Coming Soon: 32nd Denver Martial Arts Champs!

Our next tournament, the 32nd Denver Martial Arts Championships, will be held September 9 & 10 at Alameda International! This day will include exciting competition for students of all ages and belts. 

Moo Sul Kwan was brought to the United States in 1969 by Lee H. Park when he settled in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, home of Southeast Missouri State University.  Lee H. Park, 9th Dan, was an educational pioneer in the martial arts of the United States.  Great Grandmaster Park founded the American Marital Arts Sports and Education Association in 1981, and had many Moo Sul Kwan schools in the area.                                                                           

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute was founded in 1983.  Today there are CTI Campus locations teaching Moo Sul Kwan martial arts in  Green Mountain, Littleton, Westminster, Golden, Conifer, and Craig, Colorado. The CTI also provides educational excellence at Montessori Peaks Academy, Red Rocks Elementary School, Our Lady of Fatima School, West Woods Elementary School, Alameda International, Meiklejohn Elementary and Westridge Elementary School.

Our Denver Martial Arts Championships began in the early 1990s and has been our kick-off to one fantastic CTI-year after another!   

Events will include:

• Poomse
• Tiger Poomse 
• Free-Sparring
• First Point Wins!
• Breaking
• Target Kicking 
• Black Belt Staff Poomse

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 August 30th, 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!

Kids in Martial Arts

By Lydia Willis, 2nd dan

Have you ever thought about putting your kid in a martial art? If so, Colorado Taekwondo Institute could be the right fit for you. Your child will learn discipline, make new friends, and learn new martial arts techniques.

I’ve grown up participating in martial arts at Colorado Taekwondo Institute and one of the biggest things I’ve learned is discipline which has turned out to be a very beneficial skill. In martial arts, consistency is key, which means going to every class and participating to the very best of our abilities. Our martial art helps us learn to hold ourselves to a higher standard and that develops a lot of discipline. This is beneficial for all ages, ranging from a toddler to a teenager to an adult. I started Taekwondo when I was 4 years old and there’s always been a great focus on discipline. This transfer over into my everyday life as well. It’s helped me to be a better student. I always put my best effort into all the work I do and get it in on time. I don’t think I would be the student I am today if I hadn’t spent so much time talking about the importance of self-discipline.

Not only are martial arts a great way to learn discipline, they’re also a great way to meet new people and make new friends. We have classes for kids of all ages where they’ll get to spend time with people that are their own age. Kids in martial arts get the opportunity to meet lots of new people while they learn about martial arts. I’ve made lifelong friends through the classes at Colorado Taekwondo Institute. We also participate in tournaments which is an amazing chance for your child to meet other children from other martial arts campuses. We have 6 main campuses in Colorado and several after school programs that all participate in our tournaments. At these competitions, students are in divisions with other children their age and it’s a great way to develop strong bonds with other kids. Some of my closest martial arts friends were people that I met competing as a child in tournaments. I love having the opportunity to do my weekly classes with close friends and then getting to see other people I’ve grown up with at our tournaments, expos, symposiums, and camps. Before participating in kids martial arts, I was a very shy kid who mainly kept to myself. I’ve now had such an amazing time getting to come out of my shell and meet people who love doing the same things I love to do.

Of course martial arts aren’t martial arts without being able to learn new techniques. I have loved being enrolled at Colorado Taekwondo Institute and participating in their curriculum. We’re always getting to learn new things and finding new ways to improve the techniques we already know. My favorite part of the CTI curriculum is that there’s never a time when you plateau. You get to learn and improve yourself during every one of our classes. We strive to be the best that we possibly can and that shows in the abilities of our students The instructors take the time to teach moves correctly and make sure you truly understand what’s going on. Instructors are specially trained to explain things in a way that will make sense to your child, they always take the time to work through the difficulties until it makes sense and can be done by your student no matter the challenges they may face along the way. It’s also a great opportunity for your child to stay active. There are lots of opportunities to do classes that are always very fun workouts, and they’ll be motivated to practice at home which is another great way for them to stay active.

If you’re considering enrolling your child in kids martial arts, Taekwondo classes at Colorado Taekwondo Institute are an amazing option full of activity, new friends, and new skills.

