2024 All-City Champs - What a Spectacular Day!

This last weekend the Colorado Taekwondo Institute hosted the 2024 All-City Champs at Alameda International. It was two days of exciting competition and learning. The snow, rain, and sleet couldn't stop us!

Pictures of the exciting day will soon be on our website, www.ColoradoTaekwondo.com. You can all see highlights of the day on Facebook. 

Congratulations to our three black belt grand champions: Katie Minden, Collin Kreutz, & Kyle Feagans. 

2024 All-City Champs Results

POOMSE

1st Place
Kyle Feagans, Collin Kreutz, Caleb Feagans, Konner Evans, Katie Minden, Meredith Botnick, Quynn Cotner, Matthew Roberts, Thomas Burden, Emma Burden, Zoe Economou, Josie Landis, Diego Quezada, Henry Rumph, Allan Stanton, Rebekkah Copel, Selah Hall, Katie Harding, Aarush Venkat, Shiven Venkat, Cooper Curry, Jackson Foster, Anthony Garcia, Daniel Gray, Carter Hoffman, Laura Martinson, Stella Reyniers, Jack Wicken, Harrison Wilkins, Duncan Zook, Paolo Stone, Elias Amann, Millie Hessler, Gabriel Kahan, Shreeyan Khatri, Dylan Kiser, Truc Nguyen, Theron Bearce, Nirajit Dhakal, Landon Dulmage, Austin Gross, Lamija Imsirovic, Jay Karkula, Ron Meyer, Siri Molnar, Kolbe Pries, Everett Ungar, Vivienne Anderson, Aaron Botnick, Henry Chiabotti, Easton Ellender, David Enriquez, Brantley Harris, Madison Janecek, Avery Liu, Mila Olivares Castro, Yuvan Rauniyar, Natalie Teska, Will Wiedmeyer, Jazlynn Zlochower, Dominic Ditallo, Mckenzie Farmer, Natalie Huntley, Elijah Sykes-Maxey

2nd Place
Eileen Lindner, Kathleen Sautel, Cody Jacobson, Ryan Lindner, Meryn Probasco, Lillian Eichelberger, Caiden Murphy, Darcy Stanton, Kayla Albrechtson, Ace Ashworth, Tristyn Cvanciger, Logan Keckler, Andra Vieru, Ahas Weerapura, Hank Haubner, Mason Zerbib, Alex Kirt, Dominic Pintur, Ellie Pechon, Amallia Chapman, Dan Copel, Jase Hessler, Marie Leitz, Dalila Lopez, Issay Mendoza Cruz, Connor Thomson, Landon Adams, Bradley Beckner, Christopher Cochenour, Weston Evarts, Ariana Lamb, Ezekiel Oliveira, Sheen Pandita, Isaiah Sanchez, Christina Sanders, Bryce Yushka, Max Botello, Lyra Bratz, Ellie Combs, Hayden Jeffries, Cyrus Khatri, James Klausner, River Manuelito, Stryder Martin, Betsy Nanguse, Kira Rhyden, Kim Williamson, Spencer Anderson, Luna Bratz, Noah Buteyn, Laurel Cummings, Levon Dose, Aleina Evarts, Teagan Locken, Avery Madison, Alina Madruga, Yugal Poudel, Rahi Rauniyar, Olivia Roberts, Mireyah Santiago, Asher Yushka, Tyrion Bieker, Ashton Hogue, Saoirse Meyer, Arnav Narumanchi

