Classes in Quarantine

By Cody Jacobson, 1st dan, 04/30/20

Life in quarantine can be very boring sometimes. You wake up, do whatever you need to and are stuck with endless boredom.  One thing that I do to keep from losing my mind is the online CTI Taekwondo classes. These classes help you stay in shape and stay entertained.

Normally, when we are not in quarantine, you go to two or more classes a week.  Now, we can't do that.  So, the ingenious solution thought up by Grandmaster James Sautel along with other upper black belts is recorded classes that can be viewed and performed at home.  These classes help you stay in shape while away from the campuses and advance your training.  Now, seeing that we are not going to classes it is vital that you continue your usual class routine.  That way, when we do return to in person classes you are in shape and ready to learn.  If you don't keep up, you will be out of shape and have to spend more time getting back into the routine of class.

The online CTI classes help you stay on top of your basics and your weekly class routine.  One thing that helps me in particular and can maybe help you is to watch and perform an online class on the normal day you would do a class in person.  You don't necessarily have to do it at the same time and duration but it helps.  Always remember to accomplish your other exercises like Poomse, One-Steps, and Self-Defense.  I like to split up the week to focus on different aspects of our training.  Some days I practice more on Poomse and only a bit on One-Steps and Self-Defense.  Other days, it's the exact opposite.  That allows me to work more on new techniques/moves and those things that I really need to work on.  It is a good thing to stay in the routine of things.

Even though the online classes help you stay in shape there is more to doing them than that.  Doing a class provides a break from your surroundings that have become all too familiar.  You can focus on your  Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo and forget about everything else for a little while. It is a great escape from reality.  The classes are also led by great instructors.  These amazing black belts include Mr. Murphy, Mr. Kreutz, Mr. Brauch, Ms. Trapp, Mrs. Lindner, Ms. DeTienne, Mr. Slinkard, Master Meyung, Ms. Sautel, Master Garner, Mr. Jacobson, and Master Albrechtson.

The classes are split up into four sections.  The Tigers section (3-5 year olds), the Junior section (6-11), the Teen section (12-15), and the Adult section (16+).  Try and do the classes that are for your age group.  If they are too easy or you are looking for a challenge try the group above yours.  If you are an adult, try the Teen workouts.  They are just as hard if not harder.  Along with the main workouts there are also videos to follow along with that cover poomse, self-defense, and one-steps.  It is still important to practice these things on your own.  If you are looking for another workout to do on the same day or if you don't have time for a full one, try a CTI Short Workout.  These are shorter workouts that still get you in a sweat.  These classes are a great way to break up a boring day in quarantine.  They get your exercise and keep you going!

Colorado Taekwondo Institute - Producing Leaders Since 1983

By Mark Scott, 2nd dan, CTI LeAD Team

A good leader is inspirational, accountable, decisive, honest, and empathetic.

Inspirational – To be a leader, you must inspire others to follow your example.  You must provide a worthy example to persuade others to follow.  When you expect your followers to do something, you must be willing to do the same thing.

Accountable – The leader must be willing to take the blame for the team’s failures, and share the credit for the success of the team.

Decisive – Making decisions when they need to be made and sticking by those decisions help inspire others to follow the chosen path.

Honest – Having honesty and integrity are two of the most important qualities of a leader.  Making ethical decisions and sticking to core beliefs will always lead a team to success.

Empathetic – Understanding the worries and problems of the followers is one of the keys to becoming a true leader. 

Work – At work I became a leader by doing the best work and working harder than is expected of me.  By doing work above the normal expectations, others see the need to follow the same pattern and become better.  I give all areas of the job equal effort, even the parts that I might now enjoy.  By showing I do everything that I expect the other team members to do, I earn their respect.  I also ensure that I understand each of the struggles of the other team members which builds trust as we try to solve the problems together.

Sports – In sports, the leader sets the example by having more focus and working harder.  I can be a leader in sports by practicing hard, keeping in good shape, and focusing on my part.

Community – A leader in the community is an active participant in the community.  For me to be a leader, I should participate in community events. I should obey the rules or norms of the community.

Students of the Colorado Taekwondo Institute should be leaders in the community because of the structured teaching and values learned through the training in CTI.  The Aims of Moo Sul Kwan teach us many valuable skills we need to be a leader.  The student objectives championed by the CTI curriculum help sculpt the us into productive members of society.  The tenets of Taekwondo are behaviors we learn to exhibit that all leaders should show.