The Value of Taekwondo for Toddlers

By India Ross, 1st dan

When trying to decide if it is the right time to introduce your little one to taekwondo, sometimes it can be hard to determine why it would be beneficial for your child to begin classes at such a young age. It's a good idea to know the good things that come from starting martial arts training at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute for toddles. Physical health, self-confidence and respect are just some of the amazing skill your child can master.

First, taekwondo is a great way to get out the excess energy many little ones possess. At such a young age it's important to start heath habits and movement is a great way to help the mind and body grow. With taekwondo training, your child will be able to participate in physical activity that is positive and encouraging; best of all, this kind of exercise is fun for kids. Martial arts training will create a positive association with physical exercise, and set kids on a fit, healthy track for life.

Another great benefit of toddler martial arts is that it increases self-confidence. By pushing themselves in class and getting healthy encouragement, and the ability to control one’s own body is a strong boost of self-awareness. As your son or daughter sees the progress that can be achieved through hard work and dedication, you will see a positive change in attitude not only in class but also in school and at home. Taekwondo requires memorization of intricate poses and movements, so your child’s mental focus and concentration will be increased. Taekwondo develops children’s mental capabilities as much as physical ones.

A final benefit of toddler martial arts is that it teaches respect for oneself and of others. Taekwondo training teaches kids strong values that create a well-rounded person. Your son or daughter will learn to follow directions with humility and understanding. Throughout the training process, students will notice changes in their level of strength and physical appearance, so they also learn respect for their bodies. 

Taekwondo is for everyone but starting young creates a positive passion for something that will last for years to come!

2022 All City-Champs Results!

The 2022 All City-Champs were amazing! Thanks to all of the students, parents, family members, and instructors who made the day such a success! Congratulations to our black belt Grand Champs, Kathleen Sautel and Ed Stanton. 

Here are the results from the big weekend:

