48th CTI Superbowl Results

This last week we held our 48th CTI Superbowl at Alameda International and it was a fantastic day of competition and learning! Students of all ages and belts competed, improved their martial arts skills, and had a blast!

Congratulations to our Grand Champions: Matthew Roberts, Henry Rumph, Diego Quezada, & Phoebe Bono.

POOMSE

1st Place
Matthew Roberts, Diego Quezada, Phoebe Bono, Marley Powers, Emma Burden, Tara Cady, Isabel Cole, Daniel Gray, Emerson Holmes, Ainsley Chamberlin, Julie Pham, Adriana Carreon, Cody Jacobson, Jase Hessler, Alex Tan, Christina Sanders, Marie Leitz, Axel Bivens, Carina Dulong, Jackson Foster, Amelia Garcia, Dustin Hill, Hayden Jeffries, Ivy Jensen, Warren Locken, Katie Minden, Angelina Nguyen, Brittany Bloemhof, Zachary Kahan, Timofii Lesyk, Mila Olivares Castro, Kira Rhyden, Mason Segel, Haley Hamp, Logan Hamp, Loxley Mcelhaney, Jakoda Ratzloff, Aarush Venkat, Lylia Becker, Adam Coutler, Aleina Evarts, Landon Dulmage, Nolan Smedes, Asher Yushka, Rose Basnet, Nolan Callison, Dylan Huckaby Rap, Collin Kreutz , Harrison Wilkins, Hunter Cleveland, Tristyn Cvanciger, Owen Eberhard, Andrew Kahan, Nikoli Kingsbeck, Henry Lewis, Zach  Trujillo, Violet Wondel, Lillian Eichelberger, Veronica Lesky, Tj Boylen, Everette Eterno, Graham Heffner, Quinn Hester, Jackson Husted, Kayla Kigundu, Sidney Mcclelland, Caiden Murphy, Ellie Pechon, Lincolin Rezny, Grayson Stanko, Zaida Whorton, Peyton Brauch, Eric Evans, Sean Huntley, Avery Johansen, Charlie Lopeman, Jasmine Salamera, Mila Smirnov, Oliver Yurka

2nd Place
Hope Morgan, Konner Evans, Joshua Ranjit, Joshua Stephenson, Meredith Botnick, Alexis Chavez, Zachary Cotner, Seth Raymond, Josie Landis, Jack Wicken, Aliyah Huckaby , Omar Platero Man, Cooper Curry, Theron Bearce, Lauren Dahlberg, Franco Ramirez, Quynn Cotner, Sean Marrufo, Mary  Moen, Shiven Venkat, Ahas Weerapura, Emery Hetzel, Makenzie O'Connell, Wyatt Knorr, Nora Kivett, Avery King, Ron Meyer, Bridget Sautel, Lexi Seymour, Eli Anceravicius, Sebastian Black, Sam Czaikowski, Stella Lockhart, Ella Wilkens, Ethan Price, Kaleb Guffey, Ariana Lamb, Madison  Segel, Dan Copel, Bradley Beckner , Ailani Lopez, Mickey Silenberg, Ellie Stanton, Ace Ashworth, Caroline Fogg, Anthony Garcia, Mykah Garrett-Duquette, Mateo Piza, Stella Reyniers, Lorenzo Gomez, Dalila Lopez, River Manuelito, Sam Powers, Leo Duffey, Millie Hessler, Wesley Mcclelland, Wyatt Mulholland, Alice  Burgin, Eileen Lindner

 

3rd Place
Henry Rumph, Aidan Sturm, Lars Den Hartog, Laura Martinson, Ama Grace Chapman, Anna  Copel, Duncan Zook, Averie Chavez, Henry Chiabotti, Vivi Brown, Eddie Garner, Luke Jones, Zuri Cady, Issay Mendoza, Max Margulies, Ace Garcia, Logan Keckler, Riley Callison, Elliott Myers, Kathleen Sautel, Tegan Moore, Don Johnson, Hadley Wilkins, David Cruz Barajas, Brynn Hall, Ella Laird, Lincoln Lenzmeier, William Lopeman, Sebastian Schuster, Drake Ferguson, Garrett Knapp, Emily Green, Jordan Rutz, Joshua Dollar, Selah Hall, Lily Laird, Tyler Murphy, Rebekkah Copel, Kim Williamson, Christopher Cochenour, Amelia Martinson, Dylan Kiser, Sydney Reitz, Landon Sidley-Mercado, Lily Strickland, Sarah Dahle, Kai Esmail, Rhys Garrett-Duquette, Maere Husted, Celia Lunardi, Owen Mulholland, Dawson Portera, Ecton Sherer, Piper Jo Tillapaugh, Bella Zarlengo, Carrie Chauhan, Dominic Pintur, Sloan Sullivan 

