No Classes - Winter Break

There will be no classes at any CTI Campus December 26-30, 2022. Classes will resume as normal on Monday, January 2nd. 

Take care of each other during the holiday season, and as our founder Great Grandmaster Lee H. Park would say, "keep pushing"!

Working Out... As a family!

Places where the whole entire family can participate in classes that have the same structure and focus on the same material are hard to come by.  The Colorado Taekwondo Institute created a strong system of martial arts classes that universally focus on the same material that is excellent for all ages.  Having family members also in Taekwondo class helps push all members to do their best though the spirit of competition.  Since all the martial arts techniques are the same the whole family can practice together!  Everytime there is a Taekwondo tournament or other event designed by the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, one can go to them collectively as a family.  Martial arts are a great family activity!

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute is excellent for learning family martial arts!  Everything is very family friendly and there are Taekwondo classes for all ages!  The adult classes are typically in the evenings to help with the more typical time conflicts. Colorado Taekwondo Institute Instructors are friendly, good with the age group that they teach, and are always very accommodating for families!

Having the whole family involved in the same martial arts program is excellent at promoting growth as a student.  Kids are always fighting to improve and getting progressively better in attempt to outpace their siblings.  Some of the most dedicated students are only so because they had other family members also taking the martial arts classes.  Entire families participating in Taekwondo classes motivates everyone to do better and be better in effort not to fall behind. 

Competing with other family members is an excellent motivator, but perhaps the biggest advantage of having multiple family members participating in martial arts is that they can offer consistent help to each other at home.  Since there is so much to be learned in taking Taekwondo classes, many students forget a lot of what they learned if they didn’t practice right away.  Families can all pitch in at this time since all the techniques taught in the classes are universal no matter the age.  Families can also go through the moves together to work on staying together and to catch each other's mistakes.  It’s wonderful for the whole family to work together on something!

With that, there are many opportunities for the family to get together and go to the many events the Colorado Taekwondo Institute creates.  Families can go watch each other at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute multiple tournaments and cheer each other on!  Afterwards, families can come together and talk about their experiences. There are also multiple other events that the whole family can come to such as the MSK Summer Expo which is an entire weekend of Taekwondo up in the mountains which makes an awesome family trip!

Martial arts are a great family activity!  Everything is very family friendly at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute from the class times to the instructors.  Having the whole family taking martial arts classes is a great way to push each other and a fantastic way to help one another learn better!  Not to mention the connection that the family feels between them when they all know what’s going on at Taekwondo events!

The Five Principles of the CTI

 By Caiden Murphy, 1st dan

The 5 principles of CTI are integrity, courtesy, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit which apply to Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo in many ways. Courtesy is an important aspect in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo and in regular world experiences because respect and politeness are important. In MSK Taekwondo courtesy is shown by the way we address black belts as sir or ma'am to respect the hard work they have put into their art. In CTI classes, courtesy is shown by calling teachers Mr or Ms to respect the hard work that they put in to get there and the knowledge they share. These examples also show ways of being polite because you are respecting them.

Integrity is important in many ways because you should always be truthful and stick to your moral principles. This is because sticking to your moral principles shows who you truly are and lying will cover your true self up and make you not who you truly are. Moral principles are an important part of life because they help us decide things on how we truly want to so we can live the best life we can.

Perseverance is an important part of MSK Taekwondo and real life because being able to go through hard times and get stronger from them is a very good quality. An example of perseverance in the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is getting to your black belt. This shows that you have patience because of the long wait, and that you can persevere through the hard times throughout that journey. In real life perseverance is important because if you want to reach any long term goal of yours then it's not going to be easy and you will have to persevere through the hardships of reaching your goal. When you persevere and reach whatever goal you might have then you will feel very relieved and good about yourself because you persevered.

Self-Control is a very important part of Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo and life because controlling yourself from doing things can help you make less bad decisions. This applies even more to people that know self-defense because you know ways to hurt people and not doing so requires self-control. This also applies to real life because lets say that you are on a diet and you really want to stick to it but you have been tempted by so many things but you still stick to it. This is an example of self-control because you are controlling yourself to not do things that are tempting but you don't want to do.

Indomitable Spirit is the prospect of having an unbreakable spirit, and this would include being positive and not letting things get you down. In MSK Taekwondo this is relevant  because you get constructive criticism and you don't want to take it the wrong way because everyone is just trying to make you better. This applies to real life because if you have indomitable spirit you can literally do anything you want to do because you will not get broken or give up halfway through. This is also important because giving up is a main reason that people don't reach their goals but if you have indomitable spirit, that won't be a problem. This is why the 5 principles of MSK Taekwondo are very important aspects of life and we should all try to implement them into our everyday lives.

CTI Holiday Party and our 24th Lee H. Park Team Championships

December is busy as usual!  First up is our annual CTI Holiday Party on Friday, December 2nd!  It’s taking place at Alameda International, and will be lots of fun!  Everyone is invited. There will be lots of food, music, and a special guest!  Ask your instructor for more information.

Then, on Saturday, December 10th, we are having our annual CTI Hanmadang, the 23rd LHP Team Champs!  This one day event involves all belts and ages in our CTI.  There will be Team Competitions in Poomse, Basics, One-Step sparring, Self-defense, Breaking, Target Kicking and more! Click here to register online. We hope to see everyone there!

Save the Date! The 24th Lee H. Park Team Champs!

Mark your calendars for our 24th Lee H. Park Team Champs, our 14th Hanmadang! It will be held on December 10, 2022 at Alameda International. This is our annual team tournament, and it is held in honor of our founder, Great Grandmaster Lee H. Park. 

The Hanmadang (hanmadang is Korean for "festival") is a festival held in Korea each year that is sponsored by the Kukkiwon. There is no sparring at the Hanmadang , and likewise the Moo Sul Kwan Hanmadang we don't do any sparring. Instead, we focus on team competitions, to help develop team work, sportsmanship, and cooperation skills.

This year, events will include: Team Poomse & Basics, Team One-Step Sparring & Self Defense, Team Self-Defense, Team Breaking, Team Target Kicking, and Most Kicks in a CTI Minute.

More information can be found on our website here. You can also talk to your instructor for more information. Click here to get registered. 

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute - The Best Martial Arts School in Town!

 By Collin Kreutz, 4th Dan

Are you looking for the best martial arts school in the Denver area for you or your family? Look no further than the Colorado Taekwondo Institute. The Colorado Taekwondo Institute has been providing the community with the best martial arts classes in Colorado for nearly 40 years. Our experienced and well-trained instructors run classes for all ages, including toddlers, kids, teens, and adults. With five martial art locations in the Denver metro area, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is sure to have a school near you!

Each of the five locations in the Denver area, plus our additional campus in Northwestern Colorado in Craig, provide a variety of taekwondo martial arts classes for all ages. The Lakewood/Green Mountain, Golden, Westminster, Littleton, and Conifer locations all boast spacious workout areas that are well maintained, thoroughly cleaned, and are constructed with carpeted suspension floors for the best workout experience. All of these campus locations are run by experienced black belts with years of teaching experience, so regardless of which location works best for you, you are sure to get the best martial arts program around.

At the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, the students always come first. All of our classes are organized according to age and ability, so the training is properly tailored to the needs of the students. Our instructors teach group classes with an individualized focus, so you and your family will get the workout, self defense instruction, and personal training that you need. Classes run year round, so you will be able to attend biweekly throughout the calendar year to make sure you stay in shape and are able to continue progressing through the program at a consistent rate.

