Taekwondo and School

By Tyler Murphy, 1st dan

Jump Back Kick at the 25th DMAC

For me, Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo at the CTI has always been an important part of my life!  When I was younger it always helped me at school because this martial art helped me to have better focus with the work outs and some of my extra energy got burnt off early in the morning.  I went to Red Rocks Elementary School where there was a before school program.  At this before school program, run by the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, I would get to school early several days a week before school started for the day.  I stayed there until sixth grade and when I left Red Rocks, I started attending the Littleton Campus of the CTI.  At an early age the immediate benefits for me during school were quite obvious because I had better focus and also better confidence since I started training. I had better confidence because I knew I was good at something and I always had fun doing MSK Taekwondo with the many new goals to reach.

After I graduated to middle school and started taking MSK Taekwondo classes at the Littleton Campus, the benefits were the same and even more so.  School was much harder for me, since it was my first year at D’Evelyn Jr./Sr. High School, and I didn’t really know what I was doing.  I always had at least two or three hours of homework every night but I never thought about missing Taekwondo classes.  Going to class helped me stay motivated at school and helped me to relieve stress.  I only thought about what I was doing in class instead of drowning in my thoughts about the immense amount of homework I had that night.  I always got my homework done and maintained A’s and B’s because of my training at the CTI.

As time went by and I reached higher belts, I also learned more and more about leadership in the CTI LeAD Team, and I also learned how to speak in front of people.  If I was in front of the class at Taekwondo, I had to learn how to speak, so eventually I got very good at it which helped me at school.  I was far less nervous than before;  I could speak in front of the class and ask questions without worrying what other people thought of me.  Without that worry in the back of my mind, I was also able the learn the material that we were reviewing much more efficiently because instead of being focused on other people around me, I was directing all of my energy and focus into understanding what the teacher was saying.

Another very important benefit that MSK Taekwondo brought me was relieving stress when I really needed it most. If I was having a rough day, something just wasn’t working for me, or I just had a lot of homework I always went to class. To me the most important days to come to class are the ones that aren’t really going well because working out helps to let out any negative energy, or stress, and also being around nice people with a positive attitude helps greatly to forget about what’s troubling me.  Due to my training at the CTI, I have almost made it through high school with a 3.5 GPA.  All of my teachers like me because I listen well and I also understand how to teach  because of my training.  They teachers teach at school and I teach at the CTI, which in fact aren't really that different.

Having an understanding of how to teach has helped in school because, with that understanding, I am able to comprehend why teachers do things the way they do and why they have to give homework.  Instead of complaining about all the work and why we have to do assignments I understand why they are important so I do the work to the best of my ability.

Teaching Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo, being a member of the American Martial Arts Sports and Education Association, and taking classes over time has taught me how to plan my schedule well so that I can have time for all aspects of my life.  Therefore, it has taught me not to procrastinate in school. Doing school all day and then training at the CTI at night is always busy and I don't have much time to waste, so I have learned to be efficient and focused in all aspects of my life.

To be successful at something demands constant focus and motivation, which is why it is essential for me to maintain focus in all aspects of my life. Thanks to Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, I am successful at school and in all other parts of my life.