.  Anything could happen out there in the wild and clues are sometimes difficult to find or complete like deciphering the Korean language or locking out that perfect side kick on a giant boulder.  These trials of wit and strength test our mettle and resolve.  Once the clues have been completed the teams disperse to get ready for the feast.  Our stomachs empty from the energy expended, we head into the dining hall, remembering our day in the woods and how we yearn for the food to arrive.  The banquet was bountiful with burritos and tacos, powerful spices and sauces, and refreshing iced tea that cooled off stressed muscles.  The band was playing and everyone got out onto the floor dancing.  The band rocked the house—riffs and melodies skittering across my ears and I enjoyed the skill they employed.  The last day we formed teams for Poomse out of a hat and had some exciting Team Sparring.  It was time to shine and prove what we had learned over the weekend and this last day really emphasized our skill.

By the end of the weekend retreat, I saw everyone progress with their martial arts skills and the instructors could not have been more pleased with the results.  Building our techniques, strengthening friendships and creating life long memories at the symposium is something I can always come back to in mid-October.