Poomse 

1st Place

Sabrina Springfield , Danek Salach, Scarlett Turner, Dalila Lopez 

Anabella Briceno-Arev, Marie Leitz, Simon Aguilar, Kolton Johnson

Stella Reyniers, Weston Evarts, Alice Burgin, Kai Esmail

Fletcher Mazur, April Buffington, Grace Quinones, Eli Anceravicius

River Manuelito, Ecton Scherer, Beckett Kruger, Rebekkah Copel

Sidney McClelland, Maddox Fisher, Christopher Cochenour 

Jah Norford, Selah Hall, Steve Loukas, Carina Dulong 

Aarush Venkat, Tara Cady, Anna Copel, Sean Marrufo

Joshua Stephenson, Evan Turner, Zuri Cady, Molly Dugan

August Howard, Nicholas Stephenson Connor Burgin, Olivia Ivie 

Franco Ramirez, Nora Kivett, Jace Hessler, Kendrick Toney 

Mason Zerbib, Lance Schwartz, Dale Sanders, Hannah Holmes 

Alex Schwartz, Emma Burden, India Ross, Averie Chavez

Lily Laird, Alexis Chavez, Meredith Botnick, Ivy Strickland 

Lindsey Boswell, Katie Minden, Konner Evans, Kyle Feagans 

Collin Kreutz 

2nd Place 

Warren Locken, Grant Hoffman, Keegan Christenson, Connor Thomson 

Saxon David, Alex Kirt, Adam Lindquist, Landon Woodland 

Aspen Swift, Owen Eberhard, Cohen Barstow, Avery King 

Dan Copel, Henry Andonov, Carter Hoffman, Aspen Henderson 

Natalie Morris, Paxton Barnett, Violet Wondel, Grady Albright 

Hope Wilcox, Sebastian Schuster, Zoey Auten, Cole Robertson 

Keatyn Adams, Amallia Chapman, Hurley Gann, Wesley McClelland

Lyla Silipo, Landon Dulmage, Charles Albright, Wyatt Knorr 

AJ Cleveland, Zachary Kahan, Jackson DeRosia    Piper Jo Tillapaugh

Emerson Holmes, Ender Wine, Eli Quinones, Sidney Bratten 

James Kaffine, Ellie Pechon, LeRoy Hutchison, Barrett Springfield

Zane Hayes, Attily Strauch, Keira Teska, Allan Stanton 

Susan Burgstiner, Thomas Burden, Evan McEwan, Quynn Cotner 

Lauren Dahlberg, Zachary Cotner, Colston Yoder, Kiera Sherman 

Jason Stencel Sr., Jason Stencel Jr., Max Babcock, Kathleen Sautel 

Eileen Lindner, Katie Dahle, Cody Jacobson, Ed Stanton 

3rd Place 

Abdalla Zeitawi, Garrett Thomson, Nora Whitefield, Ariana Lamb 

Shiven Venkat, Torin DiMascio, Henry Powell, Armando Gomez 

Claire Kaffine, Landon Adams, Bradley Beckner, Allie Cassinis 

Kenneth Watt, Giovanni Stone, Owen Eterno, Madison Markowitz 

Luke Jones, Landon Sidley-Merca, Brody Hall, Brynn Hall 

Stephen Mines, David Cruz, Milo Conner, Gio Gallagos- Bac 

Kaiden Rees, Erin Stanley  , Ace Garcia, Dominic Pintur 

Binuj Ghimire, Daniel Gray, Tom LaRocca, Noah Park 

Evelyn Vahle, Makenzie O’Connell, David Webster, Jackson Foster 

Jackson Fitch, Ella Laird, Zoey Bellis, Maxwell Palmer 

Joshua Ranjit, Joshua Stencel, Brian O’Reilly, Tegan Moore 

Gavin Vahle, Freya Brown, Mateo Piza, Caiden Murphy

Coco Dailey, Phineas Hallock, Carrie Chauhan, Jorden Rutz 

Sean Huntley, Alex Tan, Mark Scott, Zach Greaves 

Deb Denny 

4th Place 

Brandon Volkmer, Amelie Mattews, Jonah Strankman, Sorin Staver 

Cooper Curry, Michael Holmes, Alexander Aguilar, Logan Martin

Nikoli Park, Jakoda Ratzloff, Chris Ray, Sloan Sullivan

Reid Claflin, Sophia Laws, Micha Walls, Zach Trujillo 

Standish Kingsbeck, Max Sher, Ezekial Oliveira, Ronan Haydon 

Ezra Wine, Aliyah Huckaby, Caroline Holmes, Kellan Barnett

West Sutton, Henryk Stewart, Leonidas Peter, Eli Erickson 

Brian Roman, Ella Jackmond, Miles Humphress, TJ Boylen

Miles Price, Aubrey Cossaboon, Marley Powers, Even Zdechlik

Tristyn Cvanciger, Zoe Economou, Lily Strickland, Caleb Romero 

Payton Dahm, Nolan Shidemantle   Ivy Jensen, Lee Tomjack 

Jasmine Salamera, Brandon Kirt, Caleb Feagans, Don Johnson 

Jack Eddy, Lydia Willis , Vivi Brown, 

Sparring 

1st Place 

