Drawing Parallels with History

By Amy Krupp, red belt, CTI LeAD Team Member

It’s 2020, and the year has certainly started off with a bang.  In the midst of a worldwide novel coronavirus pandemic, there has been a lot of recent discussion about our history.  Discussion of isolation, quarantines, cleaned out grocery stores, and general unease, and how similar these things are to the pandemics of the past, such as polio, the Spanish flu, and the H1N1 virus.  We are also studying the behavior of these past pandemics for methods to help us contain this newest virus, and slow the spread to keep more people healthy and safe.  In the midst of all of this, our training here at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute has changed.  In order to do our part to lessen the spread of this virus in Colorado, schools are closed.  Businesses, restaurants, and hotels are closed.  People are working from home as much as possible, and are being asked to practice social distancing.  As a result, our normal weekly classes here at the  CTI have stopped.  But the training hasn’t stopped.  We’ve just moved underground.

The Grandmasters, Masters, and instructors of the Colorado Taekwondo Institute have put together a series of instructional videos for various ages and belt levels.  They are designed for students to continue their training from home by having virtual classes that cover warm-ups, basics, poomse, self-defense, and one step sparring.  With all of this discussion of history during recent events, our at-home training made me think of a different aspect of history- Moo Sul Kwan's history.

It wasn’t all that long ago really that Korean martial arts were an underground martial art.  During the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1909-1945, all activities directly related to Korean culture and history were banned by the Japanese, including the practice of Korean martial arts.  But that didn’t stop the martial artists of our past from practicing their art.  They just did it underground.  They practiced their art in the privacy of their homes, passing the art from parent to child, and instructor to student.  And through their perseverance, Korean martial arts survived.  And thrived.  And is the most widely practiced martial arts in the world.

What we are going through now pales in comparison to what the Koreans went through during those 36 years.  But the spirit of the training is the same.  We can’t come together and train right now.  We can’t attend in person classes with our fellow students and our instructors.  But we can still train.  We can use this time as an opportunity to become stronger.  To fine tune our skills, and really focus on the areas that we need to improve on.  We can train at home as an outlet to all of the stress we are experiencing right now in these times of uncertainty.  And we can remember those martial artists that came before us; those men and women that didn’t allow the art to die.  Think about Great Grandmaster Park, and the Moo Sul Kwan traditions.  Don’t let your training slip- keep training, keep pushing.  Today we have the advances of the 21st Century.  We have computers, tablets and smartphones - so use the CTI REMOTE CLASSES videos and you're keeping our tradition going strong!

Keep that mind set of self directed learning, and set your own goals to keep you motivated.  Then, when all of this is behind us, we can come back to class even stronger than we were before, and make new history together.

46th CTI Super Bowl

By Cody Jacobson, 1st dan, 04/01/20

The CTI Super Bowl 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 lowerbelts. They had the chance to win the Grand Champ.  Last tournament, the winners of this award were Karen Carreon (Red Belt, Conifer Campus), Jason Stencel (Red Belt, Westminster Campus), and India Ross (Brown 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. Special rules were put in place for the sparring divisions, each round lasted three minutes.  The first 30 seconds were one sparrer using hands and the other feet and then it switched.  The last two minutes were regular. 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 Super Bowl 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.

The Importance of Adaptability in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo

By Sean Huntley, red belt, CTI LeAD Team Member

Adaptability, one’s ability to adapt or change in a situation, is important everywhere, however, it is especially important in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo. In MSK Taekwondo things are constantly changing, reshuffled. You have to be able to keep up with all of it, and so you must be adaptable. If you can't change with everyone else then you will have a hard time in MSK Taekwondo and other aspects of your life, I know, I have personal experience. I hate change, I always want to have a plan, but I’m in MSK Taekwondo, and so I need to be able to be flexible. I will point out some examples of when I needed to be adaptable in MSK Taekwondo, as well as ones that you could find yourself in. I will also explore how to be more adaptable, so next time something changes for you it won't be that hard.

I am a testing red belt, and as such I need a black belt journal. The CTI Black Belt Symposium is a big event, like expo, for upper belts.  Now, I was looking forward to going to the 2019 CTI Symposium because it would allow me to fill out a large portion of pages in my journal. I got to the first presentation of a black belt and I realized I had forgotten by journal at home. At first I was panicked, what would I do without my journal? Then I calmed down and realized that I had to take notes somehow, so I grabbed a hand out I had gotten from another class and took notes on that. Throughout Symposium I took notes on whatever I had, papers, folders, even boards. When I got home I filled my journal in with those notes I had gathered and i got a good amount of pages. I could have given up on taking notes and just stopped trying, but I adapted and got through that unfortunate situation.