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute prides itself in being an educational martial arts school, meaning that we encourage use of the mind and emotions in addition to the body to become more well-rounded martial artists and better leaders. The Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo martial arts teaching program that the Colorado Taekwondo Institute follows was brought to the United States in 1969 by Great Grandmaster Lee H. Park. In every class, Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo stresses using self control over self defense, ensuring that we make the world a better place while learning to defend ourselves. With over 50 years of curriculum development, our instructors teach a solid foundational training program based on a basic routine of taekwondo techniques that is successful at making students the best martial arts version of themselves.

In addition to regular martial artsclasses, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute conducts special events throughout the year. We host four tournaments every year, where each of our five primary campuses, plus students in Craig, get together to compete in different events that are practiced during regular classes. There are also a variety of non-competition events, including weekend long expos, week long summer sleep-away camps and day camps, and weekend seminar classes. These additional events at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute set us apart from other martial arts schools in the area, as they provide supplemental training on a consistent basis to keep students motivated and to spice up the routine with fun competitions and classes with new and different instructors.

So, if you are looking for the bestmartial arts for you or your family, I would highly recommend giving the Colorado Taekwondo Institute a try. Our introductory program will set you up with a uniform and two classes for only $30. Give your local Colorado Taekwondo Institute location a call for more information!

Leading the Way at the 26th MSK Symposium

By Abbey Salamera, 2nd dan

The 26th Moo Sul Kwan Black Belt Symposium took place on October 7-8, 2022, at Alameda International High School in Lakewood, Colorado. Nearly a hundred Moo Sul Kwan black, red, and brown belts gathered during this two-day event to train in classes and seminars to strengthen their understanding of Moo Sul Kwan martial arts. According to Great Grandmaster Park (who brought Moo Sul Kwan Martial Arts tothe United States) and his Model Concept, these upper belts and instructors should concentrate on strategies of movements and techniques of teaching for program instruction, respectively; the MSK Symposium gave these students an opportunity to focus on these elements of their training through the theme of the event: “Leading the Way.”

“Leading the Way” serves to be important for all MSK Taekwondo students, especially as the participants of the Symposium grow into the leaders of the school. The upper belts and instructors take the knowledge they’ve learned at the Symposium and pass it down through classes, assistant teaching, mentoring, and other opportunities to collaborate at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute. Participants trained extremely hard on Friday evening and during the day on Saturday as they improved their skills in poomse, sparring, one-steps, self-defense, and more. The Symposium culminated in a banquet at Alameda International High School for a night of entertainment, food, and fun!

The first class that Symposium participants embarked on was poomse. Each class was given the opportunity to practice each poomse that they know, and do each one of them to the best of their ability. Each participant was given a sheet of paper with these poomse names and marked down every time they made a mistake on the poomse. Given the fact that perfect practice makes perfect, a mistake on a poomse resulted in practicing that same poomse five times to ensure that it would be done correctly with the best technique. All participants collectively did so much poomse in just the first couple hours of the evening.

Both days of the Symposium ended in sparring seminars between all the participants. Students and instructors from all CTI campuses were able to spar one another, no matter the difference in age, rank, and ability. This gave participants the opportunity to practice their skills on new opponents as they improved their speed, blocking, spin moves, fakes, footwork, and all techniques that create a good sparrer. At the end of the day, respect and sportsmanship amongst the participants filled the gym of Alameda International High School to reflect the qualities of a Moo Sul Kwan black belt.

After the two-day event, MSK students were able to develop their CTI teaching and leadership and concepts for their physical and mental training. The many hours of training made an impact to progress students towards their next belt and become better Taekwondo students that embody the values of Moo Sul Kwan. With an emphasis on increasing both athletic and academic knowledge, the 26th Moo Sul Kwan Black Belt Symposium was able to fulfill both of these aspects for MSK students to continue leading the way.

32nd DMAC Results Are In!

The 32nd Denver Martial Arts Champs was held on Septermber 9-10 at Alameda International School. Over 270 students of all belts and ages competed, learned, and had a memorial day. Photos will be available soon on our website's Photo page.

Special thanks to all family members and friends for their support to make this special day possible!

Congratulations to our Grand Champions, Collin Kreutz and Lindsey Boswell!

DMAC Results

POOMSE

1st Place 
Paxton Barnett, Theron Bearce, Phoebe Bono, Meredith Botnick, Emma Burden, Connor Burgin, Alice  Burgin, Zuri Cady, Tara Cady, Alexis Chavez, Keegan Christenson, Rebekkah Copel, Quynn Cotner, Zachary Cotner, David Cruz Barajas, Katie Dahle, Carina Dulong, Owen Eberhard, Owen Eterno, Konner Evans, Oliver Garner, Eddie Garner, Daniel Gray, Eloise Green, Joel Hall, Hannah Holmes, Ella Jackmond, Cody Jacobson, Hayden Jeffries, Ivy Jensen, Penelope Killeen, Alex Kirt, Nora Kivett, Collin Kreutz , Sophia Laws, Eileen Lindner, Steve Loukas, River Manuelito, Max Margulies, Evan Mcewan, Caiden Murphy, Truc Nguyen, Brian O'Reilly, Zachary Palmer, Leonidas Peter, Jason Ranjit, Stella Reyniers, Owen Robertson, Cole Robertson, Caleb Romero, Isaiah Sanchez, Dale Sanders, Nolan Shidemantle, Michael Stanley, Joshua Stephenson, Nicholas Stephenson, Giovanni Stone, Lana Valeruz, Coltyn Voit, Chelsea Welch, Jack Wicken

2nd Place
Eli Anceravicius, Ace Ashworth, Pierce Baker, Zoey Bellis, Hayes Bennett, Lindsey Boswell, Dan Copel, Sam Czaikowski, Deb Denny, Jackson Derosia, Landon Dulmage, Lillian Eichelberger, Jackson Foster, Finlay Graves, Bill Graves, Jace Hessler, Carter Hoffman, Grant Hoffman, Miles Humphress, Olivia Ivie, Zachary Kahan, Gabriel Kahan, Standish Kingsbeck, Garrett Knapp, Lily Laird, Ella Laird, Josie Landis, Ryan Marine, Logan Martin, Elsie Mcdonald, Warren Mcdonald, Kaylyn Mcewan, Katie Minden, Mary  Moen, Hope Morgan, Natalie Morris , Makenzie O'Connell, Noah Park, Ellie Pechon, Henry  Powell, Diego Quezada, Grace Quinones, Jasmine Salamera, Christina Sanders, Alex Schwartz, Mark Scott, Nethika Suraweera, Alex Tan, Connor Thomson, Zach  Trujillo, Shiven Venkat, David Webster, Hope Wilcox, Carol  Wilsey, Ender Wine, Ezra Wine, Violet Wondel, Colston Yoder, Mason Zerbib

3rd Place
Reid Baker, Dean Barrieau, Cohen Barstow, Hudson Bennett, Tj Boylen, Billie Brabble, Peyton Brauch, Brandon Brech, Thomas Burden, Amallia Chapman, Carrie Chauhan, Averie Chavez, Aj Cleveland, Anna  Copel, Tristyn Cvanciger, Payton Dahm, Roland Dander, Drake Ferguson, Mykah Garrett-Duquette, Rhys Garrett-Duquette, Hayden Green, Ronan Haydon, Jaxson Hipsher, Emerson Holmes, Aliyah Huckaby , Sean Huntley, Leroy  Hutchison, Don Johnson, Nikoli Kingsbeck, Brandon Kirt, Shayla Leblanc, Stella Lockhart, Dean Loux, Ron Meyer, Elliott Myers, Mila Olivares Castro, Maxwell Palmer, Jacob Palmer, Marley Powers, Sam Powers, Meryn Probasco, Jack Ranallo, Joshua Ranjit, Jakoda Ratzloff, Chris Ray, Malachai Romero, Sebastian Schuster, Landon Sidley-Mercado, Darcy Stanton, Allan Stanton, Ellie Stanton, Dorin Staver, Sloan Sullivan, Aspen Swift, Lee Tomjack, Aarush Venkat, Corbyn Voit, Aiden Webster, Rue Weerapura