4th Place
Meryn Probasco, Ryan Marine, Nick Slinkard, Zoe Direzza, Rylan Lamkin, Ronan Haydon, Braeley Callison, Mia Martinez, Olivia Ivie, Gabriel Kahan, Nathaniel Keckler, Logan Martin, Colston Yoder, Ada Lekan, Eli Quinones, Alexander Aguilar-Glaub, Justin Gann, Jordan Kigundu, Owen Robertson, Kaylyn Mcewan, Weston Evarts, Lars Martinson, Connor Thomson, Gage Lacroix, Connor Burgin, Roland Dander, Katie Dahle, Warren Mcdonald, Aspen Swift, Eliah Yushka, Desmond Bearce, Hannah Holmes, Gwen Spilling, Savine Sinha, Armando  Gomez, Zoe Mcmahon, Paul Paisley, Aspen Henderson, Hope Wilcox, Cassady Jo Bryant, Truc Nguyen, Dale Sanders, Johnny Williams, Bryce Yushka, Mia Medina, Katherine Ahmadi Fard, Nicholas Stephenson, Brody Hall, Carlos Ramirez, Maya Ryniers, Danek Salach, Willie Siljenberg, Hank Haubner, Jacob Schuster, William Schwartz

FREE-SPARRING

1st Place

Matthew Roberts, Diego Quezada, Phoebe Bono, Marley Powers, Emma Burden, Tara Cady, Isabel Cole, Daniel Gray, Emerson Holmes, Ainsley Chamberlin, Cody Jacobson, Marie Leitz, Carina Dulong, Jackson Foster, Ivy Jensen, Brittany Bloemhof, Mila Olivares Castro, Aarush Venkat, Hope Morgan, Joshua Ranjit, Joshua Stephenson, Meredith Botnick, Zachary Cotner, Seth Raymond, Josie Landis, Jack Wicken, Aliyah Huckaby , Cooper Curry, Theron Bearce, Quynn Cotner, Sean Marrufo, Eli Anceravicius, Sebastian Black, Stella Lockhart, Henry Rumph, Lars Den Hartog, Laura Martinson, Ama Grace Chapman, Duncan Zook, Eddie Garner, Zuri Cady, Max Margulies, Tegan Moore, Meryn Probasco, Nick Slinkard, Zoe Direzza, Rylan Lamkin, Ronan Haydon, Braeley Callison, Weston Evarts, Connor Thomson, Junior Alarcon, Jaxson Hipsher, Landon Adams, Cole Robertson, Jayden Cook , Kennedi Foreman, Emerson Havens, Elsie Mcdonald 

2nd Place

Julie Pham, Adriana Carreon, Alex Tan, Axel Bivens, Hayden Jeffries, Katie Minden, Timofii Lesyk, Landon Dulmage, Nolan Smedes, Rose Basnet, Nolan Callison, Tristyn Cvanciger, Owen Eberhard, Zach  Trujillo, Alexis Chavez, Omar Platero Man, Franco Ramirez, Shiven Venkat, Avery King, Lexi Seymour, Ariana Lamb, Dan Copel, Bradley Beckner , Ailani Lopez, Ellie Stanton, Mykah Garrett-Duquette, Averie Chavez, Luke Jones, Issay Mendoza, Ella Laird, Drake Ferguson, Garrett Knapp, Ryan Marine, Mia Martinez, Olivia Ivie, Logan Martin, Roland Dander, Desmond Bearce, Gwen Spilling, Savine Sinha, Armando  Gomez, Zoe Mcmahon, Lance Schwartz, Lucy Paisley, Torin Dimascio, Owen Eterno, Binju Ghmire, Nora Leitz, Standish Kingsbeck, Shekina Detienne, Rue Weerapura, Zach Greaves, Dennis Mack, Allan Stanton, Simon Aguilar, Atticus Strauch, Mason Zerbib

