AMASEA National Convention Bus Trip

By Cody Jacobson, red belt, 12 years old, CTI LeAD Team Member

CAPE GIRARDEAU OR BUST!

The 2018 AMASEA National Convention is one of the best trips within Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo that I've ever been on.  It is a lot of fun and you always learn new stuff.  And like Camp MSK, the food is wonderful!

The convention is a travel trip to Missouri.  So in order to get us all there, we charter our own bus.  We drive overnight to St. Louis.  It is a long bus ride but it is fairly easy to fill the time.   We watch movies.  I also spent a lot of time talking to other students on the bus.  We talked about MSK Taekwondo but we also talked a bunch about our hobbies and interests outside of training.  It was really nice to be able to connect with other students outside of my CTI Campus and be able to learn things about them outside of Taekwondo.  We stop every so often at gas stations to use the restrooms, and get food.  You can buy all kinds of food from healthy snacks to not so healthy snacks.  We stopped about 3 times going there and 3 times coming back.  (It is always a relief to see civilization when we are in Kansas.)  On the way back, we stop at a gas station and break boards.  It is always fun to watch other students break boards, and see the looks of the drivers driving past us.

We go to a lot of classes at the National Convention.  They range from doing poomse to Judo with Great Grandmaster Shin.  You will always learn new things from the class instructors.  This may or may not be new moves on a poomse you are working on, or even starting a new poomse but it is still a ton of fun.  The instructors will give you tips on what you are doing, and show you things that you have never seen before.  I took a class on Moo Sul Kwan Hapkido, something I've never done before, and learned all sorts of new things.  Most of the classes, if not all, will be hard but you will enjoy them no matter what.  The Judo class with Great Grand Master Shin is one of the hardest classes at the convention, but after you get through it, you will find that it was really fun. Although, don't be surprised if you are sore for the next few days. The classes are all really fun and interesting so it is always good to join in and explore them.

On this years trip we went to the City Museum of St. Louis on the first day.  When you think museum, you think hallways lined with artifacts and boring text.  That is the exact opposite of the City Museum.  It is more of a jungle gym than a museum.  You climb on wire and metal structures inside and outside.  The structures span a 10 story building.  Every structure in the building is made out of something found in St. Louis.  There is even a slide running from the top to the bottom of the building, and one that stretches half way.  Knee pads are optional but are definitely a good thing.  Between exploring with your friends and conquering your fear of heights, the museum is a tremendous amount of fun and the non Taekwondo highlights of the trip.

The AMASEA National Convention is a tremendous amount of fun. You would hate to miss out.  You get to learn things that are new, and hang out with your friends.  The AMASEA National Convention is definitely a great CTI Taekwondo trips!

2015 AMASEA National Convention Bus Trip

The 2015 American Martial Arts Sports and Education Association National Convention was outstanding!

Taking place at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, the three day weekend was well attended and featured Great Grandmaster He-Young Kimm, Great Grandmaster Bong Yul Shin, Grandmaster Charles R. Hildebrand, Grandmaster James M. Sautel, Grandmaster Donald Kimm, Grandmaster Terry MuCullough and Grandmaster Jerry Smith.

Students and instructors from across the AMASEA trained in many different subject matters and had a wonderful time.  To mention everything that was accomplished would be impossible, but here are the highlights.

45 members of our Colorado Taekwondo Institute chartered a bus and traveled to the National Convention from Denver.  Leaving on Thursday evening, the first big stop was at the City Museum of St Louis.  Everyone had a good time exploring everything that the fun and intersting museum had to offer.   Then it was on to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 115 miles south of St. Louis on the Mississippi River.

The action began on Friday evening on the SEMO Campus.  Classes covered many areas of martial arts training including; free sparring, poomse, self-defense, kicking techniques and much more!

The next morning stared off with a demonstration by our group from the CTI.  The demonstration involved one-step sparring, palgwae poomse, chang-hon poomse, taegeuk poomse, advanced kicking, self-defense, staff poomse and more!  Backing the action was live music performed by some members of Moo Sul Rock, our own black belt band.

Following the demonstration, there were many different, inspiring classes taught by the 6th and above dans.  Rotating from instructor to instructor, everyone had fun learning from each of the Masters and Grandmasters in sparring, self-defense, advanced kicking, one-step sparring, poomse, falling and throwing and more.

In the afternoon, more classes were presented for the participants of all ages and belt levels.  The black belts started the afternoon with GGM Sautel in bo-staff, then went on to work with GGM Kimm on belt techniques, GGM Shin on choking and arm-bar techniques and GGM Hildebrand on MSK Hapkido cane techniques.

After Saturday's action, everyone went to the AMASEA Convention get-together in Jackson, Missouri.  AMASEA yearly awards were presented and everyone had a chance to talk about the weekend.  AMASEA Instructor of the Year went to our own Mindy Sautel (Green Mountain School) and John Sautel (Littleton School).

The highlight of the evening were speeches give by Great Grandmaster Shin and Great Grandmaster Kimm on the importance of doing what we do.  Then, Moo Sul Rock played the night away with Walt, from Walts Music helping the cause.  Special guest singers included Master Doug Johnson, Master Mindy Sautel, Master Alan Williams, Jani-Stanton Williams and our bus driver Todd!

On Sunday, students competed in the AMASEA Olympics with contests like; highest kick, balancing kicking, punching accuracy, kicking accuracy and more.

When the National Convention concluded, our group boarded the bus drove into the countryside to historic Bollinger Mill, site of one of only four covered bridges left in the state of Missouri.  Everyone toured the four story stone and brick water-powered mill.  It was begun in 1848, and completed around the Civil War.  The group took some great pictures in front and inside the famous covered bridge.  The bridge, 140 feet long and 14 feet wide, every inch was used to take some excellent photographs.

After some filming in the trees around the mill, it was on to the home of Master Bill Jones, 6th dan and his family.  Food, games, conversation and fun was in store for everyone at the Jones Family Home.  Grandmaster Hildebrand, his wife Linda, and Master Hendrickson joined us and helped finish the weekend in style!

CTI students and instructors who attended were:

GM Sautel, Master M. Sautel, Master J. Sautel, Master Albrechtson, Clayton Garner, Alice Meyung, Bridget Sautel, Abdu Kikhia, Michael Sandusky, Erik Ondrejko, Hope Morgan, Caleb Feagans, Don Johnson, Eileen Lindner, Zach Greaves, Jocelyn Wallen, Ryan Lindner, Kathleen Sautel,Thomas Ma, Coghan Spery, Tyler Murphy, Collin Kreutz, Justin Lautrup, Peyton Brauch, Theo Lincke, Mark Scott, Nathaniel McKernan, Jennifer McKernan, Natasha McKernan, Bruce Dean, Shekina DeTienne, Kenny Brancio, Kelsey Smith, Lydia Lincke, Johnny Williams, Kameron Evans, Konner Evans, Rick Orton, Trish Nguyen, Katie Dahle, Ed Stanton, Steve Daniel, Lara Daniel and Zach Farr.

To see some photographs of this incredible trip, click here!