MSK Pride in not Leaving a Job Unfinished!

By: Holly Madayag, 1st dan

We were at the Superbowl Tournament, our 40th one...

It was the end of class, we said, “Ho-Shin”
Then we bowed and stood up tall;
We all shook hands in unison
Then I stepped out of the workout hall.

I headed for the closet room
And reluctantly pushed open the door -
I pulled out the ‘ole Hoover vacuum
So I could quickly sweep the floor.

Push, pull, push -
Boy, my arms are sore!
Push, pull, push -
Vacuuming seems such a bore!

Dusty residue, whirring motor
Aching legs and back, it’s true!
Whenever will this be over?
I’ve got better things to do!

Just a small section of carpet left
Over that way toward the sign -
And, ugggh, the cord’s not long enough
It’s really no big deal – I’ll get it next time.

Who cares about that one small section?
The rest of the floor looks fine!
No one will even notice -
And I just don’t have the time!

Then, that night, as the stars came out
I fell quickly asleep and it did seem;
I had a momentous turn-about
All because of the strangest dream.

We were at the Superbowl tournament, our 40th one
Students gathering around;
We were all laughing, having fun
I could see us, but heard no sound.

My name was called, I stood up slow
Into the ring I stepped -
The tie-breaker poomse was Koryo
“I’ve got this,”  I thought.  “I’m confident and well-prepped.”

Sudo-makkis and sidekicks
Front kick foot position with pulled back toes
Re-chambering after every kick;
Steady as it goes.

Objective focus, loud kihaps
And a chamber hand so strong!
But, then, in just an instant -
Something had gone terribly wrong!

I froze on movement 39!
Only a small section of the poomse left to go
I can’t stop now, can’t NOT finish
Ohhhh noooo!

I went to the judges and I tried to plea
I begged so that sympathy they may feel -
But the center judge just looked at me
And said these words that seemed so real ….

“Strike, block, strike -
Your arms would have surely been too sore!
Strike, block, strike -
You’d certainly find the last six moves a bore!

It was just a small section of poomse
And you just couldn't finish, that’s true!
But, now it’s over -
And you probably have better things to do.

Who cares about the last six moves?
The rest of your poomse looked fine -
 It’s really no big deal –
You’ll get it next time.”

I awoke startled and dripping with sweat
My words had come back in a dream to haunt me;
I had left the unfinished portion of carpet
Which lead me to not finish Koryo completely. 

I thought back to my attitude about vacuuming -
And realized it had been so poor.
Cleaning the school should be done with honor
No matter how tired – no matter how sore!

Moo Sul Kwan teaches us that perfect practice is key
So the same applies to cleaning our school -
We must strive to do it
PERFECTLY!

And, now, because of that dream
I have learned and now I can say -
That vacuuming the school is equally as important
As practicing our tradition – our poomse.

“Wax on, wax off” as they say in the movies
And, you know, it’s really true -
Take initiative in cleaning the school!
It is the ultimate display of respect for what we do.

I’ll no longer look at vacuuming as just another chore
That’s really not the case;
When you break it down- it’s so much more.
It represents the highest regard for our cherished dojang space.

So, next time in that workout hall
When you notice clean lines and a carpet unblemished -
You’ll know it’s because a student who takes pride in Moo Sul Kwan
Didn't leave a job unfinished!

What Kind of Workout are Your Getting?

By: Rob Sarche, red belt, M.D.

As Colorado Taekwondo Institute participants we have all had the opportunity to enjoy vigorous and spirited workouts, but just how good of a workout are you getting?  How does Moo Sul Kwan Taekwondo, that we practice at the CTI, compare to other forms of exercise?  With this kind of a workout, how can we keep well-hydrated?  These are some of the questions that the Littleton and Westminster CTI Campuses sought to answer this fall.  Willing participants were studied to determine fluid losses, hydration status and caloric expenditures during a typical MSK workout that included sparring.

Participants were weighed after voiding and prior to the workout.  Weights of the two types of MSK uniforms were pre-measured dry.  Those participants who bought their own water had their water weighed before and after the workout, and they did not drink from the water fountain. 

Those who hydrated using the water fountain were timed, and the water consumption was estimated from a formula that was determined by measuring the output of the water fountain, as compared to the average amount of water that users let spill into the basin of the fountain while drinking.  Participants were blinded to this arm of the study so as to decrease the chances that they hydrated differently because they knew the were being observed.  Heart rates were measured at rest and frequently during all phases of the workout.  Caloric expenditures were estimated using a formula that considers participants exertional heart rate, resting heart rate, age, and sex.  Patients were weighed after participation to determine fluid loss, and that value was off-set by the weight of the fluid that each participant consumed in the form of drinking water, and the weight of the post-workout uniforms for black belt uniforms and lower belt uniforms, as measured in select participants and then extrapolated to the average participant. There were 26 participants in the study, with 16 males and 10 females that ranged in age from 12 to 54 years old. 