3rd Place
Peyton Brauch, Katie Dahle, Deb Denny, Ethan Price, Lydia Willis, Kirun Agarwal, Nathaniel Keckler, Colston Yoder, Warren Mcdonald, Evan Mcewan, Dale Sanders, Nethika Suraweera, Gavin Vahle, Rue Weerapura, Keatyn Adams, Joel Hall, Logan Martin, Sam Powers, Zuri Cady, Zachary Kahan, Keegan Christenson, David Cruz Barajas, Ada Lekan, Kendrick Toney, Zach Trujillo, Violet Wondel, Rose Basnet, Torin Dimascio, Haley Holley, Olivia Ivie, Kayla Kigundu, Warren Locken, Stephen Mines, Alec Rhyden, Giovanni Stone, Hadley Wilkins, Soren Chartier, Syriss Dehererra, Finn Deiotte, Ron Deiotte, Aliyah Huckaby Rafaelson, Evelyn Johnsen, Sophia Palfreyman, Dawson Portera, Tommy Spainhower, Jace Yost, Jack Arland, Ruth Berry, Ben Buteyn, Wyck Gaczol, Teagan Gentry, Colin Gilbert, John Hicks, Andrew Kahan, Ailani Lopez Martinez, Hassid Mendoza Cruz, Emma Moncrief, Keira Teska, Asher Whalen, Colin Williamson, Andra Deiotte, Rowan Meyer, Anitej Narumanchi, Mila Nelson, Quintyn Upshaw

4th Place
Don Johnson, Hope Morgan, Shekina Detienne, Vivi Brown, Lauren Dahlberg, Jordan Rutz, Lily Strickland, Aidan Sturm, Zachary Cotner, Ivy Jensen, Elsie Mcdonald, Bob Padget, Paul Paisley, Carina Dulong, Oliver Garner, Ryan Marine, Tara Cady, Avery King, Eddie Garner, Binuj Ghimire, Makenzie O'Connell, Garrett Thomson, Tj Boylen, Anna Copel, Owen Eberhard, Armando Gomez, Jordan Kigundu, Seth Raymond, Saheli Sinha, Gwen Spilling, Atticus Strauch, Carol Wilsey, Jasper Walsh, Desmond Bearce, Lylia Becker, Anastasia Contreras, Thomas Hurst, Lincoln Lenzmeier, Thomas Mcnair, Josephine Phillips, Tyler Tillman, James Daly, Vesper Gaczol, Tj Harrison, Presley Hobler, Landon Lenyo, Veronika Lesyk, Lena Mccurdy, Daniel Mcleish, Eric Phillips, Robert Poe, Isabella Ragonese, Ella Wilkins, Vincent Andonov, Alexander Schemmel

SPARRING

1st Place
Kyle Feagans, Collin Kreutz, Kathleen Sautel, Katie Minden, Meryn Probasco, Quynn Cotner, Nathaniel Keckler, Aidan Sturm, Josie Landis, Diego Quezada, Ahas Weerapura, Warren Mcdonald, Zachary Cotner, Carina Dulong, Alexis Chavez, Mason Zerbib, Joel Hall, Ellie Pechon, Zachary Kahan, Jack Wicken, Jase Hessler, Marie Leitz, Issay Mendoza Cruz, Violet Wondel, Bradley Beckner, Weston Evarts, Haley Holley, Stephen Mines, Giovanni Stone, Tj Boylen, Anna Copel, Saheli Sinha, Atticus Strauch, Cole Robertson, Mike Mines, Landon Dulmage, Austin Gross, Lamija Imsirovic, Siri Molnar, Lyra Bratz, Ellie Combs, Ron Deiotte, Aliyah Huckaby Rafaelson, Jace Yost, Henry Chiabotti, David Enriquez, Avery Liu, Will Wiedmeyer, Luna Bratz, Laurel Cummings, Alina Madruga, John Hicks, Andrew Kahan, Colin Williamson, James Daly, Veronika Lesyk, Grayden Craig, Kaliyah Oxley, Mckenzie Farmer, Natalie Huntley, Anitej Narumanchi, Hendrix Lacey

