Self-Esteem, Self-Worth, and Self-Defense

Developing self esteem is crucial to living. Having high self esteem just makes you feel good! Consider the following. Have you ever meet an amazing person and not wanted to change your life with them; and not even the wealthy ones? Have you ever felt 100% pleased with your life? Just feeling the joy to be alive and breathe the air and want nothing more?

When you have high self esteem you have feelings like these constantly! You are happy with simplest of things. You have a smile on your face as you saunter down the street. You have no desire to exchange lives with anyone else. You are happy right now, in this moment, and you are happy exactly as you are!

Having high self esteem makes you a positive person. And the amazing thing about being a positive human being is that you are frequently happy. Your happiness spreads to all the people around you. And when people around you feel happier they extend happiness to people they meet.

So how can Taekwondo training help you develop your self esteem? Taekwondo training creates a robust, fit body for you that feels excellent and looks first-class. This helps you feel good about yourself not only because of your looks but because you generally feel healthier. And it's no charade; you legitimately have a profound inner assurance and joy. You have high self esteem!

Taekwondo doesn't just improve your body. You constantly train you brain to think quickly and react fast as you learn complex moves. And it is quite difficult, you must force yourself to keep moving forward when you want to quit. Keep going when your muscles are screaming at you to stop. Keep going when your chest is aching from hard work. Keep going when you're scared.

Martial arts training helps you to become strong in mind and body. And the support of positive views and a sound mind helps so much when life hits you with the bad stuff. If you are in the gutter with low self esteem it's hard to get through the bad times. But, if you're sitting tall with self esteem you can manage the bad times loads better.

It's worth knowing that, for parents, to help your kids develop self esteem, you need to have high self esteem yourself. And self esteem for a child is very crucial. It greatly assists kids in doing well in school and help them take on new challenges. Signing yourself up for a martial arts program and signing your child up for kids karate or kids taekwondo will greatly improve your self esteem, your child’s self esteem and you will generally feel happier!

Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy with Taekwondo

Many people search for a way to stay healthy in their mind and in their body. People try all sorts of workout routines and sports. But there is one discipline which can yield a healthier mind and body, and that is the martial art of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo is a brilliant workout. Combined with punching with both arms, kicking with both feet, and bouncing on your toes as you practice sparring moves you will see the positive effects on your physical health right away.

For many, a Taekwondo martial arts program will strengthen their body and improve their overall health through intense physical exercise and hours of training. With Isometric exercises coupled with dynamic tension movements it will allow you to gain better muscle tone and more strength. An ongoing regiment of safe and simple stretching methods will improve your flexibility. This along with breathing and concentration exercises lead to sharper reflexes and senses.

After a few weeks or month practicing Taekwondo countless people feel calmer and more able to clearly cope with matters in their own lives with superior focus.

Students of all ages who have practiced Taekwondo have said to experience:

• Increased strength and stamina
• Reduced stress
• Improved agility and reflexes
• Improved concentration and self-esteem
• Improved leadership skills
• Improved muscle tone and appearance
• Greater discipline
• Improved confidence
• Improved flexibility
• The ability to achieve goals
• Respect for other class members

Starting children practicing kids Taekwondo as soon as possible is recommended. And as the child learns to kick, block and punch with both arms their physical fitness and dexterity begins to develop and build up both sides of the body.  By studying Taekwondo forms and body movements, concentration and focus are improved.

Another great reason to get children learning Taekwondo is for self-defense. There are many girls who get good exercise doing Taekwondo, but they also are learning techniques that can help keep them safe wherever they are and whatever situation they might be in. This of course is relevant to boys as well.

Taekwondo has also been known to enhance ones self-esteem by increasing their physical and mental powers. This also aligns with confidence building by encouraging them to succeed and take control of their life.

The discipline of Taekwondo leads to boosted energy, enhanced health and fitness, better coordination, and elevated self-esteem. These qualities are vital to a happier, longer life.