In typical CTI fashion, we worked out hard.  We sweated...lots.  No fluid was lost in the form of blood or tears.  No participants went into the bathroom during the workout.  The average fluid loss per participant was almost 4 pounds of water.  The sixteen participants that drank water from the water fountain ended the workout with a fluid deficit of 55 ounces each, and drank, on average, a total of only three ounces of water per participant.  The ten participants that brought their own water ended the work out with an average fluid deficit of 11 ounces, and drank an average of 19 ounces of water. 

The formal work out lasted for 105 minutes.  We indirectly measured caloric expenditures and looked at those results as a function of the participant’s skill level and age.  The participant’s gender was considered in calculating the calories burned. 

The white, yellow, orange belts burned an average of 813 calories each.  

The green and blue belts burned an average of 909 calories each.  

The purple, brown and red belts burned an average of 916 calories each.

Adult black belts burned an average of 1,185 calories each.

Adolescent black belts burned an average of 671 calories, where as the adolescent lower belts burned an average of 611 calories per participant. 

The combined classes burned the energy equivalent of 7.1 pounds of fat.

The 26 participants lost a total of 102 pounds of water in the form of sweat and evaporative losses.

The black belts were 32% more effective at burning calories than lower belts, and as the skill level of the participant increased, so did the caloric expenditures.  

The fact that we burned so much fat and lost so much fluid was not as surprising as the finding that participants who brought their own water were 84% better hydrated at the end of the workout, than those of us that relied upon hydrating from the drinking fountain.  Efficiency in burning calories, performance and recovery is expected to be better in well-hydrated participants.

Many interesting observations were made during our study, such as that the participants skill increases, so does the efficiency of the work-out.  The more experienced students were not necessarily better at hydrating than the less experienced participants, even though they had higher fluid losses. CTI instructors are very good at reminding students to hydrate well, but we should all consider the serious need to keep well hydrated when we participate in all day events such as expositions, camp and symposiums. Most participants did not drink enough water. Mr. Murphy was an exception to this, as he was the only participant who replaced all of his considerable fluid losses. He also taught us that hydrating with room temperature water allows for quicker and more comfortable hydration, as compared to drinking ice water.  

The Colorado Taekwondo Institute provides a safe, sustainable and increasingly beneficial exercise regimen.  Though other forms of exercise can allow opportunities to burn as many calories as MSK Taekwondo, such as running and swimming, few of these forms of exercise offer the additional benefits of MSK Taekwondo.  Moo Sul Kwan practitioners have progressive increases in their fitness level while learning practical self-defense, increasing strength, flexibility, speed, and coordination.  Mental benefits include building confidence, cognitive skills, perseverance, discipline, respect, expanding ones horizons and building community. 

Burning calories helps us to maintain healthy body weights and increase our fitness levels, but this is only one of the many benefits of Moo Sul KwanTaekwondo, most of which can not be quantified.

CTI Christmas Party

What a great way to celebrate the holidays!  Faith Mountain let us use their wonderful facility again for our annual CTI Christmas Party.  

Even with the winter weather whipping white flakes in the December sky, hundreds of students, family members and friends were able to come, relax and have some fun.  Just next door to the Green Mountain Campus, we started off the early evening with a little mingling and a tasty pot luck dinner that had a very festive feel.  

After dinner, the action started with some poomse for the crowd.  Master Merinda Sautel received recognition for her 30 years of Moo Sul Kwan training and Peyton Brauch was awarded his 1st dan black belt.  Then the CTI Elves got into the action . . . 

Brian Steward, head elf of the green team, squared off against Tyler Murphy and his red elf group.  Both merry groups of elves had a special elf-dance for everyone done to the tune of Run Run Rudolf played by Emily B. and the Mountain Block Boys.  Later each elf group sang their own special Christmas song to the delight of everyone at the party!  In addition to all of the holiday action, even more fun was had when a special visitor from the North Pole stopped by our party.

Special thanks to everyone for bringing the food items for the needy that helped us stock the Kings Cupboard (Food Bank)!  

Entertainment provided by Emily B. and the Mountain Block Band

Team Action at the Lee H. Park Team Champs

Honoring our founder Great Grandmaster Lee H. Park

The 15th Lee H. Park Team Championships took place at Alameda International High School on December 14th in Lakewood, Colorado.  Hundreds of students and instructors competed in different CTI Hanmadang team events.  Team Poomse, Team One-Step Sparring / Self-Defense, Team Creative Basics and Team Staff were exciting, along with the Breaking, Most Kicks in a Minute and the Basic Challenge divisions.

All ages and belts levels provided plenty of action for our many family members and friends who shared the day.  At halftime, some of the advanced black belts demonstrated poomse, staff and breaking for everyone. Congratulations to everyone who took part.  See you at our next CTI tournament, the CTI Super Bowl!