3rd Place

Jase Hessler, Christina Sanders, Zachary Kahan, Kira Rhyden, Harrison Wilkins, Nikoli Kingsbeck, Henry Lewis, Violet Wondel, Lauren Dahlberg, Emery Hetzel, Makenzie O'Connell, Nora Kivett, Ron Meyer, Bridget Sautel, Ella Wilkens, Ethan Price, Kaleb Guffey, Ace Ashworth, Caroline Fogg, Anthony Garcia, Stella Reyniers, Aidan Sturm, Logan Keckler, Emily Green, Jordan Rutz, Joshua Dollar, Selah Hall, Tyler Murphy, Kim Williamson, Gabriel Kahan, Nathaniel Keckler, Ada Lekan, Kaylyn Mcewan, Lars Martinson, Connor Burgin, Paul Paisley, Aspen Henderson, Hope Wilcox, Alex Schwartz, Nate Florence, Keatyn Adams, Aj Cleveland, Milo Conner, Enrique Rubio, Ivy Strickland, Jackson Derosia, Oliver Garner, Hayden Green, Colin Williamson, Vincent Medina, Grace Quinones, Vincent Andonov, Henry Andonov, Stryder Martin, Kaiden Rees, Tommy Spainhower, Aiden Webster, Annaliese Wetzel

4th Place

Jakoda Ratzloff, Asher Yushka, Lillian Eichelberger, Tj Boylen, Mary  Moen, Lorenzo Gomez, Dalila Lopez, River Manuelito, Sam Powers, Anna  Copel, Ace Garcia, Riley Callison, Elliott Myers, Hadley Wilkins, David Cruz Barajas, Lily Laird, Rebekkah Copel, Christopher Cochenour, Amelia Martinson, Dylan Kiser, Landon Sidley-Mercado, Sarah Dahle, Colston Yoder, Eli Quinones, Katie Dahle, Warren Mcdonald, Aspen Swift, Eliah Yushka, Cassady Jo Bryant, Truc Nguyen, Dale Sanders, Johnny Williams, Bryce Yushka, Mia Medina, Cohen Barstow, Akshay Chauhan, Anastasia Contreras, Jennifer Kautz, Chris Ray, Sinha Saheli, Tony Yu, Tallen Garramone, Reyniers Maya, Evan Mcewan, Kaytie Rees, Alec Rhyden, Henryk Stewart, Garrett Thomson

1ST POINT WINS

1st Place

Phoebe Bono, Marley Powers, Tara Cady, Isabel Cole, Daniel Gray, Emerson Holmes, Hope Morgan, Joshua Ranjit, Joshua Stephenson, Zachary Cotner, Seth Raymond, Josie Landis, Jack Wicken, Cooper Curry, Henry Rumph, Ama Grace Chapman, Duncan Zook, Meryn Probasco, Zoe Direzza, Rylan Lamkin, Ronan Haydon, Junior Alarcon, Jaxson Hipsher, Julie Pham, Alexis Chavez, Omar Platero Man, Franco Ramirez, Luke Jones, Mia Martinez, Olivia Ivie, Logan Martin, Torin Dimascio, Owen Eterno, Binju Ghmire, Nora Leitz, Emery Hetzel, Makenzie O'Connell, Logan Keckler, Gabriel Kahan, Ada Lekan, Alex Schwartz, Keatyn Adams, Aj Cleveland, Milo Conner, Jakoda Ratzloff, Mary  Moen, Riley Callison, Elliott Myers, Cohen Barstow, Konner Evans, Ahas Weerapura, Sam Czaikowski, Alexander Aguilar-Glaub, Justin Gann, Owen Robertson, Ed Stanton, Kayla Albrechtson, Carol Wilsey