Owen Robertson, Jasmine Salamera, Joshua Ranjit, Thomas Burden 

Gavin Vahle, Alexis Chavez, Payton Dahn, Justin Gann

Allan Stanton, Meredith Botnick, Marley Powers, Hannah Holmes 

Josh Stencel, Alex Schwartz, Logan Keckler, Caiden Murphy 

Steve Loukas, Carina DuLong, Alexander Aguilar, Even Turner 

David Webster, Owen Eberhard, Aarush Venkat, Ace Garcia 

Daniel Gray, Katherine Glaub, Aspen Swift, Akshey Chauhan

Jakoda Ratzloff, Erin Stanley, Violet Wondel, Cooper Curry 

Tara Cady, Standish Schuster, Zuri Cady, Giovanni Stone 

Aliyah Huckaby, Kolton Johnson, Conner Thomson, Zoey Bellis 

Leonidas Peter, Miles Price, Emerson Holmes, Marie Leitz 

Armando Gomez, Milo Conner, Leroy Hutchenson, Torin DiMascio 

Zachary Kahan, Olivia Ivie, Grant Hoffman, Luck Jones 

AJ Cleveland, Zach Greaves, Kathleen Sautel, Ed Stanton

Alex Tan, Aiden Sturm, Vivi Brown, Meryn Probasco 

2nd Place 

Henryk Stewart, Luke Jones, Grant Hoffman, Aubrey Cossaboon 

Abdalla Zeitawi, Keagan Christenson, Maxwell Palmer, Simon Aguilar 

Ronan Haydon, Scarlett Turner, Sabina Springfeild, Franco Ramirez

Kellan Barnett, Keatyn Adams, Shiven Venkat, Henry Powell 

Alice Burgin, Charles Albright, Hope Wilcox, Sebastian Schuster 

Makenzie O’Connell, Conner Burgin, Jah Norford, Natalie Morris 

Gio Gallegos, Paxton Barnett, Evelyn Vahle, Billie Brabble 

Dan Copel, Sean Marrufo, Carter Hoffman, Henry Andonov 

Nicholas Stephenson, Nikoli Kingsbeck, Rylan Lamkin, Sophia Laws 

Micah Walls, Jason Ranjit, Ryan Marine , Averie Chavez 

Jason Stencel, Coco Dailey, Lillian Eichelberger, India Ross 

Evan McEwan, Brian O’Rielly, Emma Burden, Ivy Jensen 

Hank Haubner, Teagan Moore, Mason Zerbib, Lauren Dahlberg 

Mateo Piza , Gillian Boswell, Deb Denny, Sean Huntley 

Calvin Jensen, Mark Scott, Shekina DeTienne, Collin Kreutz 

3rd Place 

Henry Rumph, Ellie Stanton, Brandon Kirt, Phineas Hallock 

Nate Florence, Josie Landis, Freya Brown, Dale Sanders 

Brandon Brech, Carrie Chauhan, Jordan Rutz, Lily Laird 

Marley Griffin, Quynn Cotner, Zach Cotner, Colston Yoder 

Jacob Schuster, Avery King, Landon Woodland, Cohan Barstow 

Adam Qinquist, Binuj Ghmire, Reid Claflin, Joel Hall, 

Alexi Lyman-Sterm, Molly Dugan, Logan Martin, Zach Trujillo 

Jennifer Kautz, David Cruz, Jackson Foster, Selah Hall

Stephen Mines, Jackson Erwin, Hurley Gann, Eli Erickson 

Eli Quinones, Piper Jo Tillapaugh  Landon Dulmage, Garrett Thomson 

Ella Jackmond, Ellie Pechon, Atticus Strauch, Grady Albright

River Manuelito, Maddox Fisher, Kenny Watt, Amallia Chapman 

Jase Hessler, Ezra Wine, Bradley Beckner, Caleb Feagans 

Katie Dahle, Conner Evans, Cody Jacobson, Lindsey Boswell 

Katie Minden 

4th Place 

Carolina Holmes, Brandon Volkmer, Ender Wine, Landon Sidley-Merca 

Ella Laird, Nora Kivett, Jonah Thomson, Landon Adams 

Rebekkah Copel, Miles Humphress, Brian Roman, Grace Quinones 

April Buffington, Christopher Cochenour Sloan Sullivan, Alex Kirt 

Kaiden Rees, Kaytie Rees, Chris Ray, Tom LaRocca 

Noah Park, Michael Holmes, Erza Lozano, Aspen Henderson 

Garret Knapp, Max Babcock, Lily Strickland, Lance Schwartz 

Zoe Economou, Ivy Strickland, Ace Ashworth, Nolan Shidemantle 

Tristyn Cvanciger, Kaleb Guffey, Andra Vein, Caleb Romero 

Lydia Willis, Kirun Agarwal, Don Johnson, Eileen Linder 

Jack Eddy 

1st Point Wins

1st Place 

Henry Rumph, Ellie Stanton, Brandon Kirt, Teagan Moore 

Nolan Shidemantle, Jason Stencil Sr., Payton Dahn, Alexis Chavz, 

Allan Stanton, Meredith Botnick, Marley Powers, Coco Dailey

Josh Stencil, Averie Chavez, Zach Cotner, Colston Yoder 