Results

TEAM POOMSE

1st place
Delaney Zandin, Eileen Lindner, Holly Madayag        
Sydney Brasseux, Tyler Gray                 
Porter Krause, Ysabella Bellotti, Quinn Nesline, Jaden Perez
Donovan Penrod, Zayne Lineberger, Cody Jacobson          
Taryn Bilyeu, Allie Warnick, Olivia Henthorn                
Irene Kim, Micco Waisanen, Lee Tomjack, Lindsey Boswell, Katie Dahle
Justin Lautrup, Thomas Ma, Theo Lincke, Lydia Lincke
Konner Evans, Peyton Barnard, Elise Smith, Kameron Evans, Grace Apodaca
Bruce Dean, Dean Loux, Kyle Feagans, Melodie Page, Mark Scott, Allyse Nothstine, Marcy Feagans
Gwen Gutierrez, Ryan Wyngarden, Evelyn LaMorgese
Nico Trilk, Santiago Huggins, Mohale Mitchell, Emily Artman, Jaden Wood
Brendan Zandin, Evan Strickfadden, Mya Reese
Caleb Feagans, Kai Wong, Peyton Brauch
Flint Hansell, Patrick O’Day, William Schwartz, Craig Campbell
Anya Trilk, Owen Martin, Meryn Probasco
Merrick Oleszek, Nina Madayag, Da Minh Tran

2nd place
Sally Morgan, Terry Copper, Zach Greaves, Jocelyn Wallen       
Annie Sautel, Sean Lawlor, McKenna Louth, Lexi Johannes, Andrew Madayag
Andy Milligan, L.J. Gayhardt, Brendan Arink, Alex Williams            
Akram Alghanmi, Kaddie Williams, Race Sober           
Franco Otero, Daniel Nelson, Ashton Buzick, T.J. Tibbetts, Declan Gunther, Jonah Elstad
Robbie Crandell, Devan Bagley, Charlie Smith, Lydia Willis, Jeffrey Bowen
Tyler MacBean, Porter Krause, Jaden Perez
Seth Hughes, Rick Orton, Melvin Marine    
Mason Louth, Nathaniel McKernan, Owen Hartmann
 Josh Miller, Sarah Luper, James Healey, Lilly Minor, Aiden Greco
Jennifer McKernan, Emma Hartmann, Natasha McKernan
Casey Feagans, Keet Holdridge, Mike Dean, Devon Lewis
Zoe Dickerson, Grayson Krause, Raymond Bellotti, Gigi Gittelman
Ryan Henderson, Tearny Kinnevy, Matthew Nguyen
Max Bogdanoff, David Bogdanoff
Grady Bahr, Augusto Jerez, Damon Bahr
Nico Huggins, Grant Haverkamp, Kirk Otteson

3rd place
Erik Ondrejko, Damian Rupp, Jack Eddy, Collin Kreutz                          
Thomas Sautel, Abbey Watkins, Tyler Murphy, Nate Watkins, Kathleen Sautel
Zach Bickford, Rylee Ross, Seamus Walsh     
Tessa Bries, Carol Terry, Andrew Smith, Deb Denny, Braeden Rooeny
Mathias Bauer, Mitchell Oleszek, Isabel Shoe       
Thor Hansen, Leif Hansen, Campbell Copt, Lars Hansen
Sabrina Jameson, Aspen Hawkins, C.J. Benton, Benjamin Kirschner, Jake Seele
Uriah Hernandez, Jarrod Eller, Hannah Hansell
Sigourney Zager, Brecken Lush, Ronin Selko, Micah Selko
Lauren Lundeen, Dante Hulin
Vinny Constantino, Abbey Salamera, Justin Nelson, Kayla Visnyei
Karen Carreon, Shekina DeTienne, Ethan Price, Carl Gibbons, Rob Sarche
Connor Brauch, T.J. Gutierrez, Devon Bilyeu
Gavin Pribil, Christina Manna, Amelia Lewis
Sean Huntley, Charley Greco

4th place    
Hope Morgan, Don Johnson, Alyssa Copper, Tanner Copper           
Michael Madayag, Coghan Spery, Emily Brophy             
Gillian Boswell, Adriana Carreon, Kylie Bickford, Osso Siddall
Benson White, Ridge Blue, Rachel Kirschnerai
Ryker Blue, Diesel DiPaola, Ethan Kirschner, Kaitlin Cassell, Caiden White
Alejandro Deppmeier, Chase Wyngarden, Jacobi Field
John Lindner, Lynne Dean, Keet Holdridge
Caela McCartney, Kenny Brancio, Johnny Williams, Zuzanna Janowska
Elizabeth Hawkins, Trish Nguyen
Calvin Jensen, Logan Gill, Sam La Morgese, Mya Field
Natalie Lundeen, Abby Lundeen, Brandon Dills
Birk Strickfadden, Lauren Dahlberg
Lucas Stolka, Andres Deppmeier, Grace Walther

TIGER POOMSE

1st place
Colin Palminteri    Aydon Lewis        Oliver Faler        Evalin Dickerson
Pierce Drozda        Xavier McRant        Jaxoson Wheat        Emerson Reseigh
Trenton Wheat        Kyle Janowski        Amadeo Sandoval    Caden Smutz
Kaylyn McEwan    David Orton        Alexander Escala    Carter Reynebeau
Keaton Girard        Scarlet Banks        Niko Martyna
        