24th DMAC Results!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

The 24th Denver Martial Arts Championships took place on September 13 -1 4, at Alameda International High School in Lakewood, Colorado.

Congratulations to Abdu Kikhia and Kai Wong for capturing the Black Belt Grand Championships.

Students of all ages and belt levels competed in different areas of their training like; poomse, sparring and breaking.  There was also some other special events like First Point Wins!, and staff demos.

One highlight of the weekend was the traditional noon line-up of all the competitors and instructors.  The singing of our National Anthem was sung by Bruce Dean, and then some excellent poomse, breaking, sparring and staff demos were performed by some of our top black belts.

POOMSE 

1st place
Holly Madayag        Tyler Murphy        Collin Kreutz        Kai Wong
Andrew Madayag    Abdu Kikhia        Kyle Feagans        Keet Holdridge      
Dakota Jesse        Merrick Oleszek    Devon Lewis        Adam Harkins      
Allyse Nothstine    Elizabeth Hawkins    Thomas Ma        Shekina DeTienne  
Ryan Wyngarden    Caela McCartney    Jasmine Slamera    Damon Bahr
Ryan Henderson    Brandon Dills        Race Sober        Abbey Salamera  
Justin Nelson        Samantha Biesemeier    Ethan Miles        Lynne Dean      
Jarrod Eller        Logan Gill        Zoe Dickerson        Hunter Hansell      
Trish Nguyen        Emily Artman        Akram Alghanmi    Charlie Smith      
Gillian Boswell        Lars Hansen        Jonah Elstad         Devan Bagley
Treyton Jacobson    Anya Trilk        Max Bogdanoff        Daniel Nelson
Da Minh Tran        Meryn Probasco    Osso Siddall        R.J. Larson
Kylie Bickford        Stan Huntley      


2nd place
Eileen Lindner        Alyssa Copper        Coghan Spery        Eric Bear
Lexi Johannes        Michael Sandusky    Kaden O’Brien        Jennifer McKernan  
Mason Louth        Joshua Miller        Mitchell Oleszck    Owen Martin
Theo Lincke        BrynnKonrad        Nico Trilk        Peyton Brauch  
Kameron Evans        Kelsey Smith        Jakob Deverell        Mike Dean  
Brendan Zandin        Jack Eller        Mari O’Malley        Kayla Visnyei      
Vinny Costatantino    Caleb Johnson        SheaWright        Anna Macasinag  
Lindsey Boswell    Gavin Pribil        Elizabeth Cutting    Zoe Prevatte      
Abby Lundeen        Bailey Bish        Lauren Smith        Nina Madayag        
Nico Huggins        Ashton Price         Lucas Stolka         Aspen Hawkins
Noah Sisk        Olivia Henthorn        Torin Fischer        David Malec
David Bogdanoff    Peyton Beard        Julian Marine        Sierra Buzick
Alexander Karasow    Jovan Moore      

3rd place
Don Johnson        Jocelyn Wallen        Zac Johannes        Caleb Feagans
Kathleen Sautel        Erik Ondrejko        Elise Smith        Ethan Price      
Casey Feagans        Evelyn LaMorgese    Lucas Richardson    Malaki McRant  
Chase Wyngarden    Trevor Koch        Devon Bilyeu        Nathaniel McKernan
SamLamorgese        Rob Sarche        Clayton Prevatte    Zuzanna Janowska
Matthew Williams    Santiago Huggins    Adolph Ordaz        Sarah Luper      
James Healey        Ethan Girard        Hannah Hansell        Chris Krause  
Christian Beaman    Grayson Krause        Payton Reynolds    Evan Strickfaden  
Micco Waisanen    Flint Hansell        Isabel Shoe        Porter Krause      
Hunter Goddard        Thor Hansen         Cris Fresquez         Jack O’Day
Alex Price        Campbell Copt        Grady Bahr        Dylan Tracy
Tatum Buenning    Lance Schwartz        Wiley Kueper        Violet Banks
Quinn Nesline          