Another experience I have had where I had to adapt in MSK Taekwondo was every team tournament and demo. Now, with the team tournament happening soon, as of this writing, I have realized just how much my team demo has changed. We have gone through about 10 different ideas of how to make it look, always adjusting, rearranging moves, or switching formations. If anyone has been on a team or a demo they know how much it changes each time you practice it. This is why you need to be flexible when you do things like this, you are in a team and your teammates might have different ideas than you have. If you are rigid and unchanged in how you want the demo to go then your teammates will have problems with it, they may not try their best, they may feel upset because you are not listening to them, they might be confused on the demo and wanting to simplify it so they can look good while doing it. If you keep the demo the same you might be missing out on a really creative idea that could help your team. If you are participating in a larger demo you have to be able to be open to change and, however hard it is, go with the flow. Although it is less of a problem for me now I have always have problems working with others, I always wanted things to look my way. It was hard working with others on a team basics demo my first time at it. Over time I learned that you had to be flexible when you work with other people and today I work much better with teams. When creating or participating in a demo you have to be adaptable so the demo can grow and change to become even better and you can work well in a team.

The last example I will talk about is sparring. Sparring is one of the most important places to be adaptable in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo. When you spar you have to make split second decisions, there is no time for a large plan. Sure, you can plan out a fake or a kick, but you can't know what your opponent is going to do. You could know their sparring strategy, but if you make a plan it could be shattered in an instant as your opponent makes one unexpected move. Now when I spar I keep my opponents sparring strategy in mind, but stay loose and focus on what my opponent is doing, no plan. This works quite well, as now I can change my attack, block, or where I am putting my hand or foot based on what my opponent just did. When sparring, you should focus on the moment, not getting caught up in a plan that was foiled. You have to be adaptable in sparring because if you are not you will not be able to defend yourself from and attack an unpredictable opponent.

MSK Taekwondo is ever changing, and so as a student you have to be adaptable. While you need to be adaptable in all aspects of taekwondo events, like tournaments and expos, team poomse and demos, and sparring are some of the most important. Try to be flexible when you go to class and do anything MSK Taekwondo related, make a plan B, go with the flow. If you allow yourself to be adaptable it will raise you to a new level of understanding.

The Benefits of Participating in CTI Tournaments

By Abbey Salamera, red belt, CTI LeAD Team Member

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute hosts four martial arts tournaments every season that runs from September to April. These four tournaments are the Denver Martial Arts Championships, the Lee H. Park Team Championships, the CTI Superbowl, and the All-City Champs. Since there are only a few tournaments every year, it’s important to take every chance to take part in a tournament. From a white belt competing in their first tournament to a black belt judging at a tournament, each Moo Sul Kwan student must know why we participate in tournaments and what we get out of them. There are several benefits to participating in CTI tournaments and will help any participant grow into a better Moo Sul Kwan student.

One of the benefits of participating in CTI tournaments is that it gives students an opportunity to take the curriculum taught to them in class and practice it in a different environment. The Alameda High School gym differs immensely compared to the dojangs within the six CTI campuses. At the high school, the rings limit space to do poomse, force students to face different directions, and the wooden floor impacts each and every step taken in the gym compared to the soft carpet in a dojang. This allows students to imagine what it would be like in the real world because most likely, if you were being attacked, you would not be defending yourself on carpeted floors in a safe space. Thus, the environment of tournaments enables students to practice their Taekwondo in a new space that’s more applicable to defending themselves outside of class.

Another benefit of participating in CTI tournaments is that it encourages independence within each Moo Sul Kwan student, raising their self-esteem and shaping them into leaders. As opposed to working out as a class of 10-20 people, students approach tournaments as themselves and must be confident in their knowledge of poomse, sparring, and breaking to compete. Within this setting of a competition, students can not really rely on other people to help them out and instead rely on their knowledge that they have worked hard for in class. Furthermore, by interacting with new black belts and making sure to ask them what they can work on, students will develop their understanding of concepts by hearing advice from other people. Thus, tournaments provide personal learning experience for Moo Sul Kwan students to expand their Taekwondo knowledge and become a leader.