ONE-STEP SPARRING / SELF-DEFENSE

1st place
Delaney Zandin, Erik Ondrejko, Annie Sautel         
Kaddie Williams, Tearny Kinnevy, Akram Alghanmi, Race Sober
Karen Carreon, Shekina DeTienne, Ethan Price, Rob Sarche
Mason Louth, Jennifer McKernan, Emma Hartmann, Nathaniel McKernan, Natasha McKernan
Kira Malmgren, Vivi Brown, Blenness Quintana, Addie Spery    
Patrick O’Day, William Schwartz, Flint Hansell, Melvin Marine, Hannah Hansell
Irene Kim, Micco Waisanen, Lee Tomjack, Lindsey Boswell, Katie Dahle
Abbey Watkins, Nate Watkins, Kathleen Sautel
Lynne Dean, Tessa Bries, Debbie Denny, Carol Terry, Braeden Rooney

2nd place
Sally Morgan, Terry Copper, Zach Greaves, Jocelyn Wallen
Michael Madayag, Coghan Spery, Kai Wong, Emily Brophy, Caleb Feagans, Peyton Brauch
Katy Dahle, Tearny Kinnevy
Kyle Feagans, Bruce Dean, Melodie Page, Mark Scott, Marcy Feagans, Allyse Nothstine, John Lindner
Thomas Ma, Lydia Lincke, Dante Hulin
Irene Kim, Lee Tomjack, Lindsey Bowell, Katie Dahle, Micco Waisanen
Theo Lincke, Lauren Lundeen, Dante Hulin
Lynne Dean, Tessa Bries, Carol Terry, Andrew Smith, Deb Denny, Braeden Rooney

3rd place
Damian Rupp, Jack Eddy       
Kaddie Williams, Tearny Kinnevy, Akram Alghanmi, Race Sober
Collin Kreutz, McKenna Louth, Lexi Johannes, Andrew Madayag 
Carl Gibbons, Ethan Price
Caela McCartney, Kenny Brancio, Johnny Williams, Peyton Barnard, Elise Smith, Grace Apodaca
Mason Louth, Jennifer McKernan, Nathaniel McKernan, Natasha McKernan, Owen Hartmann, Emma Hartmann
Seth Hughes, Rick Orton, Melvin Marine, Uriah Hernandez, Jarrod Eller, Hannah Hansell

4th place
Hope Morgan, Don Johnson, Alyssa Copper, Tanner Copper
Vivi Brown, Kira Malmgren, Blenness Quintana, Addie Spery
Mark Cordova, Kelsey Smith, Taryn Dwyer, Jakob Deverell
Justin Lautrup, Lauren Lundeen
Kira Malmren, Vivi Brown, Blenness Quintana, Addie Spery
Mark Cordova, Kelsey Smith, Taryn Dwyer, Jakob Deverell
Justin Lautrup, Thomas Ma, Lydia Lincke

BASICS CHALLENGE

1st place
Brendon Arnik        Daniel Nelson        Kyle Janoswki        Robbie Crandell
Cole Reseigh        Miette Jandreau        Thor Hansen        Ridge Blue
Gillian Boswell        Rylee Ross        Leif Hansen        Brynn Konrad
Merrick Oleszek    Jonah Sidwell        Jack O’Day        Mariah Cordova
Sierra Buzick        Andy Milligan        Sean Huntley        Zach Bickford
Emerson Reseigh    Jasmine Salamera    Jonah Elstad        Libby Girard

2nd place    
Cody Jacobson        Nina Madayag        Jaxson Wheat        Charlie Smith
Braeden Johnston    Taryn Bilyeu        Lucas Nomany        Campbell Copt
Aspen Hawkins        Colin Palminteri    Meryn Probasco    Lily Dwyer
Sean Konrad        Alex Williams        Osso Siddall        Sydney Brasseux
Olivia Henthorn        Tyler MacBean        Ryker Blue        Lars Hansen
Scarlett Banks        Mia Rubio        T.J. Tibbetts        Kylie Bickford

CREATIVE BASICS

1st place
Coghan Spery, Caleb Feagans, Kai Wong, Michael Madayag, Emily Brophy, Peyton Braugh
Delaney Zandin, Eileen Lindner, Holly Madayag
Casey Feagans, Keet Holdridge, Mike Dean, Devon Lewis, Grayson Krause, Zoe Dickerson, Ray Bellotti, Gigi Gittelman   
Vinny Constantion, Abbey Salamera, Justin Nelson, Kayla Visnyei
Kira Malmgren, Vivi Brown, Blenness Quintana, Addie Spery
Karen Carreon, Shekina DeTienne, Ethan Price, Carl Gibbons, Rob Sarche
Dakota Jesse, Sarah Dahle, Elizabeth Hawkins, Trish Nguyen
Irene Kim, Micco Waisanen, Lee Tomjack, Lindsey Boswell, Katie Dahle