4th Place
Simon Aguilar, Kellan Barnett, Rose Basnet, Susan Burgstiner, Adriana Carreon, Reid  Claflin , Cooper Curry, Lauren Dahlberg, Lars Den Hartog, Torin Dimascio, Joshua Dollar, Zoe Economou, Weston Evarts, Ace Garcia, Lorenzo Gomez, Armando  Gomez, Kaleb Guffey, Aspen Henderson, Dalila Lopez, Stryder Martin, Brody Mitchell, Jah Norford, Paul Paisley, Eli Quinones, Carlos Ramirez, Kaiden Rees, Kaytie Rees, Henry Rumph, Jordan Rutz, Kathleen Sautel, Jacob Schuster, Ed Stanton, Henryk Stewart, Lily Strickland, Jessica Weins, Harrison Wilkins, Duncan Zook

1st Place Tiger Poomse
William Lopeman, Sunny Pavez, Andrew Kahan, Nora Hanson, Keira Teska, Logan Hamp, Paolo Stone, Addison Helms, Charlie Lopeman, Ophelia Paviz, Natalie Teska, Emrick Hughes, Aleina Evarts, Zane Hayes, Dylan Huckaby-Rafaelson, Mila Smirnov, Everette Eterno 

SPARRING

1st Place
Alex Kirt, Collin Kreutz , Max Margulies, Caiden Murphy, Zachary Palmer, Jason Ranjit, Owen Robertson, Dale Sanders, Joshua Stephenson, Nicholas Stephenson, Eli Anceravicius, Olivia Ivie, Standish Kingsbeck, Garrett Knapp, Mary  Moen, Hope Morgan, Henry  Powell, Christina Sanders, Alex Schwartz, Mark Scott, Hope Wilcox, Violet Wondel, Tj Boylen, Billie Brabble, Payton Dahm, Hayden Green, Aliyah Huckaby , Sean Huntley, Ron Meyer, Elliott Myers, Marley Powers, Jakoda Ratzloff, Allan Stanton, Corbyn Voit, Simon Aguilar , Rose Basnet, Lars Den Hartog, Torin Dimascio, Lorenzo Gomez, Gillian Boswell, Vivi Brown, Ahas Weerapura

2nd Place
Theron Bearce, Emma Burden, Rebekkah Copel, David Cruz Barajas, Katie Dahle, Carina Dulong, Eloise Green, Joel Hall, Steve Loukas, River Manuelito, Brian O'Reilly, Stella Reyniers, Caleb Romero, Isaiah Sanchez, Giovanni Stone, Lana Valeruz, Coltyn Voit, Sam Czaikowski, Deb Denny, Landon Dulmage, Lillian Eichelberger, Jackson Foster, Finlay Graves, Jace Hessler, Ryan Marine, Katie Minden, Natalie Morris , Noah Park, Alex Tan, David Webster, Carol  Wilsey, Mason Zerbib, Reid Baker, Peyton Brauch, Brandon Brech, Thomas Burden, Carrie Chauhan, Averie Chavez, Mykah Garrett-Duquette, Emerson Holmes, Sam Powers, Joshua Ranjit, Chris Ray, Landon Sidley-Mercado, Aspen Swift, Lee Tomjack, Aiden Webster, Kellan Barnett, Cooper Curry, Zoe Economou, Weston Evarts, Ace Garcia, Armando  Gomez, Lily Strickland, Mila Kinsley-Kirwin, Mateo Piza

3rd Place
Alice Burgin, Quynn Cotner, Konner Evans, Hannah Holmes, Cody Jacobson, Hayden Jeffries, Sophia Laws, Eileen Lindner, Truc Nguyen, Cole Robertson, Nolan Shidemantle, Ace Ashworth, Zoey Bellis, Dan Copel, Bill Graves, Zachary Kahan, Logan Martin, Warren Mcdonald, Diego Quezada, Grace Quinones, Nethika Suraweera, Connor Thomson, Ender Wine, Colston Yoder, Hudson Bennett, Aj Cleveland, Anna  Copel, Tristyn Cvanciger, Rhys Garrett-Duquette, Ronan Haydon, Jaxson Hipsher, Leroy  Hutchison, Stella Lockhart, Mila Olivares Castro, Maxwell Palmer, Meryn Probasco, Darcy Stanton, Ellie Stanton, Aarush Venkat, Rue Weerapura, Reid  Claflin , Dalila Lopez, Stryder Martin, Jah Norford, Eli Quinones, Ed Stanton, Henryk Stewart, Harrison Wilkins, Alexander Aguilar-Glaub, Zach Greaves, Ivy Strickland

4th Place
Connor Burgin, Oliver Garner, Evan Mcewan, Leonidas Peter, Michael Stanley, Chelsea Welch, Jack Wicken, Pierce Baker, Hayes Bennett, Grant Hoffman, Miles Humphress, Gabriel Kahan, Josie Landis, Kaylyn Mcewan, Ellie Pechon, Jasmine Salamera, Zach  Trujillo, Shiven Venkat, Cohen Barstow, Amallia Chapman, Roland Dander, Drake Ferguson, Don Johnson, Jacob Palmer, Sebastian Schuster, Sloan Sullivan, Lauren Dahlberg, Aspen Henderson, Brody Mitchell, Paul Paisley, Jordan Rutz, Jacob Schuster, Duncan Zook, Kirun Agarwal, Jack Eddy, Hank Haubner, Aidan Sturm, Brandon  Volkmer

1ST POINT WINS

1st Place
Meredith Botnick, Alexis Chavez, Owen Eterno, Eddie Garner, Daniel Gray, Penelope Killeen, Max Margulies, Caiden Murphy, Zachary Palmer, Jason Ranjit, Olivia Ivie, Garrett Knapp, Mary  Moen, Hope Morgan, Hope Wilcox, Marley Powers, Jakoda Ratzloff, Allan Stanton, Corbyn Voit, Gillian Boswell, Ahas Weerapura, Stella Reyniers, Isaiah Sanchez, Coltyn Voit, Noah Park, Alex Tan, David Webster, Peyton Brauch, Averie Chavez, Mykah Garrett-Duquette, Emerson Holmes, Aiden Webster, Armando  Gomez, Mateo Piza, Sophia Laws, Ace Ashworth, Warren Mcdonald, Ender Wine, Anna  Copel, Jaxson Hipsher, Henryk Stewart, Pierce Baker, Hayes Bennett, Miles Humphress, Josie Landis, Zach  Trujillo, Amallia Chapman, Don Johnson, Jacob Schuster, Paxton Barnett, Keegan Christenson, Lindsey Boswell, Makenzie O'Connell, Henry Rumph