Finally, a benefit of participating in martial arts tournaments is that it’s an awesome social event that allows you to meet new people that share the same interests as you. When limited to your campus, students have the same 10-15 people they interact with and learn new things with. However, when participating at tournaments, students meet a variety of people from tiger white belts to the master instructors that could eventually become close friends. Not only does attending tournaments motivate students socially, but it gives them opportunities for friendly competition, especially when divisions consist of the same people at every tournament, and motivates them to become better students in general. As a result, participating in CTI tournaments welcomes students into an amazing community where they can meet new people and learn from them as well.

By participating in CTI tournaments, students will grow and thrive into confident, informed leaders that inspire the future of the Colorado Taekwondo Institute and Moo Sul Kwan. The benefits of participating in tournaments are not limited to those mentioned above. Students will only truly know the benefits of participating in tournaments if they actually attend one, so make sure to register for the upcoming tournament and every other chance there is to become a better Moo Sul Kwan martial artist.

Colorado Taekwondo Institute - First Quarter 2020 Website Intro

Taking on Leadership

By Lynne Dean, 1st dan, CTI Masters Club Member

The fact of the matter is that being a leader is HARD work.  Especially being an effective leader.  CTI students are taught from the beginning of the CTI core principles.  These tenants – courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indomitable spirit – are fundamentally the basis of a good leader.  The CTI student has to practice these principles in each class and event.  And, since practice prepares us for success, this naturally positions CTI students to be leaders in their community.Why should a CTI student become a leader in their community? – The answer is multi-faceted.  They have the training.  They have the opportunity.  And the CTI student also has the mandate to not just be an effective member of their community, but to make an impact.

And so – with all this practice and training – how can a CTI student show leadership in their community?  It’s not about making big speeches or leading big teams although there are certainly opportunities there with sports, clubs, and community service organizations.  Fundamentally, a CTI student leads by example.  They influence their peers by their example.  They practice what they preach by working ethically and with integrity on positive ways forward to the happenstances of community interactions.  In a day to day community where folks tend to take the easy way out and no one really does want to be singled out, the CTI student has the opportunity to shine by example and provide positive energy towards the overall good of the community.

Whether at work or at school (or both!), CTI students can apply their core tenants and also the tenacity they build by being associated with CTI.  A leader has to have vision that helps them generate a path forward towards a goal.  It takes a lot to get through our classes and events.  It takes thoughtful planning to reach the goal of the next belt.  As CTI students, we can take advantage of those hard won skills by applying them to our goals and tasks at school/work and at other community events.  We have opportunity and motive.  And so we have to be convicted and take on the leadership roles wherever we can.

21st LHP Team Champs

THE RECORD BREAKING EVENT OF MSK, AMASEA AND THE CTI!

A fantastic day was had by all at our 21st Lee H. Park Team Championships on December 7th!  Honoring our MSK / AMASEA founder Great Grandmaster Lee H. Park and our United States Veterans.  An all-time MSK/AMASEA/CTI record 391 Moo Sul Kwan students and instructors packed Alameda International for exciting team competitions.

The day began at 7 AM with black belts competing in Team Poomse, Blindfolded One-Step Sparring, Team Staff, Team Breaking and Team Self-Defense.

Later, all belts and ages took their turn in Team Creative Basics, One-Step Sparring, Breaking, Poomse, Most Kicks in a CTI Minute and Basics Challenge.

There was also a demonstration provided by our CTI Black Belt Club which involved five different CTI Campuses.  The demo showcased many of the different areas that are trained in Black Belt Club classes.

Our United States National Anthem at this year's LHP Team Championships was led by Michael and Doug Sandusky, with all of the black belts and students singing along.

The end of this fantastic team championships saw our 3rd dan and above black belts compete in Blindfolded Breaking competitions.  Winning CTI Black Belts performed five blindfolded breaks to the delight of everyone in attendance!

The next Championships is the 46th CTI Superbowl is February 28-29!

Click here to see some photos of our 21st LHP Team Champs.

How the Founding Fathers used the Five Tenets of Taekwondo

By Karen Carreon, red belt, CTI LeAD Team Member

For those who are requested to give speeches in CTI soon, the topic at hand is to speak about a person who has signed the Declaration of Independence.  I must admit, my memory of history is quite foggy and so I decided to read up on our very own history. First, a Founding Father can be described as “a person who starts or helps start a movement or institution.”  Specific to our country, a Founding Father is “a member of The Convention that drew up the U.S. Constitution in 1787.” The efforts of our Founding Fathers was to break free from the Monarchy of Great Britain and create our own government that best suited Americans. 