4th place
Zach Greaves        Delaney Zandin        Ian Randall        Michael Madayag
Justin Lautrup        Hope Morgan        Marcy Feagans        Mark Scott  
Julianne Todd        Grace Apodaca         Nick Tibbetts        William Johnson
Alan Fernandez        Sean Konrad        Seth Hughes        Jeffry Bowen  
Addie Spery        Madalyn Grosshans    Gwen Gutierrez        Connor Brauch      
Allison Jacobson    Christina Manna    Raymond Bellotti    Uriah Hernandez  
Ethan Dwyer        Lee Tomjack        Bailey Hayes        Brian Macias      
Ethan Jacobson        Ashton Buzick        Miette Jandreau        Joe Congden      
Kaitlin Cassell         Graeme Wright         Mateo Piza        Lily Dwyer
Kirk Otteson        Isabella Bellotti        Libby Girard        Leif Hansen
   

TIGER POOMSE

1st place

Logan Shepard        Eden Valeruz        Mayci Beck        Jacob Hoenmans
Layla Tran        Jackson Karasow    Isabella Rai        Aydon Lewis
Niko Martyna        Dane Samples        Jaxon Wheat        Xavier Mc Rant
Halston Kueper        ColinPalminteri        Lovendy Rai        Evalin Dickerson
   

BREAKING

1st place
Erik Albrechtson    Abdu Kikhia        Don Johnson        Thomas Sautel
Jack Eddy        Kai Wong        Andrew Madayag    Makayla Trapp      
Devon Bilyeu        Rob Sarche        Thomas Ma         Emily Artman  
Mason    Louth        Merrick Oleszek    Addie Spery        Theo Lincke
Vivi Brown        Owen Hartmann    James Healy        Chad Bickford      
Ethan Miles        Samantha Biesemeier    Micco Waisanen    Grayson Krause      
   

SPARRING

1st place
Emily Brophy        Andrew Madayag    Thomas Sautel        Zac Johannes
Kai Wong        Freddy Sautel        Bridget Sautel        Sean Konrad      
Vivi Brown        Zuzanna Janowska    Thomas Ma        Lance Schwartz
Rob Sarche        Effie Gibbons        Kaden O’Brien        Natasha McKernan  
Trevor Koch        Nico Trilk        Dakota Jesse        Devon Lewis      
Addie Spery        Brynn Konrad        Anna Macasinag    Elizabeth Cutting  
Hunter Hansell        Chris Krause        Franko Otero        Jack O’Day  
Lynne Dean        Ethan Miles        Abbey Salamera    Jarrod Eller      
Patrick O’Day        James Healy        Grayson Krause        Ryan Henderson  
Jaden Wood        Jonah Elstad        Wiley Kueper        Libby Girard      
Emily Artman        Aspen Hawkins     Sierra Buzick        Treyton Jacobson
Isabella Bellotti        Grady Bahr        William Johnson    David Malec
Devan Bagley        Damon Bahr        Violet Banks      

   
2nd place
Lexi Johannes        Erik Ondrejko                  Nate Watkins        Coghan Spery  
Jocelyn Wallen        Mason Louth                      Chase Wyngarden    Makayla Trapp                     Shekina DeTienne    Mark Scott              Anya Trilk        Owen Martin  
Nathaniel McKernan    Lydia Lincke                     Alan Fernandez        Seth Hughes      
Elise Smith        T.J. Gutierrez                 Joshua Miller        Peyton Barnard      
Keet Holdridge        Sabrina Jameson                Hannah Hansell        Kayla Visnyei                  Adolph Ordaz        Lindsey Boswell         Mateo Piza        Torin Fischer
Chad Bickford        Trish Nguyen                     Ethan Jacobson        Race Sober      
Brian Macias        Mico Waisanen           Jack Eller        Allison Jacobson  
Payton Reynolds    Justin Nelson               T.J. Tibbetts        Kaitlin Cassell                     Meryn Probasco    David Bogdanoff           Hunter Goddard        Kylie Bickford
Miette Jandreau        Dylan Tracy                     Alexander Karasow    Da Minh Tran
Porter Krause        Leif Hansen                
       