2nd Place

Matthew Roberts, Diego Quezada, Ainsley Chamberlin, Marie Leitz, Meredith Botnick, Aliyah Huckaby, Theron Bearce, Sean Marrufo, Lars Den Hartog, Laura Martinson, Eddie Garner, Zuri Cady, Braeley Callison, Landon Adams, Cole Robertson, Axel Bivens, Hayden Jeffries, Shiven Venkat, Avery King, Lexi Seymour, Averie Chavez, Issay Mendoza, Ryan Marine, Lucy Paisley, Standish Kingsbeck, Rue Weerapura, Jase Hessler, Zachary Kahan, Kira Rhyden, Nora Kivett, Ron Meyer, Bridget Sautel, Ella Wilkens, Kaleb Guffey, Aidan Sturm, Kaylyn Mcewan, Lars Martinson, Connor Burgin, Nate Florence, Enrique Rubio, Ivy Strickland, Jackson Derosia, Oliver Garner, Hayden Green, Colin Williamson, Anna  Copel, Hadley Wilkins, David Cruz Barajas, Warren Mcdonald, Aspen Swift, Eliah Yushka, Akshay Chauhan, Collin Kreutz, Vivi Brown, William Lopeman, Sebastian Schuster, Hannah Holmes, Autumn Deleon

MOST KICKS

1st Place

Amelia Garcia, Dustin Hill, Warren Locken, Angelina Nguyen, Mason Segel, Haley Hamp, Logan Hamp, Loxley Mcelhaney, Wyatt Knorr, Henry Chiabotti, Jordan Kigundu, Baela Hester

2nd Place

Lylia Becker, Adam Coutler, Aleina Evarts, Dylan Huckaby Rap, Hunter Cleveland, Andrew Kahan, Madison  Segel, Mickey Silenberg, Brynn Hall, Lincoln Lenzmeier, Gage Lacroix, West Sutton

BREAKING

1st Place

Konner Evans, Hope Morgan, Phoebe Bono, Joshua Ranjit, Joshua Stephenson, Zachary Cotner, Henry Rumph, Alexis Chavez, Ed Stanton, Matthew Roberts, Diego Quezada, Meredith Botnick, Ryan Marine, Lucy Paisley, Aidan Sturm, Anna  Copel, Emma Burden, Nick Slinkard, Adriana Carreon, Christina Sanders, Nathaniel Keckler, Ace Garcia, Colston Yoder, Eli Quinones, Don Johnson, Zoe Economou

STAFF POOMSE

1st Place

Konner Evans, Vivi Brown, Alex Tan, Lauren Dahlberg, Kathleen Sautel, Lydia Willis

2nd Place

Hope Morgan, Meryn Probasco, Lars Den Hartog, Averie Chavez, Ethan Price, Katie Dahle

3rd Place

Cody Jacobson, Quynn Cotner, Katie Minden, Shekina Detienne, Mateo Piza, Bill Schwartz

Adult Homework: Physical Fitness

By Ace A, brown belt

Physical fitness is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Movement and exercise improve your health and help you lose weight or maintain your current weight. Often overlooked although are the benefits to your mental and phycological wellbeing. Physical exercise greatly increases levels of dopamine in your brain making you feel happier and more content.

By exercising more often we counteract the effects of modern life where all of us spend hours and hours a day sitting and not moving or only moving our fingers at a computer. Simple daily movement, even just standing up and walking around for a few minutes every hour can help maintain your positive attitude and mental acuity but more often than not can give you that small break you need to solve a difficult problem or o help you focus better on the task at hand. More vigorous exercise, even if it is only twice a week, will increase your metabolism allowing for better overall health and maintenance of your body.

Mentally, the release of adrenalin and dopamine during exercise will make you feel better and think more clearly. It will also provide a better sense of self and better opinion of yourself. All this added to the way exercise help us sleep better every night keeps us from feeling depressed, closed off or alone.  The better you feel on the inside the you want to do on the outside and the more often you want to exercise or simply just move around. The people in life that turn to drugs and alcohol or have a deep feelings of depression or anxiety are more often the people whose physical activity is minimal and are looking for something in life to help the feel better. The simplest answer is exercise and activity.

Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo and martial arts and the variety of movement offered during a single class not only gets us asleep better but will get you out of bed in the morning excited for a new day and for the opportunities to learn, to grow, to push yourself and to feel better about life.  It is the act of repetition of movement and the drive to excel and to succeed in class that will translate into a more focused mind and a more healthy body.

This Weekend: The CTI Superbowl!!

This Friday and Saturday is the 48th CTI Superbowl at Alameda International High School. This is our "year end" tournament and one of the most excited events of the year. There will be competition for students of all ages and belts.

Friday night will be black belt competitions, starting at 6:00pm. This is free for spectators to come and watch the action! Saturday morning will continue with the black belt competitions, and then will have the under black belt events.

Competition and Arrival Times:

Black Belts will compete on Friday night at 6:00pm. 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. Note: You will be entering the large gym from the end doors to the right of the gym. You will NOT be entering through the doors that lead directly onto the large gym floor. Signs will be posted, and you can also refer to the map below.

• 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 (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)
• School program students will be competing with the correct age groups so 9 yrs and up will start at 1pm.

Location details, parking:

The tournament will be at Alameda International High School which is located at 1255 S Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80232. Please note that Alameda is undergoing a large amount of construction at this time, and the parking situation will be tight for the next few tournaments. We have included a graphic below to help you find parking and the entrance to the gym.
Upper belts and black belts, please park in the old main parking lot (labeled 'overflow parking' in the graphic below). All other families and students can park in the new main parking lot on the south side of the school off of Louisiana Avenue. Once this lot fills, you can also use the overflow parking on the corner of Louisiana and Allison St. 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.
Please Note: Due to the construction, parking will be hard to find. Please give yourself time to adjust for this.

You will enter the gym through the doors on the right far side of the gym. It is marked with a red star in the graphic below. You are welcome to drop age-appropriate students and/or equipment off near the entrance if you need to park farther away.

Checking students in and getting them to their rings:

Once you enter, you will be directed to a check-in table. Due to the construction, we are going to have you enter the school, walk down the hallway, up and across the gym ,and over to a larger hallway area on the other side of the gym. While we know this isn't ideal, this will allow us to have more check-in space than what we can fit in the smaller entrance hallway and help us avoid a back up. The check in will be divided up alphabetically by last name so please procee
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.

Older students, you will then proceed to the GREEN ring number on your hand RIGHT hand. Your judges will direct you on the order of your competitions.

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, it would help if you could help the youngest of our students get 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 go to the number on your hand that is green and disregard the color of the ring sign. There may be a prior division already happening in the ring as your student arrives, so please make sure to help them quietly sit behind the students already sitting on the floor so as not to disturb the ongoing competition.

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. School Program students will compete in Most Kicks and other other students will compete in sparring. Sparring or Most Kicks will conclude the competition for 8 year olds and unders.
After your student is done competing in all three divisions, then please come down to the edge of the gym floor to collect them. Thank you.

Sparring 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 if anyone in your household is symptomatic 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 Saturday! Thank you.

Teen Homework: Physical Fitness

By Evan M, Junior Red Belt 

Exercise should be incorporated into everybody’s life. Exercise is the practice of strengthening your body which is important to maintain your health. Your muscles, your heart, your lungs, your brain rely on the blood and nutrients that is helped by maintaining a healthy body. 

The two forms of exercise are aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise is beneficial for your cardiovascular system and requires oxygen to be completed such as is required for doing jumping jacks. It strengthens your heart which pumps blood to your muscles. If you don’t do aerobic exercise then your muscles don’t get enough exercise. Anaerobic exercise makes your muscles stronger, like lifting weights or doing push-ups. 

So, exercising consistently has many benefits. And we do a lot of regular exercise in our Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo classes! In addition to getting stronger, you will have heightened cardiovascular endurance and energy. You will feel a lot better about yourself if you exercise than if you don’t and you will likely live longer and better if you exercise routinely. Although TKD already adds exercise, you should still exercise outside of class. Exercise is very beneficial and good for you.

CTI Martial Arts: Littleton Campus

For anyone interested in martial arts in the Littleton and Morrison area in Colorado, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is a great option due to its commitment to developing its students into life-long leaders through educational excellence and martial arts traditions. 