To create a document, present it to King George III, fight for our freedom and liberties to lay down the framework of our current operating system of government took amazing courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and of course an indomitable spirit.

First, it took some courtesy, i.e., consideration for others to word things in a way that allows and encourages freedoms and opportunities for its citizens, rather than blind loyalty to a crown that has the potential of tyranny.  Consideration and courtesy also is in play when the Constitution was written to have large and small states with equal representation and a checks and balance system of legislation so that no one branch or entity has too much power.

Integrity means an adherence to a code of conduct.  Our Founding Fathers adhered to many codes of conduct.  They came from many backgrounds from lawyers to farmers.  Some had political background and some did not. But they all shared a desire to create a government that served the common good and that the rules or laws applied to everybody.

It took a lot of perseverance and self control for our Founding Fathers to even be able to get together and discuss what it is the colonies want and will fight for.  There were no easy travel plans, no telephones. Many rode horses for days through inclement weather and other obstacles just to meet. It took steady persistence to draft, to write, to agree, to come together united and create a document that not only shaped our country but inspired other countries to do the same.

And finally, our Founding Fathers demonstrated great indomitable spirit.  To declare independence from Great Britain in writing was a daring act. They could have faced death as punishment.  Many fought in the Revolutionary War. It was their life's mission to help create our great nation and we should always remember to honor them and all our veterans who serve to maintain our freedom.

Transferring Skills

By Sarah Smith, orange belt

Leadership is a foundation of Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo and the Colorado Taekwondo Institute.  Students are not just encouraged to learn basic self-defense skills and develop into black belts, but they are encouraged to grow as dynamic leaders inside and outside of their campus and school.  The Colorado Taekwondo Institute offers opportunities for students to become leaders internally (through becoming instructors or volunteering at events to bringing in food for donations to the local foodbank) and externally (by exemplifying the core values of Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo and inviting others to attend a class).

Learning martial arts at CTI has made me a better therapist and supervisor.   How?   Learning a new skill as an adult is difficult. It requires courage, patience, self- control, integrity, and indomitable spirit (and a lot of humility, and humor).  In practicing these regularly,  I have an increased awareness of how difficult it can be to un/learn a behavior and/or transition into a new set of expectations, which allows me to be more empathetic and understanding.  One of the aspects of Moo Sul Kwan and the Colorado Taekwondo Institute that I appreciate the most is the development of values in its students that can then be applied to all areas of life, in all stages of life.

Family Matters

By Beth Wolfe, orange belt, daughter and mother of 4 green belts and one orange belt!

There are undeniable benefits to working out.  Benefits that span age groups and are recognizable to anyone; benefits that are even recommended for better health.  Within the spectrum of martial arts, there are additional benefits that we experience - character building, respect, coordination and balance...the list goes on.  These things engage us, encourage us, and enhance our lives, but something else very special is possible at Colorado Taekwondo Institute - family participation.

So often our schedules are filled with activities divided by age groups.  We run from one thing to the next, everyone doing their own activity, filling endless hours with our busyness.  These activities have merit - we all need to have our own things that shape us. We all know that celebrating individuality is an important part of being human, and finding out who we are as people.  But what happens when there’s an activity the whole family can participate in? What changes when everyone is doing something together?

I have seen tremendous benefit from working out with my family.  It’s more than just working out; it is building bonds over common ground when it feels like common ground doesn’t exist (i.e. when teenagers have taken over your life…).  Bridging gaps between generations (we have three generation in CTI!) with something that doesn’t require language, technology, or Common Core Math to understand is a priceless reward.  Working out together, experiencing the health benefits, cheering each other on, practicing together; these are all wonderful things we use to draw each other closer.  Building character together and finding the ways that martial arts eases our stress while spending quality time together doing something the whole family loves is an incredible bonus.  Helping each other improve, and learning that doing your best is the most important part has been beyond therapeutic for us. It’s amazing to see my children encouraging each other, especially when they didn’t win first place or do as well as they’d hoped. Seeing their integrity emerge, watching them begin to come forward as leaders, and feeling their respect for one another increase is an irreplaceable gift that CTI has given me as a mother.  And the look on my children’s faces when they see that their mom can break a board or win a gold medal at a tournament...now that’s priceless.