3rd place
McKenna Louth    Delaney Zandin        Abdu Kikhia        Caleb Feagans
Clayton Garner        Tanner Copper        Ian Randall        Kenny Brancio      
Robbie Crandell    Casey Feagans        Jennifer McKernan    Ethan Price      
Owen Hartmann    Julianne Todd        Sam LaMorgese    JakobDeverell  
Caela McCartney    Mike Dean        Devon Bilyeu        Elizabeth Hawkins  
Lydia Willis        Jeffrey Bowen        Uriah Hernandez    Zoe Dickerson      
Liam Donovan        Lauren Smith        Jovan Moore        Lars Hansen
Melvin Marine        Bailey Bish        Luke Smith        Caleb Johnson  
William Schwartz    Brendan Zandin        Gavin Pribil        Christina Manna  
Ray Bellotti        Lucas Stolka        Abby Lundeen        Tatum Buennign  
Maddy Vaughn        Osso Siddwell         Noah Sisk        Lily Dwyer
Gillian Boswell        Mitchell Oleszek    Malaki McRant        Daniel Nelson
Charlie Smith        Jennie Aretz        Graeme Wright        Kai Kopacz  
       

4th place
Merrick Oleszek    Alyssa Copper        Jack Eddy        Justin Lautrup        \
Don Johnson        Collin Kreutz         Sean Huntley        Julian Marine  
Evelyn LaMorgese    Mark Cordova        Kelsey Smith        Campbell Copt  
Peyton Brauch        Ethan Trapp        Kameron Evans        Connor Brauch      
Sarah Dahle        Grace Apodaca        Adam Harkins        Mari O’Malley      
Evan Strickfaden    Samantha Biesemeier    Sarah Luper        Jasmine Salamera
Lee Tomjack        Vinny Constantino    Flint Hansell        Bailey Hayes      
Ethan Dwyer        Ethan Girard        Natalie Lundeen    Thor Hansen      
Ashton Price        Ashton Busick        Allie Warnick         Alex Price
Max Bogdanoff    `    R.J. Larson        Olivia Henthron        Nico Huggins
 

FIRST POINT WINS! 

1st place
Freddy Sautel        NateWatkins        Erik Ondrejko        Holly Madayag
Zac Johannes        Andrew Madayag    McKenna Louth    Sabrina Jameson  
Addie Spery        Devon Lewis        Dakota Jesse        Isabella Bellotti  
Nico Trilk        Trevor Koch        Elise Smith        Julianne Todd      
Sam LaMorgese    Rob Sarche        Thomas Ma        Casey Feagans      
Vivi Brown        ChaseWyngarden    Shea Wright        Ryan Henderson  
Payton Reynolds    James Healy        Tatum Buenning    Alexander Karasow
Santi Huggins        Luke Smith        William Schwartz    Abbey Salamera  
Ethan Miles        Chris Krause        Anna Macasinag    Elizabeth Cutting  
Hunter Hansell        Lindsey Boswell     Ashton Price        Lucas Stolka
Alex Price        Sierra Buzick        Julian Marine        Jovan Moore
Leif Hansen        Anya Trilk        Owen Martin        Charlie Smith
Dylan Tracy        Da Minh Tran          