2nd place
Annie Sautel, Jack Eddy, McKenna Louth, Andrew Madayag
Hope Morgan, Don Johnson, Tanner Copper, Alyssa Copper
Calvin Jensen, Gwen Gutierrez, Ryan Wyngarden, Mya Field, Sam LaMorgese
Evan Strickfadden, Mya Reese, Gavin Pribil
Julianne Todd, Theo Lincke, Lauren Lundeen, Dante Hulin
 Loux, Melodie Page, Bruce Dean, Kyle Feagans, Mark Scott, Marcy Feagans, Allyse Nothstine
John Lindner, Lynne Dean, Tessa Bries, Carol Terry, Debbie Denny, Braeden Rooney
Caela McCartney, Johnny Williams, Peyton Barnard, Kameron Evans, Elise Smith, Grace Apodaca


3rd place
Erik Ondrejko, Damian Rupp, Collin Kreutz, Sean Lawlor, Lexi Johannes
Sally Morgan, Terry Copper, Zach Greaves, Jocelyn Wallen
Nico Trilk, Mohale Mitchell, Santiago Huggins, Emily Artman, Jaden Wood
Jennifer McKernan, Mason Louth, Emma Hartmann, Nathaniel McKernan, Natasha McKernan, Owen Hartmann
Ryan Henderson, Tearny kinnevy, Matthew Nguyen
Mark Cordova, Kelsey Smith, Taryn Dwyer, Jakob Deverell, Seth Hughes
Rick Orton, Melvin Marine, Uriah Hernandez, Jarrod Eller, Hannah Hansell
Joshua Miller, Sarah Luper, James Healy, Lilly Minor, Aiden Greco

4th place
Thomas Sautel, Abbey Watkins, Tyler Murphy, Nate Watkins, Kathleen Sautel
Logan Gill, Evelyn La Morgese
Justin Lautrup, Thomas Ma, Lydia Lincke
Christina Manna, Amelia Lewis
Kenny Brancio, Konner Evans, Zuzanna Janowska
Jack Eller, Hunter Hansell          
Amelia Lewis, Christina Manna

BREAKING

1st place
Bridget Sautel        Thomas Sautel        Andrew Madayag    Michael Madayag    
Jocelyn Wallen        Don Johnson        Lynne Dean        Peyton Brauch
Rick Orton        Jack Eller        Grace Apodaca        Sam LaMorgese
Grayson Krause        Dante Hulin        Ryan Wyngarden    Brandin Zandan
Owen Hartmann    Rob Sarche        Keet Holdridge        Konner Evans
Vivi Brown        Connor Brauch        Santiago Huggins    Abbey Salamera
Jennifer McKernan    Mark Cordova        

MOST KICKS

1st place
Daniel Nelson        Brendan Arink        Aydon Lewis        Robbie Crandell
Cole Reseigh        Ethan Girard        Lucas Nomany        Ridge Blue
Nico Huggins        Rylee Ross        Meryn Probasco    Da Minh Tran
Devan Bagley        Ben Kirschner        Osso Siddall        Sydney Brasseux
Augusto Jerez        William Nomany    Ryker Blue        Zach Bickford
Trenton Wheat        Mia Rubio        Jonah Elstad        Amelia Lewis
Charley Smith        Kylie Bickford        

2nd place
Nina Madayag        Cody Jacobson        Kyle Janowski        Charlie Smith 
Braden Johnston    Taryn Bilyeu        Declan Gunther        Lance Schwartz
Porter Krause        Colin Palminteri    Grady Bahr        Brynn Konrad
Sean Konrad        Jonah Sidwell        Ashton Price        L. J. Gayhardt
Sean Haverkamp    Tyler MacBean        Diesel DiPaola        Patrick Konrad
Emerson Reseigh    Malaki McRant        T.J. Tibbetts        Matthew Nguyen
Sabrina Jameson    Mathias Bauer        

3rd place
Charley Greco        Andrew Myers        Amadeo Sandoval    Sabrina Jameson
Micah Selko        Miette Jandreau        Thor Hansen        Rachel Kirschner
Gillian Boswell        David Orton        Jaden Perez        Alex Price
Franco Otero        Samantha Biesemeier    Jack O’Day        Mariah Cordova
Sierra Buzick        Addy Milligan        Sean Huntley        Damon Bahr
Caden Smutz        Owen Martin        David Bogdanoff    Mya Reese

4th place
Ethan Kirschner        Dean Gunther        Jaxson Wheat        Chase Wyngarden
Seams Walsh        Ysabella Bellotti    Zayne Lineberger    Campbell Copt
Violet Banks        Sigourney Zager    Evalin Dickerson    Jennie Artez
Lydia Willis        Jacobi Field        Simone Schweich    Julian Marine
Lauren Dahlberg    Anya Trilk        Lucas Stolka        Erick Rodriguez
Lars Hansen        Oliver Faler        Scarlet Banks        Jasmine Salamera    
Max Bogdanoff        Allie Warnick        Evan Strickfadden
        

BLACK BELT DEMONSTRATIONS

Erik Albrechtson, Abdu Kikhia, Bridget Sautel, Brian Steward

TEAM STAFF POOMSE

1st place
Annie Sautel, Erik Ondrejko        Emily Brophy, Peyton Brauch
Michael Madayag, Kai Wong        Thomas Sautel, Tyler Murphy

2nd place
Hope Morgan, Alyssa Copper        Sean Lawlor, Michael Madayag
Caleb Feagans, Coghan Spery        Holly Madayag, Eileen Lindner

3rd place
Damian Rupp, Collin Kreutz        Thomas Sautel, Kathleen Sautel
Jack Eddy, Lexi Johannes        Eileen Lindner, Delany Zandin

Setting Goals

When you are reaching for a goal, you will find you are striving for higher ground.