2nd Place
Phoebe Bono, Zachary Cotner, Owen Eberhard, Nicholas Stephenson, Standish Kingsbeck, Christina Sanders, Mark Scott, Billie Brabble, Elliott Myers, Simon Aguilar , Lars Den Hartog, Torin Dimascio, Emma Burden, Rebekkah Copel, Eloise Green, Joel Hall, Caleb Romero, Giovanni Stone, Sam Czaikowski, Jackson Foster, Finlay Graves, Katie Minden, Brandon Brech, Sam Powers, Joshua Ranjit, Aspen Swift, Lee Tomjack, Zoe Economou, Quynn Cotner, Eileen Lindner, Nolan Shidemantle, Zoey Bellis, Bill Graves, Nethika Suraweera, Connor Thomson, Aj Cleveland, Leroy  Hutchison, Mila Olivares Castro, Ellie Stanton, Reid  Claflin , Dalila Lopez, Stryder Martin, Ivy Strickland, Leonidas Peter, Michael Stanley, Gabriel Kahan, Shiven Venkat, Sloan Sullivan, Brody Mitchell, Kirun Agarwal, Jack Eddy, Aidan Sturm, Elsie Mcdonald, Nikoli Kingsbeck, Dorin Staver

TARGET KICKING & BREAKING

1st Place
Hope Morgan, Hope Wilcox, Ahas Weerapura, Mateo Piza, Pierce Baker, Josie Landis, Zach  Trujillo, Lindsey Boswell, Lars Den Hartog, Caleb Romero, Quynn Cotner, Nolan Shidemantle, Aidan Sturm, Ivy Jensen, Collin Kreutz , Dale Sanders, Katie Dahle, Lillian Eichelberger, Natalie Morris, Colston Yoder, Aarush Venkat, Rue Weerapura, Eli Quinones, Roland Dander, Shayla Leblanc, Susan Burgstiner

STAFF POOMSE

1st Place
Lindsey Boswell, Collin Kreutz, Alex Tan, Peyton Brauch, Katie Minden, Konner Evans

2nd Place
Lars Den Hartog, Katie Dahle, Gillian Boswell, Deb Denny, Zach Greaves, Kathleen Sautel 

3rd Place
Hope Morgan, Eileen Lindner, Sean Huntley, Vivi Brown, Abbey Salamera 

TIGER FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

1st Place
Zane Hayes, Aleina Evarts, Logan Hamp, William Lopeman

2nd Place
Emrick Hughes, Keira Teska, Sunny Pavez, Mila Smirnov

Coming Soon: 32nd Denver Martial Arts Champs!

Our next tournament, the 32nd Denver Martial Arts Championships, will be held September 9 & 10 at Alameda International! This day will include exciting competition for students of all ages and belts. 

Moo Sul Kwan was brought to the United States in 1969 by Lee H. Park when he settled in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, home of Southeast Missouri State University.  Lee H. Park, 9th Dan, was an educational pioneer in the martial arts of the United States.  Great Grandmaster Park founded the American Marital Arts Sports and Education Association in 1981, and had many Moo Sul Kwan schools in the area.                                                                           

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute was founded in 1983.  Today there are CTI Campus locations teaching Moo Sul Kwan martial arts in  Green Mountain, Littleton, Westminster, Golden, Conifer, and Craig, Colorado. The CTI also provides educational excellence at Montessori Peaks Academy, Red Rocks Elementary School, Our Lady of Fatima School, West Woods Elementary School, Alameda International, Meiklejohn Elementary and Westridge Elementary School.

Our Denver Martial Arts Championships began in the early 1990s and has been our kick-off to one fantastic CTI-year after another!   

Events will include:

• Poomse
• Tiger Poomse 
• Free-Sparring
• First Point Wins!
• Breaking
• Target Kicking 
• Black Belt Staff Poomse

You can read more about this event by clicking here. You or your student should receive a hardcopy of the brochure in class soon.  You can register for the event by clicking here. Please note: All registrations are due August 30th, and all registrations must be completed online. This will enable us to get everyone their competition times and locations in a timely manner.

Please contact your instructor if you have any questions!

Kids in Martial Arts

By Lydia Willis, 2nd dan

Have you ever thought about putting your kid in a martial art? If so, Colorado Taekwondo Institute could be the right fit for you. Your child will learn discipline, make new friends, and learn new martial arts techniques.

I’ve grown up participating in martial arts at Colorado Taekwondo Institute and one of the biggest things I’ve learned is discipline which has turned out to be a very beneficial skill. In martial arts, consistency is key, which means going to every class and participating to the very best of our abilities. Our martial art helps us learn to hold ourselves to a higher standard and that develops a lot of discipline. This is beneficial for all ages, ranging from a toddler to a teenager to an adult. I started Taekwondo when I was 4 years old and there’s always been a great focus on discipline. This transfer over into my everyday life as well. It’s helped me to be a better student. I always put my best effort into all the work I do and get it in on time. I don’t think I would be the student I am today if I hadn’t spent so much time talking about the importance of self-discipline.

Not only are martial arts a great way to learn discipline, they’re also a great way to meet new people and make new friends. We have classes for kids of all ages where they’ll get to spend time with people that are their own age. Kids in martial arts get the opportunity to meet lots of new people while they learn about martial arts. I’ve made lifelong friends through the classes at Colorado Taekwondo Institute. We also participate in tournaments which is an amazing chance for your child to meet other children from other martial arts campuses. We have 6 main campuses in Colorado and several after school programs that all participate in our tournaments. At these competitions, students are in divisions with other children their age and it’s a great way to develop strong bonds with other kids. Some of my closest martial arts friends were people that I met competing as a child in tournaments. I love having the opportunity to do my weekly classes with close friends and then getting to see other people I’ve grown up with at our tournaments, expos, symposiums, and camps. Before participating in kids martial arts, I was a very shy kid who mainly kept to myself. I’ve now had such an amazing time getting to come out of my shell and meet people who love doing the same things I love to do.

Of course martial arts aren’t martial arts without being able to learn new techniques. I have loved being enrolled at Colorado Taekwondo Institute and participating in their curriculum. We’re always getting to learn new things and finding new ways to improve the techniques we already know. My favorite part of the CTI curriculum is that there’s never a time when you plateau. You get to learn and improve yourself during every one of our classes. We strive to be the best that we possibly can and that shows in the abilities of our students The instructors take the time to teach moves correctly and make sure you truly understand what’s going on. Instructors are specially trained to explain things in a way that will make sense to your child, they always take the time to work through the difficulties until it makes sense and can be done by your student no matter the challenges they may face along the way. It’s also a great opportunity for your child to stay active. There are lots of opportunities to do classes that are always very fun workouts, and they’ll be motivated to practice at home which is another great way for them to stay active.

If you’re considering enrolling your child in kids martial arts, Taekwondo classes at Colorado Taekwondo Institute are an amazing option full of activity, new friends, and new skills.

The Value of Taekwondo for Toddlers

By India Ross, 1st dan

When trying to decide if it is the right time to introduce your little one to taekwondo, sometimes it can be hard to determine why it would be beneficial for your child to begin classes at such a young age. It's a good idea to know the good things that come from starting martial arts training at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute for toddles. Physical health, self-confidence and respect are just some of the amazing skill your child can master.

First, taekwondo is a great way to get out the excess energy many little ones possess. At such a young age it's important to start heath habits and movement is a great way to help the mind and body grow. With taekwondo training, your child will be able to participate in physical activity that is positive and encouraging; best of all, this kind of exercise is fun for kids. Martial arts training will create a positive association with physical exercise, and set kids on a fit, healthy track for life.