   
2nd place
Abdu Kikhia        Kai Wong        Coghan Spery        Thomas Sautel
Jocelyn Wallen        Emily Brophy        Kenny Brancio        Keet Holdridge      
Lydia Willis        Devan Bilyeu        Elizabeth Hawkins    Malaki McRant  
Natasha McKernan    T.J.Gutierrez        Kaden O’Brien        Seth Hughes      
Peyton Brauch        Lydia Lincke        Kelsey Smith        Ethan Price      
Robbie Crandell    Makalya Trapp        Emily Artman        Justin Nelson  
Grayson Krause        Christina Manna        Meryn Probasco     Nina Madayag
Brian Macias        Micco Waisanen        Caleb Johnson        Race Sober      
Chad Bickford        Sarah Luper        Lauren Smith        Evan Strickfaden  
Kayla Visnyei        Uriah Hernandez         Wiley Kuepper        Jonah Elstad
Kirk Otteson        Kylie Bickford        Lars Hansen        Mateo Piza
Kai Kopacz        Violet Banks        Damon Bahr        Devan Bagley
Daniel Nelson        Mitchell Oleszek          
   

STAFF POOMSE

1st place
Abdu Kikhia        Zach Greaves        Jack Eddy
Collin Kreutz        Michael Madayag

2nd place
Michael Sandusky    Don Johnson        Jocelyn Wallen
Kai Wong        Caleb Feagans

3rd place
Bridget Sautel        Terry Copper        Alyssa Copper
TannerCopper        Delaney Zandin        Kathleen Sautel
Eric Bear

4th place
Hope Morgan        Eileen Lindner        Coghan Spery        Nate Watkins

POOMSE DEMONSTRATION

Erik Albrechtson    Freddy Sautel        Clayton Garner        Alice Meyung

SPARRING DEMONSTRATION

Abdu Kikhia        Michael Madayag

BREAKING DEMONSTATION

Freddy Sautel        Clayton Garner

Fighting Cancer with Martial Arts

Gabe Adler is a 6-year-old with cancer.  Richard Plowden is five-time-world-champion martial artist.

Together, the two are changing the way kids fight cancer.

“Kids believe in the power of martial arts and the power of the black belt,” Plowden said at Beaumont Children’s Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.  “We teach them kicks and punches, but the main thing is martial arts therapy and meditation and breathing techniques to help them through their diagnoses.”

Plowden, a sixth-degree black belt, is the chief martial arts therapist for Kids Kicking Cancer, a non-profit organization founded by Elimelech Goldberg, a rabbi who, himself, holds a first-degree black belt in the Korean art of Choi Kwang Do.

Rabbi “G,” as he is known by patients, founded Kids Kicking Cancer in 1999, 20 years after losing his own daughter, Sara, to leukemia.

“I explained to this little boy [that], in the martial arts, you learn that pain is a message.  You don’t have to listen,” Goldberg said, referring to a young cancer patient who had to be held down during treatment.

“So you can breathe in this amazing energy, this chi, and push out the pain.  ’Watch me,’ [I told the boy].  And, five minutes later, this boy was doing a simple tai chi breathing technique,” Goldberg said. “Twenty minutes later, they pulled out the needle and the boy looked up at the nurse and said, ‘Did you do it yet?’ and that’s when Kids Kicking Cancer was born.”

Goldberg’s organization is now operating in nearly one dozen cities around the world and has helped more than 5,000 kids breathe, kick and punch their way to overcoming the pain and anxiety that goes along with having cancer.

Luca Aversa was diagnosed with cancer when he was just 4 months old.  Today, at the age of 7, he’s used his martial arts training to go from having to be held down for treatments to managing his treatments all on his own.

“He has informed me on several occasions that he is a big boy.  He is a martial artist and he will do it all by himself,” said Lucas’s mom, Kate Aversa.  “He is able to breathe through pain when he comes out of surgery.”

Another Kids Kicking Cancer patient, Amber Madigan, 12, used the mental toughness she gained through her martial arts training to surprise even her most veteran nurses.

“They noticed that she started to do the breathing on her own,” said Amber’s mom, Michele Madigan.  “[She] started calming herself down and she [the nurse] said she’s been in there for 20 years and she has never seen anyone take the power in their own hands.”