The Aims of Moo Sul Kwan teach students to become self-directed learners.  Leaders must always keep learning and adjusting to changes to keep on the right path.  A good leader must also learn how to set goals which is another one of the Aims.  Setting an appropriate goal as a leader inspires followers and pushes them to achieve more.  Another Aim for us as students is to learn how to teach others.  This is another important quality for a leader.  A leader must be able to demonstrate and teach properly for the followers to succeed.

The student objectives guide us to becoming healthy, productive members of society.  The objectives are not only for learning self-defense and keeping ourselves in shape, but also teach us to be confident, outgoing, and respectful members of society.  Through all of the training and events, we learn to interact and relate to other people in an appropriate manger, showing respect.

The Tenets of Taekwondo are behaviors which we learn as part of our training.  The behaviors spill over into our outside lives as well.  Being courteous to everyone becomes the standard response.  Having integrity in our dealings just feels right for a CTI student.  We also learn to have perseverance in all of our work and activities.  As a CTI student, you can’t achieve any belt without sticking to a goal.  The self-control is perhaps the most important for a leader.  We are always being tested for self-control, as things in life always change, and the unexpected always happens.  Lastly, indomitable spirit keeps the leader strong and the followers encouraged.

All of the training and teaching from CTI create strong, moral, and capable leaders out of the students.  The CTI program design trains not only the body but also the mind to sculpt us into well-grounded, respectful and thoughtful students and citizens.  Who better to become leaders outside of MSK Taekwondo, than the CTI student who gets tested both physically and mentally in every class and event.

Potential

By Deb Denny, 1st dan, CTI Masters Club Member

There’s an old, well known story of a chicken farmer who found an eagle’s egg.  He put it with his chickens and soon the egg hatched. The young eagle grew up with all the other chickens and whatever they did, the eagle did too. He thought he was a chicken, just like them. Since the chickens could only fly for a short distance, the eagle also learnt to fly a short distance. He thought that was what he was supposed to do. So that was all that he thought he could do. As a consequence, that was all he was able to do.

One day the eagle saw a bird flying high above him. He was very impressed. “Who is that?” he asked the hens around him. “That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” the hens told him. “He belongs to the sky and we belong to the earth, we are just chickens.”  So the eagle lived and died as a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.

Potential, this is what the eagle had in spades and was unaware of it.

Working through challenges in MSK Taekwondo will naturally result in personal advancements.  Challenges become stepping stones for unlocking our potential.  Potential, latent abilities or qualities that may be developed for future success, are unlocked through our awareness and effort. Every action such as mastering a movement or perfecting a technique create improved self-confidence and self-esteem.  Performing strong basics result in physical strength, reflexes, mental agility, muscle strength, and form a foundation upon which to release potential.  Overcoming challenges and seeing our potential released in MSK Taekwondo creates a strong personal character that naturally translates to our everyday lives.  The perseverance learned in MSK Taekwondo becomes a habit, allowing you to release your potential and succeed in all aspects of life. Releasing potential takes ongoing sweat equity, “Continuous effort is the key to unlocking our potential.”

MSK Taekwondo for Austism Spectrum Disorder

By Deb Denny, 1st dan

For children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a large variety in severity and types of symptoms. Most people on the spectrum face some challenges with communication, social interactions, balance, repetitive behaviors and communications. Treatment has been limited to limited several therapeutic methods such as speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and behavioral intervention. These methods have proven to be intensive, expensive and time-consuming.  Numerous studies have shown traditional martial arts such as Kung Fu, Karate, Taekwondo, Mixed Martial Arts to reduce stereotypic behaviors, improve emotional and social function, and improve cognition and attention.  Starting martial arts such as Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo may be a better way to protect the person’s dignity than a healthcare intervention, avoid labeling, reduce the person’s perception that s/he is “different”, allow for the improvement of symptoms in a less restrictive environment. Most of all the benefit of having your child participate in a sport that other children take for granted is a dream come true for parents.

When you choose Colorado Taekwondo Institute - Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo, you are engaging in a practice that emphasizes overall character development, cognitive development and physical skill development. Patterned movements require a mind and body focus, and this combination is extremely valuable in creating a strong mind-body connection for physical and mental training.An additional benefit of adding Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo into your ASD regimen is that it is fun and rewarding. Many occupational therapy and physical therapy routines are boring and difficult to stick to, as well as expensive.

When practicing Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo, children and adults get to focus on themselves. While participating in class the focus is on their own movements, their own progress, and their physical and cognitive achievements. As students take visual and verbal cues to reproduce the movements as shown by their instructors, they are required to pay attention and try their best, which is all within their control to accomplish. With each action that repeats the movements from the last, they can progress at their own pace and enjoy accomplishments along the way.

If you’re looking for a new activity to improve upon symptoms for yourself or someone else with autism spectrum disorder, we hope you’ll give Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo a try.