Learning Self-Defense Through MSK Taekwondo

By Ethan Trapp, 2nd dan

If you have been looking for self defense classes or to pick up a martial art, you have come to the right place. The Colorado Taekwondo Institute is a wonderful school to learn self-defense thtough Taekwondo. Coming from Korea, Taekwondo is one of the original oriental martial arts along with Karate, Hapkido, and Judo. Taekwondo is indigenous to Korea, which means this type of self-defense comes from and evolved solely in Korea. It has been around for thousands of years under a few different names such as So Bak. The word Taekwondo also means “the art of smashing with the feet and hands” in Korean. The style taught at Colorado Taekwondo Institute called Moo Sul Kwan teaches great values to students, is a great physical fitness program, and has a friendly and welcoming environment.

The best part about Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo is the strong character it teaches its students. In the student manual, there is a list of the Tenants of Taekwondo. These values include courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit. These Tenants of Taekwondo can be seen in everything we do. From the regular classes to the tournaments to the social events, we are constantly reminded of and taught these traits. Along with that, there are monthly homeworks that teach about other traits of a black belt such as honesty, healthy eating, and the importance of exercise. Personally though, the most important value I have learned through Taekwondo at the CTI has been hard work and the rewards you gain through hard work. This has completely changed my life and influences all of my decisions now. So, one great benefit of Taekwondo is the important principles it teaches.

Another important aspect of self defense training is the physical workouts. Not only does Taekwondo make you a better person mentally, but it also makes you physically fit. With all jumping jacks, stretches, and exercise, you are sure to workup a good sweat. There is focus on endurance training and muscular fitness in Taekwondo. At the beginning of a typical class, we do jumping jacks, which elevate your heart rate and get you breathing. Then we do stretches, which prevent injuries and energize you. In this section, we do pushups and situps, and these help with all of the techniques and help your muscular fitness. Later on, we do the basic kicking and punching routine, which again helps with endurance. This physical fitness is a great help to other sports as well as living a healthy lifestyle.

Lastly, the environment created by the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is a family friendly and inviting atmosphere. At the CTI, even with the competitions, we are all one big family. Even after your first class, you are guaranteed to meet a few new people. There are many different classes that cater to the varying ages and abilities of students. The biggest sign of the friendly environment though is the act of shaking hands, which students do all the time. At the end of every class, the students shake hands and tell each other good job. Even after a fierce sparring match at one of our tournaments, the competitors have a genuine handshake after and show mutual respect. As you can see, the CTI provides a positive environment to learn for your self defense classes.