By: Sally Morgan, 2nd dan

Setting goals is a very important part of life.  If you want to be happy and successful, setting goals is the key.

Setting a goal makes your vision of what you want more clear.  If you don’t see your end result clearly, you will never get there.  You can be very busy in your life, but if you are not clear about what you want, you are probably doing a lot of things that really do not matter to you.  When you set a goal, it focuses your energy into the things that really count and matter.

Setting a goal will drive you forward.  When you constantly have goals, you stay motivated.  It will keep you moving when things get tough.

If you want to increase your focus, setting goals can do just that.  They give you a focal point to put your attention to.  When you don’t have goals in your life, you tend to “float around randomly,” not really accomplishing anything.  You become misguided on what is important.  Setting goals keeps you from being swept away by everyday life activities.

Having a goal will give you accountability.  You can talk about doing something all day, but until you set a concrete goal, you’ll never take it anywhere.  Once you have a goal, you become obligated to achieve it.

What to be the best you can be, create goals.  Without goals, you live in a safe world.  You become comfortable with life as it is.  Being too comfortable can prevent you from growing.   When you are reaching for a goal, you will find you are striving for higher ground.  You stretch yourself out of your comfort zone.  Goals will help you overcome barriers and prevent you from settling for less than what you really desire.

With goals, you will get the best out of your life.  So take a moment and set a goal.  I guarantee you will grow, become better and live a healthier, happier life!

How Your Children Can Benefit from Taekwondo

Many parents who are considering enrolling their children in martial arts training may wonder if there are benefits. Let us take taekwondo, for example. This type of martial arts is from Korea and can provide many benefits for children even in today’s world.

Assessing the Benefits

What are some of the benefits for children who are involved in martial arts training? Some of the things to consider are:

• Physical fitness
• Weight control
• Improved concentration
• Respect for other people
• Substantial improvements in self confidence and self esteem
• In addition to all the benefits children can obtain from taekwondo, they are also having fun. 

Fitness is a very important aspect of taekwondo, and quite honestly, it’s refreshing to see children so fit and sporting a healthy weight. Unfortunately there are far too many children in today’s world who are overweight simply because they don’t exercise and eat high energy foods.

Fun and Exercise Are Part of Taekwondo

Many people believe the human body is design for exercise. This is especially true of children who should run, jump and get out of breath while combining play and exercise. One of the many benefits of kids taekwondo is they have fun at the same time they are performing physical exercise. They gain physical fitness all around because the exercises in which they are engaged exercise their whole bodies. Even better is the fact they want to continue coming back.

Lessons to Learn

Martial arts training can provide a great many benefits, especially for young boys. For one thing the rigorous physical training provides an outlet for their boundless energy. Some of the other benefits of taekwondo for young boys include the following:

• Allows them to kick and punch under controlled conditions
• Teaches self-control
• Teaches them the need for taekwondo to remain in the Dojang
• Teachers are also great role models
• Instructors are fit, healthy and controlled as well as being senior students

How Taekwondo Benefits Girls

While many people see taekwondo as a sport for boys, the reality is girls can benefit from martial arts training as well. For instance, when girls are fit and healthy they have a positive image of their bodies. They also develop self esteem and self confidence as a result of learning in person confrontation and develop power through wooden boards. It doesn’t matter whether the child is a boy or girl; kids taekwondo helps them become physically and menta
lly stronger.

Keep in mind taekwondo is not just about physical training; it’s also training for the mind. In kids taekwondo children learn complicated movements that help their memory and ability to concentrate. During martial arts training they also learn how to coordinate their bodies. The training involves a great deal of discipline, which teaches them how to gain the self-discipline they need to push forward no matter how difficult training is.

Training in taekwondo also teaches children about respect and courtesy. It begins with respect for the instructors and each other. This in turn teaches them to respect themselves. They learn the importance of being polite to everyone whether they like them or not—definitely a great skill to take with them into adulthood. Some of the other things they learn include:

• How to persevere
• How to press forward if something is difficult but worth achieving
• How to face failure and move past it by picking themselves up and trying again

When children succeed the pride shows on their smiling faces. This gives a real boost to both their self confidence and self esteem. Taekwondo can help children become surer of themselves and ultimately gain the confidence they need to speak in front of the class or even perform a difficult pattern in front of a panel of judges, the kind of tasks that will help them become successful adults.