Another great benefit of toddler martial arts is that it increases self-confidence. By pushing themselves in class and getting healthy encouragement, and the ability to control one’s own body is a strong boost of self-awareness. As your son or daughter sees the progress that can be achieved through hard work and dedication, you will see a positive change in attitude not only in class but also in school and at home. Taekwondo requires memorization of intricate poses and movements, so your child’s mental focus and concentration will be increased. Taekwondo develops children’s mental capabilities as much as physical ones.

A final benefit of toddler martial arts is that it teaches respect for oneself and of others. Taekwondo training teaches kids strong values that create a well-rounded person. Your son or daughter will learn to follow directions with humility and understanding. Throughout the training process, students will notice changes in their level of strength and physical appearance, so they also learn respect for their bodies. 

Taekwondo is for everyone but starting young creates a positive passion for something that will last for years to come!

2022 All City-Champs Results!

The 2022 All City-Champs were amazing! Thanks to all of the students, parents, family members, and instructors who made the day such a success! Congratulations to our black belt Grand Champs, Kathleen Sautel and Ed Stanton. 

Here are the results from the big weekend:

Poomse 

1st Place

Sabrina Springfield , Danek Salach, Scarlett Turner, Dalila Lopez 

Anabella Briceno-Arev, Marie Leitz, Simon Aguilar, Kolton Johnson

Stella Reyniers, Weston Evarts, Alice Burgin, Kai Esmail

Fletcher Mazur, April Buffington, Grace Quinones, Eli Anceravicius

River Manuelito, Ecton Scherer, Beckett Kruger, Rebekkah Copel

Sidney McClelland, Maddox Fisher, Christopher Cochenour 

Jah Norford, Selah Hall, Steve Loukas, Carina Dulong 

Aarush Venkat, Tara Cady, Anna Copel, Sean Marrufo

Joshua Stephenson, Evan Turner, Zuri Cady, Molly Dugan

August Howard, Nicholas Stephenson Connor Burgin, Olivia Ivie 

Franco Ramirez, Nora Kivett, Jace Hessler, Kendrick Toney 

Mason Zerbib, Lance Schwartz, Dale Sanders, Hannah Holmes 

Alex Schwartz, Emma Burden, India Ross, Averie Chavez

Lily Laird, Alexis Chavez, Meredith Botnick, Ivy Strickland 

Lindsey Boswell, Katie Minden, Konner Evans, Kyle Feagans 

Collin Kreutz 

2nd Place 

Warren Locken, Grant Hoffman, Keegan Christenson, Connor Thomson 

Saxon David, Alex Kirt, Adam Lindquist, Landon Woodland 

Aspen Swift, Owen Eberhard, Cohen Barstow, Avery King 

Dan Copel, Henry Andonov, Carter Hoffman, Aspen Henderson 

Natalie Morris, Paxton Barnett, Violet Wondel, Grady Albright 

Hope Wilcox, Sebastian Schuster, Zoey Auten, Cole Robertson 

Keatyn Adams, Amallia Chapman, Hurley Gann, Wesley McClelland

Lyla Silipo, Landon Dulmage, Charles Albright, Wyatt Knorr 

AJ Cleveland, Zachary Kahan, Jackson DeRosia    Piper Jo Tillapaugh

Emerson Holmes, Ender Wine, Eli Quinones, Sidney Bratten 

James Kaffine, Ellie Pechon, LeRoy Hutchison, Barrett Springfield

Zane Hayes, Attily Strauch, Keira Teska, Allan Stanton 

Susan Burgstiner, Thomas Burden, Evan McEwan, Quynn Cotner 

Lauren Dahlberg, Zachary Cotner, Colston Yoder, Kiera Sherman 

Jason Stencel Sr., Jason Stencel Jr., Max Babcock, Kathleen Sautel 

Eileen Lindner, Katie Dahle, Cody Jacobson, Ed Stanton 

3rd Place 

Abdalla Zeitawi, Garrett Thomson, Nora Whitefield, Ariana Lamb 

Shiven Venkat, Torin DiMascio, Henry Powell, Armando Gomez 

Claire Kaffine, Landon Adams, Bradley Beckner, Allie Cassinis 

Kenneth Watt, Giovanni Stone, Owen Eterno, Madison Markowitz 

Luke Jones, Landon Sidley-Merca, Brody Hall, Brynn Hall 

Stephen Mines, David Cruz, Milo Conner, Gio Gallagos- Bac 

Kaiden Rees, Erin Stanley  , Ace Garcia, Dominic Pintur 

Binuj Ghimire, Daniel Gray, Tom LaRocca, Noah Park 

Evelyn Vahle, Makenzie O’Connell, David Webster, Jackson Foster 

Jackson Fitch, Ella Laird, Zoey Bellis, Maxwell Palmer 

Joshua Ranjit, Joshua Stencel, Brian O’Reilly, Tegan Moore 

Gavin Vahle, Freya Brown, Mateo Piza, Caiden Murphy

Coco Dailey, Phineas Hallock, Carrie Chauhan, Jorden Rutz 

Sean Huntley, Alex Tan, Mark Scott, Zach Greaves 

Deb Denny 

4th Place 

Brandon Volkmer, Amelie Mattews, Jonah Strankman, Sorin Staver 

Cooper Curry, Michael Holmes, Alexander Aguilar, Logan Martin

Nikoli Park, Jakoda Ratzloff, Chris Ray, Sloan Sullivan

Reid Claflin, Sophia Laws, Micha Walls, Zach Trujillo 

Standish Kingsbeck, Max Sher, Ezekial Oliveira, Ronan Haydon 

Ezra Wine, Aliyah Huckaby, Caroline Holmes, Kellan Barnett

West Sutton, Henryk Stewart, Leonidas Peter, Eli Erickson 

Brian Roman, Ella Jackmond, Miles Humphress, TJ Boylen

Miles Price, Aubrey Cossaboon, Marley Powers, Even Zdechlik

Tristyn Cvanciger, Zoe Economou, Lily Strickland, Caleb Romero 

Payton Dahm, Nolan Shidemantle   Ivy Jensen, Lee Tomjack 

Jasmine Salamera, Brandon Kirt, Caleb Feagans, Don Johnson 

Jack Eddy, Lydia Willis , Vivi Brown, 

Sparring 

1st Place 

Owen Robertson, Jasmine Salamera, Joshua Ranjit, Thomas Burden 

Gavin Vahle, Alexis Chavez, Payton Dahn, Justin Gann

Allan Stanton, Meredith Botnick, Marley Powers, Hannah Holmes 

Josh Stencel, Alex Schwartz, Logan Keckler, Caiden Murphy 

Steve Loukas, Carina DuLong, Alexander Aguilar, Even Turner 

David Webster, Owen Eberhard, Aarush Venkat, Ace Garcia 

Daniel Gray, Katherine Glaub, Aspen Swift, Akshey Chauhan

Jakoda Ratzloff, Erin Stanley, Violet Wondel, Cooper Curry 

Tara Cady, Standish Schuster, Zuri Cady, Giovanni Stone 

Aliyah Huckaby, Kolton Johnson, Conner Thomson, Zoey Bellis 

Leonidas Peter, Miles Price, Emerson Holmes, Marie Leitz 