Patients in the Kids Kicking Cancer program learn to use the three “P’s” – power, peace and purpose – to handle their treatment.

“Here’s a process they believe in, martial arts,” Goldberg said. “Here’s a time in their lives when they’re anything but powerful. And we explain to them: You can be powerful. You are powerful. And you’re teaching: You’re very, very powerful.”

Refugees learn the ways of Taekwondo

The Syrian refugee children halt straight in a row, and when their Korean Taekwondo instructors shout out directions, the children break into martial arts kicks in the air, smiling with glee.

Taekwondo has arrived at the world's second largest refugee camp, and a team of Koreans Taekwondo instructors says their martial arts training is doing much more than just exercising some elaborate moves, it is implanting discipline and self-respect in kids devastated by their country's civil war.

"I have seen a lot of anger inside the hearts of the kids here," said Charles Lee, a Korean Taekwondo master who heads the group of five Koreans giving lessons twice a week to around 50 boys in Jordan's Zaatari camp. "I see a lot of kids with stones in their hands ready to throw them at anyone."

"I want to teach them to have more sportsmanship and to change how they think. I want them to be peaceful and to help their neighbors and communities," said the 53-year-old, who has lived in Jordan for the past 10 years, working as an acupuncturist. He began the taekwondo program a month ago with the help of U.N. relief agencies.

Kids make up the bulk of the 120,000 Syrians who escaped the military assault of President Bashar Assad and now live in the dusty refugee camp near the border with Syria. About one-sixth of the 65,000 children and teens join the camp's U.N.-run schools, leaving many shiftless. They run barefoot under the boiling sun, often playing their most popular game: throwing stones at each other.

Ibrahim al-Hamidi, 13, from Syria's restive southern city of Daraa, said Taekwondo "is teaching us good manners, while making us stronger."

"It's also good for our bodies and muscles and it teaches how to defend ourselves," he said.

Ali Badran, 13, also from Daraa, said: "Taekwondo is amazing."

"Once I go back to Syria, I want to start teaching Syrian students," he said.

For now, the taekwondo training is limited to boys, but will include girls at a later stage. The Koreans are also training 10 adult refugees — mostly former soccer coaches — to give the classes when they leave.

Without school, the children "no longer have any system in their life anymore," said Mohamed Rashid, one of the Syrian coaches. "But we've found that an exercise routine which can change children. Maybe even more than schools, because they actually enjoy it."

He said he sees the effect. The boys deal better with their friends, for example. "In one month, their bodies have changed a lot. And they are also more in control of their minds."

Marines Across Seas Come Together with Martial Arts

Fists soared and kicks tailed over on the flight deck aboard the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) landing platform dock (LPD) HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) August 4, 2013.

Marines with Africa Partnership Station 13 appeared collectively with Spanish Marines in the nature of brotherhood to trade off and learn each other’s mixed martial arts.

Marines of all positions take pleasure in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. The curriculum, established in 2001, is a form of martial arts with a focus on physical, mental and character discipline.

This time, however, MCMAP was used as an international language to build comradeship with the more than 20 Spanish Marines onboard the Rotterdam.  One Spanish Marine said the meeting was an “awesome” incident.

“It’s always something great to work with [U.S. Marines] because we can learn different things…and build relationships, and I think that’s awesome,” said Spanish Pvt. Victor Gonzalez, a driver with 3rd Mechanized Battalion.

The training began with Marines of each country circled around the martial arts instructors.  The instructors took turns demonstrating each move and had the Marines work together to mirror what they learned.

The international warriors learned simple moves such as lead and rear hand punches, knee strikes, arm manipulations and more.  Interaction between the two military forces grew more and more as the training advanced.

“It was great. Those guys are just as motivated as we are,” said MCMAP instructor trainer Staff Sgt. Michael McConnell.  “It’s good to see that our allies in the world share the same passion that we do for martial arts and being ethical warriors.”