They will learn to teach and become mentors to the younger children which helps them learn and achieve patience and kindness. Eventually these children will become calm and self-assured young people who possess the self confidence they need to accomplish everything they need and want to do. In fact, those who have self esteem are less likely to engage in destructive behavior such as substance abuse. It also means children who have trained in kids taekwondo are not as likely to become victims of the school bully.

Learning the Sport with Martial Arts Training

One thing to know about any of the martial arts is a person should not attempt to make the mistake of learning without a qualified instructor. Only by obtaining martial arts training can a person (adult or child) expect to learn enough to compete and become an expert in specific types of martial arts.

Choosing a Good School

Choosing the best martial arts school can be very difficult when you consider there are millions of schools just looking for an opportunity to have your business. Parents have a difficult time not only the martial art for their children but also the best school to meet the needs of the children. While no individual art is best for every child, martial arts in general provide many benefits that suit all children.

The biggest challenge is finding a good martial arts training instructor. Unfortunately not all schools have formal qualification guidelines for the teachers. This doesn't mean those schools do not employ good teachers, but the late of guidelines definitely make it difficult for parents who are trying to choose a good martial arts teacher for their children.

Familiarize Yourself with a Few Martial Arts Disciplines

Before you make a decision about the martial art form that is right for your child, take some time to learn about a few of the mainstream martial arts. You want to learn what they have to offer by sitting through a few classes. For instance, the technique players use in judo may cause someone to become pinned to the ground—this would not be a good sport for a claustrophobic child.

Conduct Some Research

The internet makes it very easy to take the time to research before making a decision about martial arts training for your child. The place to begin is to make a list of the schools in your local area and seek out websites for those facilities. The focus of your research should be to find a school that offers a formal program of education for its teachers. You want to search out schools that offer teaching ranks in addition to black belt ranking. These teaching ranks are a formal way of passing the marital art on to the student. This shows that teaching areas such as self discipline and self control are equally important in teaching sparring to a child.      

Be Happy with the Instructor Before You Choose the Facility

You don’t want to look at the facility until you are satisfied with the instructor. For instance, the training hall should be immaculate. You might be able to ascertain this if you see students cleaning before and after the training session. Do not see cleaning as menial forced labor but rather a task that shows the students care about their teacher and have a desire to preserve their art. This is something that may provide points to a small school that doesn't have the resources to provide formalized teaching ranks.

Be Aware of the Costs You Will Incur

Before you enroll your child in any martial arts training program including Colorado Taekwondo you need to be sure you know how much it will cost. You need to be aware that while there are great profit making businesses, there are also some non-profit schools that rely on the involvement of the students in order to remain open. Do not allow cost alone to define a great school, but this may be a tie-breaker for parents, especially those on a strict budget. There are even schools that arrange to pick your child up at his regular school, teach him martial arts on a daily basis and provide time for the completion of homework, but this cost will be extremely high. If you opt for the non-profit school (the least expensive), you need to keep in mind you or your child may need to volunteer time and effort for the facility to remain open.

Choose a School with a Local Standing

The school you choose should have a voice in your community. This shows it is interested in the community and the students who live and attend school in that community.

What Makes a Good Leader?

By Marcy Feagans, red belt

Good leaders are willing to share their knowledge and experiences to help teach and guide others to greatness.  Leaders help others to learn by sharing their own knowledge and assisting others in their own personal development to better themselves. Good leaders possess qualities such as integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, patience and compassion.

It is important that as a leader the people around you consider you to have high integrity, always going to do the “right” thing and having high morals and values.  It is important to be honest, the followers will be loyal to the leader if they feel that they can trust someone, regardless of the situation – be it good or bad,  an easy or tough situation, but you will always know that you are telling the truth.  Along with honesty, goes trustworthiness because being honest will win over the followers trust, if they trust you then they will be loyal, try to achieve goals they did not think possible and follow direction because they are confident in the leader’s skills and leadership.

When teaching others, a key attribute is patience.  When teaching a new student or protégé it is important to have patience as that takes time and energy.  The student may need to repeat the action over and over again to learn a skill or as the teacher you may need to repeat the instruction or demonstrate the action to assist the student with learning.  Finally, leaders need to have compassion, all people are human and make mistakes, students often feel frustration and the compassion to understand people as people will help to ensure the best experience and learning for both the teacher and student.

Good leaders are leaders in every aspect of their life; at home, work/school, sports teams and in your community.  The qualities of a good leader will follow them in every aspect of their life – it is usually an innate part of one’s life to have high moral qualities and to show those qualities throughout your actions all the time, regardless if it is at school/work, at the taekwondo campus or at home with your family.  For example, while at work you lead as a good example in your sales integrity or providing good quality service, doing what is right for the customer always.  Being a role model while attending or leading a taekwondo class is important as you should be available during and after class doing poomse, willing to answer questions, and helping lower belts through skill practice.