2nd Place
Hope Morgan, Caleb Feagans, Mark Scott, Ryan Lindner, Lydia Willis, Vivi Brown, Caiden Murphy, Jordan Rutz, Emma Burden, Zoe Economou, Dale Sanders, Nethika Suraweera, Kaylyn Mcewan, Hank Haubner, Logan Martin, Zuri Cady, Cooper Curry, Oliver Garner, Ryan Marine, Tara Cady, Daniel Gray, Carter Hoffman, Duncan Zook, Connor Thomson, David Cruz Barajas, Eddie Garner, Makenzie O'Connell, Paolo Stone, Millie Hessler, Dylan Kiser, Landon Adams, Isaiah Sanchez, Christina Sanders, Olivia Ivie, Alec Rhyden, Sam Czaikowski, Theron Bearce, Kolbe Pries, Everett Ungar, Cyrus Khatri, Stryder Martin, Betsy Nanguse, Evelyn Johnsen, Sophia Palfreyman, Natalie Teska, Jazlynn Zlochower, Mireyah Santiago, Jack Arland, Ruth Berry, Hassid Mendoza Cruz, Emma Moncrief, Ella Wilkins, Adeline Alayash, Eoin Daly, Kevin Oxley, Savine Sinha, Elijah Yushka, Dominic Ditallo, Arnav Narumanchi, Mila Nelson, Luca Chrzan, Jordan Lawyer

3rd Place
Peyton Brauch, Don Johnson, Cody Jacobson, Deb Denny, Kirun Agarwal, Colston Yoder, Lauren Dahlberg, Marley Powers, Thomas Burden, Allan Stanton, Kayla Albrechtson, Ace Ashworth, Andra Vieru, Gavin Vahle, Rue Weerapura, Elsie Mcdonald, Aarush Venkat, Sam Powers, Henry Andonov, Anthony Garcia, Amallia Chapman, Dan Copel, Ada Lekan, Kendrick Toney, Garrett Thomson, Elias Amann, Gabriel Kahan, Shreeyan Khatri, Truc Nguyen, Ariana Lamb, Torin Dimascio, Hadley Wilkins, Armando Gomez, Seth Raymond, Gwen Spilling, Nolan Smedes, Nirajit Dhakal, Jay Karkula, Ron Meyer, Max Botello, Hayden Jeffries, River Manuelito, Kira Rhyden, Josephine Phillips, Tyler Tillman, Akshay Chauhan, Lily Rosetta-Mcbryde, Vivienne Anderson, Yuvan Rauniyar, Spencer Anderson, Avery Madison, Yugal Poudel, Rahi Rauniyar, Presley Hobler, Lena Mccurdy, Elijah Sykes-Maxey, Tyrion Bieker, Ashton Hogue, Andra Deiotte, Madeline Ritmiller

4th Place
Eileen Lindner, Tyler Murphy, Konner Evans, Sarah Dahle, Meredith Botnick, Matthew Roberts, Lily Strickland, Henry Rumph, Paul Paisley, Rebekkah Copel, Selah Hall, Shiven Venkat, Keatyn Adams, Lucy Paisley, Alex Kirt, Dominic Pintur, Avery King, Jennifer Kautz, Harrison Wilkins, Dalila Lopez, Ezra Wine, Christopher Cochenour, Ezekiel Oliveira, Sheen Pandita, Bryce Yushka, Owen Eberhard, Kim Williamson, Syriss Dehererra, Finn Deiotte, Desmond Bearce, Anastasia Contreras, Thomas Mcnair, Aleina Evarts, Olivia Roberts, Asher Yushka, Ailani Lopez Martinez, Asher Whalen, Tj Harrison, Eric Phillips, Vincent Andonov, Arwyn Robinson, Sebastian Schuster, Alexander Schemmel

FIRST POINT WINS!

