The Model Concept of Moo Sul Kwan

By Ethan Trapp, 2nd dan

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute (CTI) teaches students to be well rounded individuals. The first president of Moo Sul Kwan came up with the model concept which is a teaching strategy that incorporates three parts to create well rounded and educated martial artists. The psychomotor (body) and affective (spirit) are at the bottom of this model. Students must become masters of these two parts before they master the third, the cognitive, or mind element of a great martial artist. The Moo Sul Kwan Model Concept is crucial in creating knowledgeable and fit martial artists with greater abilities outside of just the physical martial arts.

The Psychomotor domain covers the physical aspect of Taekwondo and is vital to having a healthy and active life. It is the the first element of the Model Concept taught to students. Every time we work out, we work on the Psychomotor domain. To start off class, we do jumping jacks which raise your heart rate and get us warmed up for the real workout. Following that, there are stretches. In this, we do push ups and sit ups. These exercises help keep our core strong and build muscle to improve strength. Many other activities done in Taekwondo such as sparing, poomse, and basics contribute the the Psychomotor domain. Doing all of this exercise has countless benefits. As with most exercise, you get an elevated heart rate. Along with that, exercise keeps you fit and in shape, which has applications in everyday life. Exercise keeps you motivated and more active in general. Benefits that are specific to Taekwondo include more precise movement and body awareness. It should also be noted that regular exercise is known to release chemicals in your brain that keep you feeling happy regularly. The Psychomotor domain is an important place to start in the Model Concept as it builds the foundation for the other areas.

Following that, the Affective domain is taught to students as it furthers training. The affective domain is needed to create well rounded students because it applies concepts to everyday life. This domain appears in everything we do as well. The most prevalent examples are in the quarterly tournaments, the steady progression of belts, and the Tenets of Taekwondo. All of these help the Affective domain because they teach students to work hard for rewards and become better people. We learnt to have goals that are difficult to achieve which makes them more meaningful. In the world outside Taekwondo, a developed Affective domain gives an advantage over everybody else. We are taught to work hard and have a passion for something. This gives us purpose and motivation. It helps us have fun and create better relations with others because of the different values like courtesy and humbleness. The Affective domain provides the necessary groundwork to have success.

The Cognitive is taught last because it builds off of the foundations of the other two. This domain helps students to think for themselves and be able to teach the material most effectively. This domain comes only after mastery of the other two as it needs a base. The Cognitive Domain is taught in activities like promotion tests, difficult classes, tournament preparation, and the numerous social events. All of these help the student to thoroughly work through the material and prepare for unknown situations. In other words, this domain is what makes CTI students leaders. We know how to pass on material and gain a better understanding of it. The applications of this skill are numerous. Students become natural leaders and examples in all aspects of life. The Cognitive domain creates strong people who are fit to lead in the world.

Overall, the Model Concept is an effective method to creating balanced individuals. It has applications in and out of Taekwondo. The Psychomotor and Affective domain builds up the individual, and the Cognitive domain sharpens these skills to be able to better connect with others. The Moo Sul Kwan Model Concept creates hardworking and humble people who can make a positive impact on the world.