The White River Junction, Vt., native with APS 13, said the Marines plan on doing this more often throughout the deployment to continue to build a closer bond between the two ally nations.

“We plan on training with the Spanish Marines every other day and continue to build that brotherhood, start learning more about their military systems and just keep it going,” concluded McConnell.

Africa Partnership Station (APS) is U.S. Naval Forces Africa’s (NAVAF) flagship maritime security cooperation program. The focus of APS is to build maritime safety and security by increasing maritime awareness, response capabilities and infrastructure.

Korea - 2014

Grandmaster James Sautel is taking the CTI Black Belt Team to South Korea, in June, 2014, for the seventh leg on the CTI Black Belt Team World Tour.

The other stops on the world tour were: Russia (1993), South Korea (2001), Ireland (2004), Mexico (2006), New Zealand (2007) and Germany (2011).

The CTI Black Belt Team World Tour is aimed at giving our instructors and black belts world-class experiences.  Exciting experiences like performing demonstrations in New Zealand, competing in Mexico, sparring in Ireland and training in Germany, are just the tip of the iceberg of the learning and fun that each individual team member has received from being on the CTI Black Belt Team over the years.

Accepted CTI Black Belt Team members work on a special list of requirements and training items to prepare for this fantastic trip to the Land of the Morning Calm.

Moo Sul Kwan black belts interested in applying for the CTI Black Belt Team should speak with their instructor.  There is limited space and time constraints.  Turn in the Black Belt Team Application Form as soon as possible for review.

Family members of the CTI BBT may apply for the trip by first turning in the Friends of the Team Application form available from the CTI Campus chief instructor.

Check back for more information!

My Very First CTI Picnic

By Uriah Hernandez, orange belt

My name is Uriah Hernandez.  I go to the Westminster Campus,  I am an orange belt, and I finally went to my 1st CTI Picnic and to be honest with you, I was frightened I almost chickened out and didn't go.  Gladly I did go and the picnic turned out awesome.

The afternoon started off with a very tasty lunch followed by a big plate full of deserts.  There was cookies, brownies, cake and ice cream it was all really good but made my tummy upset later that night, hahaha!

Everyone was finishing up their lunch I was throwing away some plates and I turned around to find Mr. Evans with dozens of eggs in his arms.  All I remember is thinking oh no what are we doing.  I grabbed my little brother Julian, we went and checked it out.  An egg toss!  How fun!  Not remembering that my brother is only 5 years old and not that skilled at being gentle I said, “Julian lets be partners."  So here we go, for a 5 year old he is doing pretty good but then he throws an egg at my face!  Quickly I dodged the egg it crashed down on the floor and I see that it is all broken into little pieces but its hard-boiled, yeah safe!! SPLAT!!  Not even a split second I get an egg thrown to the back of the ear.  I turn around to find that the partners next to me did not have the best aim for the other person’s hands. hahaha!  Gladly the water fight was going to be coming up so I wouldn't be so sticky…. and smelly.

Before the water fight started we got to slingshot water balloons at the new 1st, 2nd, and 3rd dans.  The next thing you know, everyone has their squirt guns we were all getting soaked.  I thought I had a pretty good plan to get Mr. Sandusky with a bucket full of water but he was one step ahead of me because when I went to go and dump it on him he pushed it towards me and all the water went dripping down my hair.  Not such a good idea.

To end our day we all started to cool down with a game of volleyball that was a blast!  I was getting ready to leave when I stopped and thought of what a great day I had.it is a really cool experience when you get to meet new people or even just learn new things about the people you already knew, its really fun when we have days like the picnic where y
ou can just go and hang out with your instructors and just get to know them because you don’t really get to do that in class so when you do finally see their funny side or sporty side you are just like wow this person and I have a whole lot in common and it brings you closer to them.

At the picnic I learned that we are truly a family a CTI Taekwondo family and no matter how bad I smelt or how sticky I was going home one thing is for sure I am definitely going again next year.