1st Place
Kyle Feagans, Collin Kreutz, Hope Morgan, Katie Minden, Meryn Probasco, Ryan Lindner, Nathaniel Keckler, Marley Powers, Diego Quezada, Warren Mcdonald, Zachary Cotner, Carina Dulong, Allan Stanton, Kayla Albrechtson, Rue Weerapura, Ivy Jensen, Shiven Venkat, Ace Garcia, Tara Cady, Jase Hessler, Violet Wondel, Carter Hoffman, Connor Thomson, Eddie Garner, Makenzie O'Connell, Dan Copel, Weston Evarts, Giovanni Stone, Cole Robertson, Sam Czaikowski, Gabriel Kahan, Torin Dimascio, Hadley Wilkins, Armando Gomez, Seth Raymond, Carol Wilsey, Siri Molnar, Lyra Bratz, Aliyah Huckaby Rafaelson, Theron Bearce, Evelyn Johnsen, Nirajit Dhakal, Jay Karkula, River Manuelito, Kira Rhyden, Tyler Tillman, Avery Liu, Will Wiedmeyer, Luna Bratz, Laurel Cummings, Veronika Lesyk, Grayden Craig, Kaliyah Oxley, Hassid Mendoza Cruz, Kevin Oxley, Spencer Anderson, Presley Hobler, Mckenzie Farmer, Natalie Huntley, Anitej Narumanchi, Tyrion Bieker, Ashton Hogue

2nd Place
Don Johnson, Zach Greaves, Cody Jacobson, Shekina Detienne, Lydia Willis, Meredith Botnick, Matthew Roberts, Ivy Strickland, Josie Landis, Alexis Chavez, Kaylyn Mcewan, Thomas Burden, Henry Rumph, Logan Keckler, Mason Zerbib, Hank Haubner, Zuri Cady, Keatyn Adams, Zachary Kahan, Cooper Curry, Henry Andonov, Daniel Gray, Duncan Zook, Anthony Garcia, Ada Lekan, Kendrick Toney, Keegan Christenson, Paolo Stone, Haley Holley, Stephen Mines, Anna Copel, Saheli Sinha, Atticus Strauch, Isaiah Sanchez, Olivia Ivie, Alec Rhyden, Shreeyan Khatri, Nolan Smedes, Ellie Combs, Kolbe Pries, Stryder Martin, Ron Meyer, Max Botello, Hayden Jeffries, Josephine Phillips, Lily Rosetta-Mcbryde, David Enriquez, Andrew Kahan, James Daly, Natalie Teska, Jazlynn Zlochower, Ruth Berry, Eoin Daly, Savine Sinha, Vivienne Anderson, Olivia Roberts, Asher Whalen, Mila Olivares Castro, Hendrix Lacey, Elijah Sykes-Maxey, Andra Deiotte, Madeline Ritmiller

STAFF POOMSE

1st Place
Collin Kreutz, Caleb Feagans, Katie Dahle, Katie Minden, Meredith Botnick, Caiden Murphy, Lauren Dahlberg

2nd Place
Kyle Feagans, Peyton Brauch, Cody Jacobson, Meryn Probasco, Ethan Price, Matthew Roberts, Aidan Sturm

3rd Place
Kathleen Sautel, Shekina Detienne, Mark Scott, Lydia Willis, Vivi Brown, Konner Evans, Marley Powers

4th Place
Hope Morgan, Ryan Lindner, Quynn Cotner, Lillian Eichelberger, Darcy Stanton

SELF-DEFENSE

1st Place
Warren Locken, Lincoln Lenzmeier, Easton Ellender, Noah Buteyn, Teagan Locken, Ben Buteyn, Daniel Mcleish, Rowan Meyer

2nd Place
Kayla Kigundu, Jasper Walsh, Soren Chartier, Wyck Gaczol, Teagan Gentry, Colin Gilbert, Saoirse Meyer

3rd Place
Ecton Scherer, Lylia Becker, Vesper Gaczol, Landon Lenyo, Robert Poe, Isabella Ragonese, Owen Meeks, Lincoln Rezny, Quintyn Upshaw

TARGET KICKING

1st Place
Sam Powers, Ellie Pechon, Armando Gomez, Rose Basnet

BREAKING

1st Place
Kyle Feagans, Kathleen Sautel, Caleb Feagans, Katie Minden, Ethan Price, Nathaniel Keckler, Ivy Strickland, Susan Burgstiner, Zachary Cotner, Kayla Albrechtson, Alexis Chavez, Henry Rumph, Ahas Weerapura, Evan Mcewan, Zuri Cady, Tara Cady, Dominic Pintur, Violet Wondel, Carter Hoffman, Daniel Gray, Laura Martinson, Sam Czaikowski, Truc Nguyen, Ron Deiotte

2024 All-City Champs this Weekend!

We are looking forward to our tournament this Friday and Saturday, April 26th and 27th!  the following is information taht was sent out to all students via email on Thursday, April 25th. 