Armando Gomez, Milo Conner, Leroy Hutchenson, Torin DiMascio 

Zachary Kahan, Olivia Ivie, Grant Hoffman, Luck Jones 

AJ Cleveland, Zach Greaves, Kathleen Sautel, Ed Stanton

Alex Tan, Aiden Sturm, Vivi Brown, Meryn Probasco 

2nd Place 

Henryk Stewart, Luke Jones, Grant Hoffman, Aubrey Cossaboon 

Abdalla Zeitawi, Keagan Christenson, Maxwell Palmer, Simon Aguilar 

Ronan Haydon, Scarlett Turner, Sabina Springfeild, Franco Ramirez

Kellan Barnett, Keatyn Adams, Shiven Venkat, Henry Powell 

Alice Burgin, Charles Albright, Hope Wilcox, Sebastian Schuster 

Makenzie O’Connell, Conner Burgin, Jah Norford, Natalie Morris 

Gio Gallegos, Paxton Barnett, Evelyn Vahle, Billie Brabble 

Dan Copel, Sean Marrufo, Carter Hoffman, Henry Andonov 

Nicholas Stephenson, Nikoli Kingsbeck, Rylan Lamkin, Sophia Laws 

Micah Walls, Jason Ranjit, Ryan Marine , Averie Chavez 

Jason Stencel, Coco Dailey, Lillian Eichelberger, India Ross 

Evan McEwan, Brian O’Rielly, Emma Burden, Ivy Jensen 

Hank Haubner, Teagan Moore, Mason Zerbib, Lauren Dahlberg 

Mateo Piza , Gillian Boswell, Deb Denny, Sean Huntley 

Calvin Jensen, Mark Scott, Shekina DeTienne, Collin Kreutz 

3rd Place 

Henry Rumph, Ellie Stanton, Brandon Kirt, Phineas Hallock 

Nate Florence, Josie Landis, Freya Brown, Dale Sanders 

Brandon Brech, Carrie Chauhan, Jordan Rutz, Lily Laird 

Marley Griffin, Quynn Cotner, Zach Cotner, Colston Yoder 

Jacob Schuster, Avery King, Landon Woodland, Cohan Barstow 

Adam Qinquist, Binuj Ghmire, Reid Claflin, Joel Hall, 

Alexi Lyman-Sterm, Molly Dugan, Logan Martin, Zach Trujillo 

Jennifer Kautz, David Cruz, Jackson Foster, Selah Hall

Stephen Mines, Jackson Erwin, Hurley Gann, Eli Erickson 

Eli Quinones, Piper Jo Tillapaugh  Landon Dulmage, Garrett Thomson 

Ella Jackmond, Ellie Pechon, Atticus Strauch, Grady Albright

River Manuelito, Maddox Fisher, Kenny Watt, Amallia Chapman 

Jase Hessler, Ezra Wine, Bradley Beckner, Caleb Feagans 

Katie Dahle, Conner Evans, Cody Jacobson, Lindsey Boswell 

Katie Minden 

4th Place 

Carolina Holmes, Brandon Volkmer, Ender Wine, Landon Sidley-Merca 

Ella Laird, Nora Kivett, Jonah Thomson, Landon Adams 

Rebekkah Copel, Miles Humphress, Brian Roman, Grace Quinones 

April Buffington, Christopher Cochenour Sloan Sullivan, Alex Kirt 

Kaiden Rees, Kaytie Rees, Chris Ray, Tom LaRocca 

Noah Park, Michael Holmes, Erza Lozano, Aspen Henderson 

Garret Knapp, Max Babcock, Lily Strickland, Lance Schwartz 

Zoe Economou, Ivy Strickland, Ace Ashworth, Nolan Shidemantle 

Tristyn Cvanciger, Kaleb Guffey, Andra Vein, Caleb Romero 

Lydia Willis, Kirun Agarwal, Don Johnson, Eileen Linder 

Jack Eddy 

1st Point Wins

1st Place 

Henry Rumph, Ellie Stanton, Brandon Kirt, Teagan Moore 

Nolan Shidemantle, Jason Stencil Sr., Payton Dahn, Alexis Chavz, 

Allan Stanton, Meredith Botnick, Marley Powers, Coco Dailey

Josh Stencil, Averie Chavez, Zach Cotner, Colston Yoder 

Steve Loukas, Sophia Laws, Landon Woodland, Evan Turner 

Nicholas Stephenson, Owen Eberhard, Reid Claflin, Dominic Pintur 

Daniel Gray, Anna Copel, Molly Dugan, Kaiden Rees

Violet Wondel, Erin Stanley, Gio Gallegos, Copper Curry 

Tara Cady, Standish Kingsbeck, Jackson Erwin, Hurley Gann 

Eli Erickson, Shiven Venkat, Keatyn Adams, Kellan Barnett 

Franco Ramirez, Nora Kivett, Marie Leitz, Atticus Strauch 

Milo Conner, Maxwell Palmor, Keagan Christenson, Kenneth Watt 

Aubrey Cossaboon, Grant Hoffman, Luck Jones, Henry Stewart 

Collin Kreutz, Kathleen Sautel, Ed Stanton, Cody Jacobson 

Alex Tan, Vivi Brown, Gillian Boswell, Zuri Cady 

2nd Place 

Bradley Beckner, Erza Wine, Jase Hessler, Olivia Ivie 

Zachary Kahan, Torin DiMascio, Leroy Hutchenson, Grady Albright

Landon Sidluy-Merca, Ellie Pechon, Emerson Holmes, Jonah Strankman 

Landon Adams, Zoey Bellis, Eli Quinones, Henry Powell 

Alice Burgin, April Buffington, Stephen Mines, Makenzie O’Connell

Jackson Foster, Zach Trujillo, Natalie Morris, Jah Norford 

Paxton Barnett, Aspen Swift, Katharine Glaub, Dan Copel 

Ace Garcia, Aarush Venkat, Henry Andonov, David Webster 

Cohan Barstow, Alexander Aguilar, Carina Dulong, Jacob Schuster 

Caiden Murphy, Logan Keckler, Quynn Cotner, Jason Stencel 

Lily Laird, Ivy Strickland, Carrie Chauhan, Evan McEwan 

Josie Landis, `, Emma Burden, Justin Gann, Gavin Vahle 

Tristyn Cvanciger, Joshua Ranjit, Lauren Dalhberg, Owen Robertson 

Katie Minden, Deb Denny, Conner Evans, Aiden Sturm 

Mark Scott, Caleb Feagans, Hope Wilcox 

Breaking 

1st Place 

Meredith Botnick, Joshua Ranjit, Caleb Romero , Marley Powers

Lily Laird, Hannah Holmes, Phineas Hallock, Lauren Dahlberg 

Joshua Stencel, Ryen Marine, Emma Burden, Colston Yoder 

Sophia Laws, Steve Loukas, Hope Wilcox, Reid Claflin, 

Carina Dulong, Sean Marrufo, Ed Stanton, Katie Dahle

Kathleen Sautel, Mark Scott, Aiden Sturm 

Self Defense 

1st Place 

Ecton Scherer, Max Sher, Anabella Briceno, Dalila Lopez 

Becket Kruger, Wyatt Knorr, Weston Evarts, 

2nd Place 

Kia Esmail, West Sutton, Madison Markowitz, Nora Whitfield 

Ariana Lamb, Zoey Auten, Kendrick Toney, 

3rd Place 

Jackson Bently, Amelie Mattews, Sidney Bratten, James Kaffine

Mia Young, Fletcher Mazur, Eli Ancervicius, 

Most Kicks 

1st Place 

River Strankman, Claire Kaffine, Danek Salach, Max Sher

Annabella Briceno, Nora Whitfeild, Madison Markowitz, Wyatt Knorr 

Addison Helms, Lorenzo Gomez, Kimber Benson, Kira DiMascio 

2nd Place 

Natalie Teska, Barret Springfeild, Keira Teska, Stellan Hartwig 

Fletcher Mazur, Becket Kruger, James Kaffine, Sidney Bratten 

Zoey Auten, Jack Bentley, Westen Evarts, Gabriel McFalls 

 

 

Start the Summer Off Right: the 2022 All-City Champs!

