Taekwondo in Your Everyday Life

 By Ahas Weerapura, Teen Red Belt

Things you learn in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo can be used in your everyday life. This does not mean kicking and punching, but other things too. This includes the physical exercises, behaviors, and skills we learn in class.

For example, you can do some physical exercises we do in class at home, like stretching, pushups, jumping jacks, and situps. This can help you to become more flexible and strong, and give you something to do in your free time, instead of doing something unproductive. Also, you can use some of the techniques we use in Taekwondo, like falling drills and stances. These can be helpful to know and may help you in a dangerous situation where you may need it, as well as being good for your back and having stability, giving you healthy habits.

You can also use some of the respectful things we learn in Taekwondo, like saying “yes ma’am” or “yes sir” to people. This is an excellent thing to do as it shows respect and also shows that you heard what the other person said. That can be important in your everyday life because it will be a part of how people look at you and think of you. Taekwondo can also help to build other good qualities like confidence and good sportsmanship through activities like tournaments, where you have to perform in front of judges and be a good sport about the score and place you get. You also can improve more from these qualities, as they will allow you to see that you need to improve, and having this sportsmanship in other activities, like work or school, will do the same.

Taekwondo can also help you to learn skills for things like tests in school and studying for tests, by making you do those things, and progressively making them harder. This is similar to a teaching process called scaffolding, which is where guidance is progressively removed as students become more proficient in that skill. An example of this is our written tests, and as a white belt testing for yellow belt, the test is simple, and you are given the aid of the manual to do it. Then, as you progress through the belts, the written test gets more and more difficult, and when you test from purple belt to brown belt, the test is closed book, requiring you to study. This can help you learn how to prepare for school tests by making you study and memorize information.

Taekwondo can give you many benefits outside of self-defense and can improve your life. It can make you a more respectful, likable person, and give you virtues like self-control and respect for others, which can help you in things involving interactions with other people. I would be a very different person if I didn’t have Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo in my life, and I am very thankful for the benefits it has given me.

Why Martial Arts Are Good For You

By Alex Tan, 2nd dan

Breaking bricks and boards, fighting off bad guys, and flying kicks sailing through the air- these may be some of the things you see actors do in martial arts movies which make them appear really cool. In reality for the most part, the picture could be a little different. For those who want to do martial arts, they usually do it for reasons more than just to look cool such as in the movies. Martial arts can help provide many benefits to those that are willing to learn the art. At the martial arts school here in Littleton, we help educate students in both physical and mental aspects of Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo. Although most are expecting just the physical aspects of martial arts when starting initially, there’s a whole list of benefits that the training provides you passively as you progress in your training.

One of the main reasons, and perhaps the most obvious reason why martial arts classes are good for you is to improve your self defense. You may be put in situations where you have to defend yourself or someone else. Knowing self defense may save you in a situation and give you enough time to run away or call for help. Another benefit of martial arts is it’s a good workout. It can increase your muscle strength, build your endurance, and help build your overall mobility. Following the benefit of a good workout, it helps you stay healthy by lowering your blood pressure and heart rate. This may eventually lead to lower cholesterol levels and keep you staying healthy over your life. Another benefit would be increasing your coordination. Your sense of awareness will heighten and you will be more coordinated with the environment and the people that are around you. 

Besides the physical aspects, martial arts can benefit you mentally as well. Doing aerobic exercises like martial arts have been proven through research that it can help your brain develop and enhance activities such as improving your memory. Another thing that martial arts teaches you is self discipline. It teaches and reminds you how to focus on a task at hand. It teaches you that you have to be able to take certain initiatives with your actions. This not only ties within martial arts, but also other aspects of your life as well. And lastly, it’s great for relieving stress. After a long day at work and school, it directs your focus to just martial arts. If you are sitting in a chair all day working or studying, now you are able to move and yell which is a great stress reliever.

These are just some of the many reasons as to why martial arts classes are good for you. Some may just think that it’s only the physical aspects that may benefit you, but in reality there is so much more than can be gained through participation. Also, when you learn martial arts, it not only benefits you when you're at the martial arts school, but also in other aspects of your life as well such as at work and home.. Everything ties together, but it all starts with you taking the initiative and managing your time wisely in your learning. 

If you or a loved one is looking into martial arts class, then you should check out the programs offered at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute. You might just find what you are looking for and they will help get closer to your goals!