Competition and Arrival Times: 

Black Belts will compete on Friday night at 6 pm.  Spectators are welcome.  All other students (white through red) will compete on Saturday. You will find details on your competition time below.  You will need to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start time of your competition to check in, etc.  Some divisions may begin early, so please be at Alameda at your arrival time.  Thank you.  

Purple, Brown, & Red belts, all ages: 8 am start time, 7.30 am arrival time

Ages 8 and under; white, yellow, orange, green, blue belts and all tigers: 10.30 am start time, 10 am arrival time

Ages 9 and up; white, yellow, orange, green, blue belts: 1 pm start time, 12.30 pm arrival time

Location details, parking:

The tournament will be at Alameda International High School which is located at 1255 S Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80232.  

Please park in the large parking lot on the southwest corner of Louisiana and Allison St. (There is another parking lot on the northwest corner of Arizona and Allison / north of the tennis courts that can be used for overflow parking).

Please do not double park and/or block someone in.  If both parking lots are full, there is a lot of neighborhood street parking available in the area or you can see if there is room in the main entrance parking lot.  

You will enter the school through the doors facing west. The title 'ALAMEDA INTERNATIONAL' is written in large block letters above the doors.  It is marked with a red star in the graphic below.  

Checking students in and getting them to their rings:

Once you enter, you will be directed to a check-in table.  The check-in will be divided up alphabetically by last name so please proceed to the table marked with the first letter of your last name.

While checking-in, someone will write ring numbers on your hands.  You will have a green number on your right hand and a red number on your left hand.  Once you have your ring numbers, you will head to the upper bleachers of the gym to settle in.  You will be called down to the floor for the group photo and will proceed to the green ring number after the group photo.

Parents of younger students competing at 10.30 am, you will take your student down to the gym floor when called for the group photo.  After the group photo and announcements, black belts will take the students to their correct ring number which will be the GREEN number on their right hand. The ring number will be labeled with big signs.  These ring signs are not color coded, so please look to the ring number on your student's hand that is green and disregard the color of the ring sign.  

Once students are settled at their rings, we ask that spectators stay in the upper bleachers and off the gym floor for safety and to provide more room for the competitions.  Please show your students where you will be so they know where to find you.  If you have a very young child (tigers ages 2 - 4) who needs assistance, it is okay if you need to stay nearby on the gym floor. 

Tiger students (2-4 and some 5 year olds who attend 30 minutes classes) will compete in two divisions in the same ring and then will be dismissed for the day.  

All other students will compete in poomse first.  After that competition ends, students will then go to the RED ring number on their LEFT hand for sparring (school program students will not spar but will compete in Self-Defense in Walking Drills instead). 

Parents of students ages 7 and under, please come down to the podium to collect your student after their first competition and to help them get to their second.

After your student is done competing in all of their divisions, please come down to the edge of the gym floor to collect them.  Thank you.

Sparring (or Self-Defense for School Program students) will also be the final competition for white and yellow belts ages 9 - 11.

Orange belts and above, ages 12 and up, will also compete in breaking.  After their sparring division concludes, please stay in the gym and listen for their name to be called to their breaking ring.

Etiquette and Uniform

All students should arrive already dressed out in their uniforms with their belts tied.  Anyone with long hair will need to have it tied back securely.  No jewelry is permitted, and freshly pierced ears need to be covered from front to back with medical tape and/or bandaids.  Students should wear a white crewneck t-shirt beneath their uniform top.  Students should not wear jeans or secondary pants underneath their uniform pants as this will inhibit their ability to kick.