Mark your calendars for the 2022 All-City Champs tournament, to be held April 29 & 30 at Alameda International! This day will include exciting competition for students of all ages and belts. 

Moo Sul Kwan martial arts were brought to the United States in 1969, by Lee H. Park.  For over four decades, Moo Sul Kwan has hosted championship tournaments and events for the positive educational experiences of its students and instructors.  Our 2022 All-City Champs is a wonderful event and a chance to begin the Summer of ‘22 with success!  

Events will include:

• Poomse
• Tiger Poomse 
• Free-Sparring
• First Point Wins!
• Breaking
• Target Kicking 
• Black Belt Staff Poomse

You can read more about this event by clicking here. You or your student should receive a hardcopy of the brochure in class soon.  You can register for the event by clicking here. Please note: All registrations are due April 21st, and all registrations must be completed online. This will enable us to get everyone their competition times and locations in a timely manner.

Please contact your instructor if you have any questions!

Being a Teen in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo

By Konner Evans

Being in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo since I was three has helped me in many parts of life and with developing into an adult. More specifically it has helped me through my teenage years. What I learned from being a Moo Sul Kwan student has been helpful and crucial to my life. There are many things that teenagers deal with ranging from school, work, and relationships that I have had an easier time dealing with because of what I practice at Taekwondo. Traits that I have acquired such as perseverance, courtesy, courage, and self-control has been super helpful to me personally. What I have learned in Taekwondo has helped me as a teenager in school, work, and relationships.

What I have learned from teen Taekwondo has been essential for my success in school. High school can be a big task for a teenager with the large load of work and having to meet expectations on things such as tests. Taekwondo has helped me do this from what I have learned. Growing up in Taekwondo I was able to build a good work ethic with monthly homework and other work given to a student. This helped prepare me for the homework that I would deal with in high school. Also the written test that I would take to get each of my belts gave me a head start on dealing with test for school. Taking written test for Taekwondo taught me how to study, gave me good test taking skills, and taught me how to properly go in depth when answering questions. Traits such as perseverance has helped me push through the entire school year without giving up. Also Taekwondo has given courage and confidence to help with presentations. Taekwondo has been super helpful through many parts of my high school experience. 

Taekwondo has also been helpful for me in the work force. Later in my teen years I started getting interested in getting a job. Teen martial arts has been helpful at getting me jobs as well as helping me do the work that is required. When I first went to get a job at a dog training facility taekwondo was super helpful because I was able to put it on my resume which making it so I was not walking in with an empty resume. I was able to use Taekwondo as proof that I have commitment, work-ethic, and responsibility. Taekwondo has also helped me keep up with the expectations of the work. While some of my co-workers might strive to do the minimal amount of work what I have learned in Taekwondo has taught me the importance of going above and beyond in my work and It has helped me push to do that. From this I have received the benefits from going above and beyond in my work. Taekwondo has been super helpful for me entering the work force.

What I have learned in Taekwondo has also helped me with relationships. What I have learned in Taekwondo has been helpful when dealing with friendships. I have learned how to be courteous and how to communicate which has helped me build good relationships. Taekwondo has also taught me how to avoid peer pressure which can be very present in high school. At Taekwondo I have been able to interact with a large variety of people at a large variety of ages. This makes it easier for me to be able to interact with a large range of people such as not being anxious or out of place when talking with adults. What I have learned in taekwondo has helped me build good and strong relationships throughout my teenage years. 

Taekwondo, specifically teen martial arts,  has been extremely helpful for dealing with everything that come up during the teenage years. It has helped me deal with the work load that comes up with school. It has also prepared me for everything that I have to do for school. Taekwondo has also help give me an easy entrance into the workforce and given me traits that help when I am at work. Lastly Taekwondo has help me build good and healthy relationships with the people around me. Taekwondo has been really helpful for me and  has given me an advantage by preparing me for my teenage years.

The Best Weekend of the Summer: The MSK Summer Expo

Two Reasons Everyone Should Attend The Summer Expo

By Jason Stencel, Jr., Teen Red Belt

Moo Sul Kwan Summer Expo XXXV

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute (CTI) offers a lot of opportunities outside of class to expand your learning. In fact, it is #6 of the Aims & Goals of Moo Sul Kwan martial arts: Exercise leadership in the development of regional service by providing demonstrations, promotion rank tests, and by directing clinics, workshops, and tournaments.

Out of all the events that CTI runs, the Expo is my favorite. I think there are two reasons why every student should attend an Expo.

The first reason why every student should attend an Expo is because you learn a lot in every class. At the Expos you have a unique opportunity to learn even more about skills like sparring, self-defense, and Poomse. And, you get to learn from instructors from other campuses that you usually don’t learn from. In fact, instructors come from other states to help teach.

The second reason why every student should attend an Expo is that they are a lot of fun. Expo turns training into team building by doing events like the Amazing Race. The Amazing Race is when you go around Keystone doing a series of challenges with a team of people. You go from place to place and complete the challenge before moving to the next challenge. When I was a lower belt Mr. Eric Evans would always do a fun kid project with us. On Saturday night they do a banquet where you eat, listen to the black belt band, and hang out with your friends.

When you are done for the day at the Expo you can do fun things with your family. Every time we went to Keystone we would ride the paddle boats and feed the geese. They swim right up to the side of the boat and eat right out of your hands. 

Overall the Expo is a really fun event. You get to go to the mountains and stay at a resort and it is useful because it makes you better at Taekwondo, and bring excitement back to class when you are back. 

Families Who Sweat Together, Stay Together!

Taekwondo is a sport that provides many mental and physical benefits to students of all ages. Unlike many other individual and team sports, taekwondo is a great activity to do with the whole family. Families can train together in martial arts to exercise, learn techniques, practice self control and discipline, and grow in self confidence while building family bonds at the same time.   Also, since families would be going through the same training process, they can help motivate each other to keep working harder and improve their taekwondo skills. Not to mention, you will always have a training partner at home to practice with!  Training in Moo Sul Kwan taekwondo is especially great for families. Moo Sul Kwan taekwondo places an emphasis on creating a safe and positive learning environment for all students. No matter the student’s skill level, age, or previous martial arts experience, they are accepted into a welcoming community.   

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute offers classes for people of all ages.  Students are able to take classes with people who are of a similar age and belt rank to create the safest and most productive learning environment.  Classes are offered to all age groups to ensure that all students are able to experience the benefits that taekwondo offers.  This is great for families because each member of the family will be able to be in a class that is more tailored to their needs and skill levels.  Although you may not be training side by side with your family member in the same class as you, you will still be experiencing the same fun activities, exercises, and benefits.  

Many families already train with the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, and they would all agree that it enhances their training journey and helps motivate them through their training journey.  Whether you are training with your siblings, parents, children, or your whole family, you will be able to experience the family fun in taekwondo.  Not only can families train in classes, but they can also experience the numerous events that the Colorado Taekwondo Institute offers.  From tournaments to expos to camps to demonstrations, our taekwondo school holds many exciting, fun, and family friendly events every year.  

