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. 

Upcoming Team Tournament: 23rd Lee H. Park Team Champs

Mark your calendars for the upcoming 23rd Lee H. Park Team Championships, on December 11, 2021 at Alameda International. This will be an exciting day of team competition for students of all belts and ages. 

The Lee H. Park Team Champs is dedicated to our founder, Great Grandmaster Lee H. Park, who brought Moo Sul Kwan to the United States in 1969. For over four decades, Moo Sul Kwan has hosted champion-ship tournaments and events for the positive educational experiences of its students and instructors. Our 23nd Lee H. Park Team Champs is a wonderful event and a chance to display our skills in teams!

More information will be coming to class very soon! Be sure to register early online at www.ColoradoTaekwondo.com. 

A Long Overdue Return to Normality: The 31st DMAC

 By Katie Minden, 1st dan

Tournaments entice almost every person I know that does Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo to do their best and keep going. To be honest, MSK Taekwondo can be very difficult, especially when I’m pushing through a low spot or a really intense time. However, tournaments just bring everything back into perspective. Truthfully, I had forgotten just how much I missed tournaments. The atmosphere, the community, the competition. It all fuels me for upcoming classes, whether it’s the ones I’m teaching or learning in. All of the preparation leading up to the tournament can be quite fun, but sometimes overwhelming. I’ve practiced so hard until the moment when I’m in front of the judges and everything just stops around me. Everything focuses on my poomse, my break, my one-steps. 

This taekwondo tournament, of course, was a huge step back to normality. We were able to compete again at Alameda International Junior/Senior High school, with some different safety precautions, but still back to where tournaments were held before Covid. It was such a surreal moment for me to walk back into the place where so many memories had been made; Winning my first trophy and being absolutely amazed at how large it was, sparring some amazing girls, and recalling the last-minute practice in the hallways. Still, the unavoidable nerves were still there. They get better every tournament I compete in, but they always come around. Usually they dissipate after poomse, but it’s always a bit nerve wracking in the first competition. My division for my competitions was also amazing. I was competing against some great opponents and I enjoyed every competitive second. Koryo is a newer poomse for me, and the first time I had competed with it, so that was incredible. One-steps was a different format this tournament than the last because we, as competitors, were able to present our knowledge of the correct distancing needed when defending against an actual attacker. Finally, breaking was amazing for me in this tournament. It wasn’t even because I won, it was all about my breaks. I wanted to try a jump spinning back kick for the first time as a break, and I broke it. It felt shocking and so wonderful all at the same time. 

In addition, I was able to help score keep and even judge almost like I would at a tournament before Covid. Because I tested and received my red belt right after we returned from our quarantine, I never experienced scorekeeping in the hustle and bustle of a tournament at Alameda. It was such an amazing and eye-opening experience in this tournament to have more of an upper-belt’s unique experience besides just competing and leaving. I had score kept at every online tournament, but it is a completely different exposure level when comparing the two. I always felt really comfortable scorekeeping, but when getting pushed into judging, it was a lot more pressure that I felt in giving the right score and really imagining myself in the competitors body to judge to the best of my ability. By the end, I was exhausted due to the extra brain power I used to judge, but it was so incredibly fun at the same time.  

All things considered, tournaments really are one of my favorite events in Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute and I feel so lucky every time I am able to participate in one. This tournament was an especially learning one for me and it provided me with great experience and new goals to train for.