Boards

If your student is competing in breaking (students age 12 and up, orange and above), they will need to provide their own boards for this competition.  Please touch base with your instructor with any questions you may have here.

Lastly, please do not attend the tournament if you or your student is ill or has tested positive for Covid.  Thank you.  

If you have any questions at all, please reach out to your instructor.  We are so proud of all of our students' hard work and preparation, and we look forward to this weekend!  Thank you.

Self Defense Classes at the CTI

By Deb Denny, 3rd dan

Have you been thinking about taking self defense classes? Don’t hesitate any longer. Start your journey now by enrolling in the Colorado Taekwondo Institute. Self defense classes have been gaining in popularity recently.  They can help with concerns about safety and security, and reinforce the importance of self-confidence and self-esteem. The benefits span a wide spectrum from improvements in physical and emotional health to improvement in reaction time and situational awareness. Self defense classes teach you how to recognize potentially dangerous situations, avoid confrontations and defend yourself if necessary.

Self defense classes in martial arts at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute are designed to focus on the basics of training, gradually increasing in complexity as the student progresses. Beginning with one-step self defense techniques (pre-arranged fighting) you are introduced to the concepts of timing, speed, judgment of distance and precision in your technique for a defense or counter attack. There are many sets of self defense and evasion techniques taught at Colorado Taekwondo Institute. Through repetition of various techniques you gain muscle memory and learn what works for you, so that you can effectively evade or ward off an attacker. 

Additional benefits include improved sleep, increase in balance and self-confidence, improved situational awareness, loss of weight, gain in muscle, and advances in flexibility. There have been studies showing the benefits of martial arts in many other health metrics. All of these benefits will lead to healthier, more thoughtful, and physically fit people. At the Colorado Taekwondo Institute students of any age can participate and will benefit greatly. 

Colorado Taekwondo institute maintains very high standards and consistency in training, making it the ideal place to take self defense classes. Through physical and educational means, the instructors help students develop a sense of self-esteem, self-confidence, and a desire for continued learning.  All of this leads toward the student becoming a more thoughtful and strong individual. All of the facets of the Colorado Taekwondo Institute’s training program are interconnected and lead toward the development of the whole person. In my journey with Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo I have gained self-confidence, amazing reflexes, strength and flexibility, and greatly increased situational awareness. The program has been successful over more than 40 years, so why not try the proven martial arts self defense classes! 

April Tournament Registration Now Open!

APRIL TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Registration for the 2024 All-City Championship tournament on April 26th and 27th is officially open.  This event will take place at Alameda International High School in Lakewood.  Black belts will compete Friday evening and all other belts will compete on Saturday.  We have attached the tournament brochure to this email in case you have not yet received it.

Please register by clicking here and then clicking the indigo square that reads 'All-City Champs Tournament.'  Please note that even if you have informed your instructor that you will be attending the tournament, you still must register and remit payment via the above link.  Registration is due April 18th; after that a $10 late fee will apply.  

Please note:  Tiger (2-4 year olds and some 5s who attend 30-minute classes only) registration is $40. School Program (students who do not attend CTI Campus classes) registration is also $40. All other students are $55 or $65.

Here are the competition times for that weekend: 

Black Belts - Friday evening, timetable will come to you in an email as we get closer to the event.  Likely 6 pm.

• Purple, Brown, Red Belts, all ages: Saturday 8 am
• White, Yel, Org, Green, Blue Belts, ages 8 and under: Saturday 10.30 am
• White, Yel, Org, Green, Blue Belts, ages 9 and up: Saturday 1 pm
• You will want to check-in about 30 minutes prior to your competition time.  We will detail the check-in process as we get closer to the competition.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your instructor.

We hope to see you all there! Start the summer off strong!

Why I Think the CTI is Great for Taekwondo Classes

By Averie Chavez, junior 1st dan

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute is an amazing Taekwondo school because not only will it teach you self-defense, but it also has so many learning opportunities. CTI also fits best for being a Taekwondo school rather than any other martial art because not only do you focus on one type of thing like kicks you also get hand drills in rather than just focusing on one thing. CTI is great for a taekwondo classes because not only are you doing Taekwondo but while doing it CTI allows you to be able to make friends when you are practicing Taekwondo.