In your community, you should be friendly and considerate of your neighbors such as, helping them rake leaves, pick up the trash can that blew across the road, or simply waving to them as you pass in the car which shows concern and passion to help take care of the people  and neighborhood around you.  It seems like such a simply gesture but a friendly wave to your neighbor or the UPS delivery man means so much to create a pleasant environment to live in.  If you enjoy the walk down the street or the time people take to say “hello” or care about your family vacation or recent illness it can make all the difference in the world.

Achieving Fitness with Taekwondo

Using taekwondo as a training tool can be a great tool for getting your body into shape for peak performance. This allows you to make sure you do what is necessary to get the most from your body. A martial arts training program allows you to work diligently with what you have in order to become the best you can be. Have you ever thought about what you want to achieve?  There are ten training tips that will allow you to use taekwondo in order to reach those goals.

• Routine variances

There are good reasons not to perform the same routines week after week. There are a few reasons it may be a good idea to seriously consider varying any type of exercise routine, no matter what type of routine that might be such as:

• Your body and mind will become accustomed to the same routine
• Your body will no longer be capable of adapting  to the exercise
• You will discontinue growing mentally

To allow your body to enjoy a peak performance use taekwondo to occasionally give your body a jolt by alternating the types of exercises you do.

• Get enough sleep

Like any type of routine, engaging in taekwondo is more successful when the body is well rested. If you get enough sleep your performance will be greatly improved. Proper sleep is also essential if you want to see a good athletic performance.

• Strive for lean and strong muscles

In order to enjoy peak performance in this martial arts skill it is important to be work toward strong and lean muscles. While bulky muscles may work in other types of fitness regimens, taekwondo is not one of them. In fact, bulky muscles are completely useless and will do nothing but slow you down. In order to build strength during the performance of martial arts, it is best to use your own body weight.

• Do not train every day

Your body is not a machine and if you attempt to work it too hard you will experience burn out. As a living thing, your body and mind need time to work and then rest in order to perform at optimum efficiency. You should train in bursts rather than trying to continuously train for months at a time. This will only cause burn out, and it is more than likely you will become frustrated and quit.

• Engage in stretching exercises

Stretching plays an essential role when it comes to peak performance in taekwondo. You will find it very difficult to perform without stretching, and the high kicks will be very difficult to perform. Stretching provides flexibility for your body and helps you maintain good posture. There is reduced chance of injury if your body is flexible.

• Learn to relax

One thing you will learn about taekwondo players is they are always very relaxed. Because of this they have the ability to make very solid and fast movements that also allow their bodies to endure impacts.

• Eat food that is good for you

Those who perform taekwondo need the right fuel, and it’s quite obvious with this type of martial arts performance you live by the saying, “You are what you eat.” It is essential to consume the right portions of quality protein in order to build lean muscle. The best options are fish, chicken, lean red meat and eggs.

Build your energy with complex carbs such as whole wheat bread, oats, brown rice, brown pasta and potatoes. Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day to complete the regiment. Try to avoid sugar though in a competition you might consume an energy drink to get you through the last round.

• Be ready to take on new challenges

Peak performance in taekwondo requires the player to be mentally alert. It’s essential to remember all your patterns in stressful situations and think clearly. In order to accomplish these things you must be physically fit, well-nourished and well-rested. You also want to take on new challenges and push yourself in order to work on more difficult board breaks.

• Have fun!

The most important thing is to have fun. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing you’ll quit. It won’t matter whether you want to continue training; lack of pleasure in what you are doing will eventually cause you to give it up.

CTI Leadership Traits

By Bruce Dean, red belt

It is important for CTI students to be good leaders in our community.  As martial artists there remains a misconception in society about what we do in a dojang and the purpose of our studies.  There remains a belief among some that martial artists study so that they can “beat people up” and that we are inherently violent people.  It is therefore incumbent on us to do whatever we can to dispel such misconceptions, and by being good leaders in our community we can show that such thoughts about us and our sport are not true.

CTI students can be good leaders in our community in many ways.  The most direct is by being good citizens and good examples of civic responsibility.  From the seemingly obvious requirement of obeying the law, to more subtle actions like helping the elderly or impaired with their groceries in the parking lot of Safeway, a CTI student can show leadership by demonstrating that he or she is a good citizen.  One need not necessarily run for community office to be a good leader.  Rather, one of the best ways is to simply “go do the right thing”.  This may include volunteering, or simply acting on something.

Leaders have vision.  They are  able to develop relationships, able to resolve conflicts, good problem solver, good motivator.  Vision is a leader’s concept of what they intend to accomplish and how they plan to get there.  It is their destination, where they intend to go.  Without the destination there is nowhere for anyone to follow the leader to.

Another important aspect is the ability to resolve conflicts.  It's important because as a leader, you have a team. And conflict within a team can destroy it.

Being good at solving problems is important because even though a leader must have a vision of what they intend to accomplish and how to get there, the path is rarely without obstacles.  So, if a leader is not good at solving problems – the obstacles in the path – then the leader will not be able to accomplish his/her vision

Being a good motivator is important because as a true leader, you are leading by example – you are inspiring them to follow, rather than a commander who drives people from behind.  And since you must inspire people to follow a good leader must motivate them to do so.