Martial arts is an activity with different origins, revolving around self-defense and self-protection. From taekwondo to karate to judo, the physical, mental, and spiritual development of martial arts can benefit people of all ages. With the combination of culture, discipline and self-defense, martial arts is useful for everyone and can be enjoyed with all circumstances and lifestyles. Amongst the several martial arts schools in the Littleton, Colorado area, there is one specific school that provides so much more to its students than just increasing belt rankings or learning how to defend oneself; this is the Colorado Taekwondo Institute. 

The Littleton Colorado Taekwondo Institute is located on South Simms Street and is encircled by several neighboring school areas, making it an easily-accessible campus for children and adults. The CTI has something to benefit people of all ages from the tiger age (2-4 years old) to adults (18+). For all ages, taking classes at the CTI is an amazing form of physical activity and exercise, ensuring
physical fitness created by Taekwondo’s utilization of all five components of fitness. Working out at least 2-3 days a week improves everyone’s lifestyles and keeps them in shape for a bright future. Additionally, the CTI teaches several forms of self-defense that can be used at any time when facing a dangerous situation. The realism in the techniques make self-defense easily applicable to reality. 

This Littleton martial arts school stands out because it has so much more to offer than physical activity and self-defense; classes also stimulate the brain, develop the mind and teach social skills.  The instructors at this Littleton martial arts campus are very diligent and caring when working with children starting at a young age, ensuring that their pent-up energy is released through the development of motor skills when punching, kicking and yelling. Along with this, toddlers are encouraged to show respect at a young age by learning how to listen and exercise self-defense to overall build up their confidence and self-esteem. Moving along to youth classes, the CTI applies its values to outside the classroom through the assignment of homework and teaching of the applicability of discipline in every aspect of life like school and home. This starts children at a young age on a path towards leadership and success in education and the future. The teen level has similar benefits to those of a tiger or youth, but are enhanced to fit with the constant change accompanied by maturity, growth and education. Teen classes are a perfect way to exercise anger management and focus, but also build up self-confidence and respect towards everyone. Finally, at the adult level, taekwondo at the CTI is the perfect way to keep up flexibility, relieve stress and focus on reaching goals while managing life outside one’s martial arts training. It’s never too early or too late to start Taekwondo at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute because there will always be benefits to the martial art. If you’re in the Littleton or Morrison area, this martial arts school could be the right choice for you with its dedication to physical, mental and spiritual development. 

The values of this martial arts school in Littleton serve people of all ages and thus makes it stand out amongst its competitors within the area. By providing educational excellence since 1983, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute’s professionalism in martial arts training makes it a prime candidate when looking for martial arts schools in the Littleton area. Through its many years of experience, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute has proven to take care of its students within the classroom. The CTI promotes a safe and encouraging environment where everyone is welcome. The instructors, especially at the Littleton CTI, care about every person who walks in and out of the school from students to parents to grandparents and guarantee a good atmosphere during martial arts training. At the Littleton CTI, each workout area maximizes the space with their matted or carpeted floors, plenty of space for classes with several students, equipment to practice and improve specific skills, and viewing areas for families to stay in during class. Especially during this time, this martial arts school in Littleton has proved to stay clean and professional by keeping the school sanitary at all times. All interactions within the school demonstrate a great environment that fits with all personalities, welcoming people of all ages for a good time learning martial arts. 

The Littleton martial arts school is dedicated to teaching Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo to anyone willing to try out the program. This Littleton martial arts school has created the best environment to create the most valuable experiences in life, whether it focuses on martial arts training, social skills or discipline. We hope you check out our school sometime!

The Importance of Physical Fitness

By Kim W, white belt

The CDC states that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise every week. Many American adults struggle to meet this recommendation though.  Prioritizing time for personal exercise can feel daunting or even impossible when faced with other demands from work, family or social obligations. However, heeding the recommendation for physical activity on a consistent basis leads to significantly improved physical and mental well-being, even helping you avoid injury as you age!