CTI fits best for being a Taekwondo school because not only do you just have self-defense, but you also have those important learning opportunities. Some examples CTI provides for learning opportunities that make them best for Taekwondo are learning how to use self-control before self-defense. This helps show why CTI is best for a Taekwondo school because in, some martial arts, there is no self-control before self-defense. With taekwondo classes there is a saying that is Ho-Shin, meaning self-control before self-defense. Again this proves why they are best for a Taekwondo school because they help you identify whether to use self-control or self-defense depending on the situation rather than straight up going into self-defense. Another example is they teach you to persevere and have indomitable spirit. This shows why CTI fits the job best for being a Taekwondo school because when CTI teaches you to not give up and keep indomitable spirit you're less likely to give up when you are practicing Taekwondo.

CTI is best for taekwondo classes because at most martial arts schools you mainly focus on one thing but CTI focuses on many different ways to train us. Some examples of this may be when we do basics instead of just hand techniques we do many types of kicks when we do basics. Another example of this is, CTI finds ways to incorporate other types of martial arts styles into what we do. Sometimes like when we do black belt club, during push ups we do different types of push ups that different types of martial arts do. Another thing CTI does to focus on many different moments our pattern movements, in which the CTI does three different sets. With Taekwondo you focus on many things and that's exactly what CTI does. That's another reason why CTI is best for being a Taekwondo school rather than any other martial arts school.

Also, while we focus and practice in our Taekwondo classes we are making friends who help us improve on our Taekwondo skills. Some examples of this are in other martial arts and other schools besides CTI, expect for you to only do your work and make friends outside of practice. CTI shows why they are the best for a Taekwondo school because not only while you do your work they allow for you to make friends. Another example of this is when you're at tournaments no matter how you do or what you place CTI still lets you make friends and they encourage your hard word. People are supportive and friendly, while we all work hard to earn our new belts. 

Taking Initiative

By: Alex Schwartz, Junior 1st Dan

Taking initiative is doing something without being told to do it. When you are anywhere, whether at home, work, school, or other place, a person who takes initiative is useful to help get everything done without having to bother a boss, coach, etc. with a bunch of questions.

This is important because it helps out the people around you along with yourself. When you take initiative it shows the people around you like your friends, family, or even boss that you have a high work ethic and shows how well of a leader you can be. Taking initiative is a great way to show your ability to take action and help out at the same time. At home you can take a little more initiative and do the dishes, clean, walk the dog, etc. before your parents or roommate have to ask you a bunch of times. And they will appreciate everything you help out with.

In taekwondo there are many times when taking initiative is important and very very useful. A big time when it is useful is at tournaments (or any other event). At the tournament there are lots to set up (or take down) like trophies, judging chairs, ring flags, etc. It really helps out when you take the initiative and just start helping with whatever you see needs to be done, without just standing around and letting someone else do the work. And it takes a whole lot of stress off off everyone when everyone helps out.

Another place where taking initiative is really important is at school or even a workplace. At school there are times where you do a lab of some sort in science. After the lab there is always at least 10 minutes where their teacher has the class clean up, during this time a lot of students ask the teacher a billion questions causing them stress. It is really helpful when there is a student who takes responsibility and just cleans up whatever they can, being a huge help for the teacher. This is not just for labs but any project you do in school. This can be the same as your job, at your workplace there are often team meetings and sometimes potlucks. When those meetings are over, if you stay make sure the chairs are pushed in, there's no trash or anything spilled, the person who ran the meeting and the next person to use the room will be extremely thankful. 

In summary, it's not hard to take initiative and you don't have to do everything. Just a few small easy things can make a huge difference to help out no matter where you are. And along with helping out it can show to those around you your leadership skills, and your willingness to work hard when needed.