Also, taekwondo is a wonderful sport for family martial arts to participate in because each student is able to receive a unique training experience.  It is likely that a young child would not have the same goals in taekwondo as their parent would, and each person would be looking for different benefits.  Taekwondo is a great sport for families because each individual student is able to receive a very personalized training experience.  Each instructor who teaches a class gets to know each of their students as individuals and teaches them in the ways that work best for the student.  The training experience at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is great for families because family members can be part of the organization together, but each individual student can meet their needs at the same time.  Students of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to set goals for themselves as they grow in their training, which promotes a community of growth both inside and out of taekwondo class.  

Overall, family martial arts is an amazing sport for families to participate in together.  Taekwondo allows the whole family to exercise together and allows each individual member of the family to set their own goals, grow in confidence, learn discipline, and have fun, while strengthening bonds between members of the family.  Also, taekwondo encourages long-term commitment because it is a year-round sport, not a seasonal sport.  Family members who do taekwondo together can help encourage and motivate one another, and can help each other with practicing outside of class. This mutual participation in taekwondo can help strengthen the bond of a family and create skilled martial arts students at the same time.

Superbowl Sucess!

By Cody Jacobson

The CTI Superbowl is one of the best tournaments of the CTI year. And this previous one, on February 28-29, 2020 was one of the best ones yet.  This amazing event is one of the greatest out of all the events we hold.  It has been one of my favorite tournaments for a long time.

This tournament is a special one.  Usually, at tournaments, the only competitors allowed to win the Grand Champ, and the amazing sword that goes with it, are Black Belts. This tournament was for the lower belts. They had the chance to win the Grand Champ.  This year the winners of this award were Ivy Jensen (Red Belt, Littleton Campus), Lance Schwartz (Red Belt, Westminster Campus), and Alex Schwartz (Red Belt, Westminster Campus).  A lot of people did really well and the competition was at its best. It was very entertaining to watch!

While the lower belts did phenomenally well during their day of competition, the Black Belts did well too.  Even though they could not win the Grand Champ award, they still had a very great tournament.  One of the best things to watch was the breaking. The younger black belts did fantastic but the 3rd Dan and up power breaking was killer.  The competition was entertaining and thrilling. The competition was very fierce. 

Signifying the end of the CTI year, attendance levels at the tournament were very high, in fact it was the largest Superbowl of all time! Students of all ages and ranks competed in divisions, some with eight people in them. This has been one of our best tournaments yet, and more are on the way.

47th CTI Superbowl is Coming!

Mark your calendars for the 47th CTI Superbowl tournament, to be held March 4 & 5 at Alameda International High School! This day will include exciting competition for students of all ages and belts. 

The CTI Superbowl has grown over the many years and celebrates the end of our CTI-year with exciting competitions and demonstrations. There will be divisions involving all ages and belt levels where competitors will test their skills with fellow students and instructors from all the CTI programs. There are CTI Campus locations in Green Mountain, Littleton, Westminster, Golden, Conifer and Craig, CO.  The CTI also provides educational excellence at Alameda International, Montessori Peaks Academy, Red Rocks Elementary, Our Lady of Fatima School, West Woods Elementary, Meiklejohn Elementary School and Westridge Elementary.

Events will include:

• Poomse
• Tiger Poomse & Following Directions
• Self-Defense
• Breaking
• Target Kicking 
• Staff

You can read more about this event by clicking here. You or your student should receive a hardcopy of the brochure in class soon.  You can register for the event by clicking here. Please note: All registrations are due February 22nd, and all registrations must be completed online. This will enable us to get everyone their competition times and locations in a timely manner.

Please contact your instructor if you have any questions!

February is Family and Friends month!

February is our special Family and Friends month at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute!

For this month only, family members and friends can participate in classes at any of our CTI Campus locations (Lakewood, Littleton, Westminster, Golden and Conifer), compliments of the CTI!

Here's a special opportunity to experience how our CTI students and instructors train in the Moo Sul Kwan Martial Arts.  All you have to do is wear loose fitting workout clothes and be ready to have the best of times!  Official Moo Sul Kwan uniforms are also available for sale if needed.

Check with your CTI Campus instructor on how to get in on the action!  This is a wonderful chance to workout with your friend and/or family member in a very special art that we are so excited about!  Don't think about it - just do it!

Family Martial Arts Education for Everyone!

By Darcy Stanton, 1st dan

When my children were younger, I knew I wanted to provide them with the self-defense skills and discipline that only martial arts for kids can provide. We were lucky to have friends training with the Colorado Taekwondo Institute that introduced us to this world class school. There are five campuses in the Denver area in Lakewood, Westminster, Littleton, Golden, and Conifer. Classes are available for ages 2 and up. Class schedules and information about all their offerings are available at www.coloradotaekwondo.com. Their reviews on their Facebook page and on Google give a great picture of the quality of the school.

Our kids took their first classes at 3 and 6 years old. Instructors in the martial arts for kids classes are trained to meet the needs of the kids of the ages in their classes, providing a fun and challenging environment for everyone. All students are welcome, regardless of physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Instructors are committed to the success of every student. With this support, our children have gained strength, self-defense skills, self-confidence, and a community of friends and family in their almost 8 years at Colorado Taekwondo Institute.

Now that our children are older, they are training in teen martial arts classes at the Golden campus. Teen martial arts classes cater to the specific needs of teenage students and teach them to embody the tenets of taekwondo which are Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Indomitable Spirit in a fun and engaging environment. Our children have also learned valuable leadership skills during their teen martial arts classes.

Of course, martial arts for kids and teens is important, but did you know it can benefit everyone, including adults? Once our family saw the quality of the education at the CTI, my husband and I also began training at the Golden campus. The adult taekwondo classes include students of all ages and abilities. The instructors are knowledgeable and caring and are able to guide students of all fitness levels to success. As adults we have increased our flexibility, strength, cardiovascular fitness, and benefit from the mental challenge of learning something new.

Training together in family martial arts at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute has strengthened our family bonds in ways we never imagined. We are able to challenge and support each other as we progress in our training. We cheer each other on at tournaments, go on fun trips together, and give back with community service projects sponsored by CTI. We always like to say, “a family that kicks together, sticks together” and we really believe it’s true. We are so thankful to the Colorado Taekwondo Institute for a quality family martial arts program for everyone!

Train Every Part of your Body

By Alex Tan, 1st dan

Have you ever felt like you're really good at something but lack greatness in other areas? For example, being a good sprinter but not good when it comes to running the long distance? This is normal for most people, where they are naturally good at one thing but need to put more effort in order to be better in other areas. Similar concept here: When people think of Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo, they think that all there is to it are kicks. It is true that MSK Taekwondo is a martial art that is known for a lot of kicking, but here in MSK Taekwondo we train not only our kicks, but every other part of our body as well.

At the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, every part of your body is being trained. This includes your kicks, punches, blocks, endurance, strength, mindset, and so much more. In MSK Taekwondo and in life, you want to be well rounded in everything that you do. This is so that you are always ready for any unexpected situations that approach you in the future. If you ever had to defend yourself in real life using Taekwondo, you would have a higher chance of success if you used both your hands and feet, rather than just your hands. Training every part of your body provides options.

Use and make the most for what you have and build upon it. With our training at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute, every part of your body is always being trained. For example, when we’re stretching, we’re not just improving our flexibility, but also our focus, our listening capabilities towards our instructors, and helping build endurance all at the same time. Although it appears we are just focused on one task, there’s always so much more that’s happening. By training our bodies in every way possible and being diverse, it always prepares us to be stronger and capable of handling all different types of situations.