The physical benefits of regular exercise are well-documented. These benefits include weight loss, increased muscle tone and cardiovascular health and lower risk of serious illness. We can all feel the impact that exercise has on our bodies when we look fitter or can last longer with aerobic exercise without huffing and puffing, but exercise has a long list of lesser-known physical benefits that aren't always easily seen. Two of these additional benefits are increased brain health and strengthening of bones. The most immediate of these benefits relates to how exercise impacts your brain. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals such as dopamines and endorphins that are shown to increase happiness and lower feelings of stress and anxiety. Physical activity is also shown to have a positive effect on cognitive abilities, so exercise can help you think, learn and problem solve! Scientists are even studying the impact exercise can have on preventing certain cognitive diseases, such as Alzheimers or dementia. Another "hidden" benefit of physical activity relates to bone and joint health. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the rate of bone loss and conserve bone tissue. Your bones react to exercise in a similar way to your muscles. As you continue to exercise, your bones become thicker and denser, which reduces the risk of bone fractures. Exercise also leads to increased balance, which can assist with preventing falls and also reduce risk of fractures. This is especially important for older adults as a bone fracture can be severely debilitating or even fatal. 

Aside from the physical benefits, regular exercise also has significant mental health benefits. We've already learned that the body is producing chemicals as we exercise that improve our immediate feelings of well-being, but exercise is shown to have multiple long-term mental benefits such as improved mood, increased self-esteem and self-confidence, lower levels of stress and depression and improved sleep cycles. Group exercises are also shown to increase sense of community and belonging, also leading to lower levels of depression and isolation. The positive mental feelings associated with exercise have been shown to motivate individuals to continue exercising, leading to even more benefits, both physical and emotional.

As you can see, the physical fitness from classes at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute have many great, lifetime lasting benefits!

CTI Martial Arts: Lakewood/Green Mountain Campus

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute (CTI), Lakewood Campus, is one of the six CTI campuses in Colorado. Serving as the headquarters of the CTI, the Lakewood Campus is located on 12354 W. Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, Colorado. This campus was founded in 1991, by Grandmaster James M. Sautel, and has since been the top martial arts schools in the Lakewood, Colorado area. The Lakewood location is an ideal place for anyone looking to take part in Martial Arts.

With over 6,000 square feet of training space, two very spacious work out areas, and suspension flooring, the Lakewood Campus provides students with the quintessential environment necessary for Taekwondo instruction. The Lakewood Campus offers classes for 4 different age groups: Toddlers (ages 2-4), Kids (ages 5-12), Teens, and Adults. With classes taking place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, students will have no shortage of mentoring from the top CTI Instructors. The Lakewood Campus is also equipped with ample viewing areas, allowing friends and family to gain insight on what their loved one is being taught. These unique features allow the Lakewood Campus to exceed in supplying students with the best instruction available.

Also allowing students to receive the highest tier of instruction are the CTI Master Instructors that run the Lakewood martial arts school. Grandmaster James M. Sautel, 8th-degree black belt, teaches the Adult class on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00 pm-7:30 pm. Grandmaster Merinda J. Sautel, 7th-degree black belt, teaches an advanced class on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Teen and Adult students from 5:00 pm-6:15 pm. Master Alice Meyung, 5th-degree black belt, teaches a variety of classes ranging from a Kids class on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Black Belt Club on Tuesdays. All of these instructors not only coordinate the Lakewood Campus, but also provide students with the highest level of instruction. There are many classes that students can take advantage of to receive additional, and more advanced training. These classes include Black Belt Club, LeAD Team, and Master’s Club. Black Belt Club is a class from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm on Tuesdays. With permission from their instructor, students can attend this class to receive training on various techniques that are not taught in their regular classes. Some of these techniques include Palgwae poomse, advanced self-defense, and escapes. Purple belts and above are invited to attend LeAD Team, which is hosted at the Lakewood location from 9:00 am-10:00 am, and teaches students valuable skills that are not a part of their standard curriculum. Students learn how to lead a class, answer the phone, teach fellow students new moves, and other similar skills. Master’s Club, also hosted at the Lakewood Campus, provides additional training and classes for black belts and above. This is on Saturday morning before LeAD Team. 

Not only are additional classes offered by CTI, but events as well. Tournaments, expos, symposiums, camps, and countless other events are provided. All students are welcome to attend these fun events and further progress their training. Events are a great way for students to put into effect the techniques they have been practicing, and build new relationships with one another.