Steve Loukas, Sophia Laws, Landon Woodland, Evan Turner 

Nicholas Stephenson, Owen Eberhard, Reid Claflin, Dominic Pintur 

Daniel Gray, Anna Copel, Molly Dugan, Kaiden Rees

Violet Wondel, Erin Stanley, Gio Gallegos, Copper Curry 

Tara Cady, Standish Kingsbeck, Jackson Erwin, Hurley Gann 

Eli Erickson, Shiven Venkat, Keatyn Adams, Kellan Barnett 

Franco Ramirez, Nora Kivett, Marie Leitz, Atticus Strauch 

Milo Conner, Maxwell Palmor, Keagan Christenson, Kenneth Watt 

Aubrey Cossaboon, Grant Hoffman, Luck Jones, Henry Stewart 

Collin Kreutz, Kathleen Sautel, Ed Stanton, Cody Jacobson 

Alex Tan, Vivi Brown, Gillian Boswell, Zuri Cady 

2nd Place 

Bradley Beckner, Erza Wine, Jase Hessler, Olivia Ivie 

Zachary Kahan, Torin DiMascio, Leroy Hutchenson, Grady Albright

Landon Sidluy-Merca, Ellie Pechon, Emerson Holmes, Jonah Strankman 

Landon Adams, Zoey Bellis, Eli Quinones, Henry Powell 

Alice Burgin, April Buffington, Stephen Mines, Makenzie O’Connell

Jackson Foster, Zach Trujillo, Natalie Morris, Jah Norford 

Paxton Barnett, Aspen Swift, Katharine Glaub, Dan Copel 

Ace Garcia, Aarush Venkat, Henry Andonov, David Webster 

Cohan Barstow, Alexander Aguilar, Carina Dulong, Jacob Schuster 

Caiden Murphy, Logan Keckler, Quynn Cotner, Jason Stencel 

Lily Laird, Ivy Strickland, Carrie Chauhan, Evan McEwan 

Josie Landis, `, Emma Burden, Justin Gann, Gavin Vahle 

Tristyn Cvanciger, Joshua Ranjit, Lauren Dalhberg, Owen Robertson 

Katie Minden, Deb Denny, Conner Evans, Aiden Sturm 

Mark Scott, Caleb Feagans, Hope Wilcox 

Breaking 

1st Place 

Meredith Botnick, Joshua Ranjit, Caleb Romero , Marley Powers

Lily Laird, Hannah Holmes, Phineas Hallock, Lauren Dahlberg 

Joshua Stencel, Ryen Marine, Emma Burden, Colston Yoder 

Sophia Laws, Steve Loukas, Hope Wilcox, Reid Claflin, 

Carina Dulong, Sean Marrufo, Ed Stanton, Katie Dahle

Kathleen Sautel, Mark Scott, Aiden Sturm 

Self Defense 

1st Place 

Ecton Scherer, Max Sher, Anabella Briceno, Dalila Lopez 

Becket Kruger, Wyatt Knorr, Weston Evarts, 

2nd Place 

Kia Esmail, West Sutton, Madison Markowitz, Nora Whitfield 

Ariana Lamb, Zoey Auten, Kendrick Toney, 

3rd Place 

Jackson Bently, Amelie Mattews, Sidney Bratten, James Kaffine

Mia Young, Fletcher Mazur, Eli Ancervicius, 

Most Kicks 

1st Place 

River Strankman, Claire Kaffine, Danek Salach, Max Sher

Annabella Briceno, Nora Whitfeild, Madison Markowitz, Wyatt Knorr 

Addison Helms, Lorenzo Gomez, Kimber Benson, Kira DiMascio 

2nd Place 

Natalie Teska, Barret Springfeild, Keira Teska, Stellan Hartwig 

Fletcher Mazur, Becket Kruger, James Kaffine, Sidney Bratten 

Zoey Auten, Jack Bentley, Westen Evarts, Gabriel McFalls 

 

 

Start the Summer Off Right: the 2022 All-City Champs!

Mark your calendars for the 2022 All-City Champs tournament, to be held April 29 & 30 at Alameda International! This day will include exciting competition for students of all ages and belts. 

Moo Sul Kwan martial arts were brought to the United States in 1969, by Lee H. Park.  For over four decades, Moo Sul Kwan has hosted championship tournaments and events for the positive educational experiences of its students and instructors.  Our 2022 All-City Champs is a wonderful event and a chance to begin the Summer of ‘22 with success!  

Events will include:

• Poomse
• Tiger Poomse 
• Free-Sparring
• First Point Wins!
• Breaking
• Target Kicking 
• Black Belt Staff Poomse

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 April 21st, 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!

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!