The Lakewood martial arts school is an exceptional martial arts school that will readily welcome anyone and treat them like family.

Here Comes the Superbowl!

Mark your calendars for the 48th CTI Superbowl tournament, to be held February 24 & 25 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 11th, and all registrations must be completed online. 

Please contact your instructor if you have any questions!

CTI Martial Arts: Westminster Campus

Martial arts is a universal activity with different origins all revolving around self-defense and self-protection. From taekwondo, to karate, to judo, the physical, mental and spiritual development of martial arts can benefit people of all ages. With the combination of culture, discipline and self-defense, martial arts is useful for everyone and can be enjoyed with all circumstances and lifestyles. Amongst the several martial arts schools in the Westminster, Colorado area, there is one specific school that provides so much more to its students than just increasing belt rankings or learning how to defend oneself; this is the Colorado Taekwondo Institute. For anyone interested in martial arts in Westminster, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute is a great option due to its commitment to developing its students into life-long leaders through educational excellence and martial arts traditions. 

The Westminster Colorado Taekwondo Institute is located on West 88th Avenue and is encircled by several neighboring school areas, making it an easily-accessible campus for children and adults. The CTI has something to benefit people of all ages from the tiger age (2-4 years old) to adults (18+). For all ages, taking classes at the CTI is an amazing form of physical activity and exercise, ensuring physical fitness created by Taekwondo’s utilization of all five components of fitness. Working out at least 2-3 days a week improves everyone’s lifestyles and keeps them in shape for a bright future. Additionally, the CTI teaches several forms of self-defense that can be used at any time when facing a dangerous situation. The realism in the techniques make self-defense easily applicable to reality. 

This Westminster martial arts school stands out because it has so much more to offer than physical activity and self-defense; classes also stimulate the brain, develop the mind and teach social skills.  The instructors at this Westminster martial arts campus are very diligent and caring when working with children starting at a young age, ensuring that their pent-up energy is released through the development of motor skills when punching, kicking and yelling. Along with this, toddlers are encouraged to show respect at a young age by learning how to listen and exercise self-defense to overall build up their confidence and self-esteem. Moving along to youth classes, the CTI applies its values to outside the classroom through the assignment of homework and teaching of the applicability of discipline in every aspect of life like school and home. This starts children at a young age on a path towards leadership and success in education and the future. The teen level has similar benefits to those of a tiger or youth, but are enhanced to fit with the constant change accompanied by maturity, growth and education. Teen classes are a perfect way to exercise anger management and focus, but also build up self-confidence and respect towards everyone. Finally, at the adult level, taekwondo at the CTI is the perfect way to keep up flexibility, relieve stress and focus on reaching goals while managing life outside one’s martial arts training. It’s never too early or too late to start Taekwondo at the Colorado Taekwondo Institute because there will always be benefits to the martial art. If you’re in the Westminster area, this martial arts school could be the right choice for you with its dedication to physical, mental and spiritual development. 

The values of this martial arts school in Westminster serve people of all ages and thus makes it stand out amongst its competitors within the area. By providing educational excellence since 1983, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute’s professionalism in martial arts training makes it a prime candidate when looking for martial arts schools in the Westminster area. Through its many years of experience, the Colorado Taekwondo Institute has proven to take care of its students within the classroom. The CTI promotes a safe and encouraging environment where everyone is welcome. The instructors, especially at the Westminster CTI, care about every person who walks in and out of the school from students to parents to grandparents and guarantee a good atmosphere during martial arts training. At the Westminster CTI, each workout area maximizes the space with their matted or carpeted floors, plenty of space for classes with several students, equipment to practice and improve specific skills, and viewing areas for families to stay in during class. Especially during this time, this martial arts school in Westminster has proved to stay clean and professional by keeping the school sanitary at all times. All interactions within the school demonstrate a great environment that fits with all personalities, welcoming people of all ages for a good time learning martial arts. 

The Westminster martial arts school is dedicated to teaching Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo to anyone willing to partake in the program. This Westminster martial arts school has created the best environment to create the most valuable experiences in life, whether it focuses on martial arts training, social skills or discipline. We hope you check out our school sometime!

January is Friends and Family Month!

January 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!