Rocky Mountain Taekwon-Do
Teresa Green - 2nd Dan USTF
Buena Vista, Colorado USA
Taekwon-Do
Taekwon-Do - Monthly Newsletter
Dojang News
April / May 2007
It’s Official!
Yes, It’s sad but true, Mr. Cowns will be leaving. Various rumors have been circulating as to why and where Mr. Cowns will be going to, so in order to quench those rumors here are the facts:
I have opted to take an immediate transfer with my company to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas. My wife and I have been considering relocating to warmer climate mainly for health reasons. Last year we traveled extensively to find a warmer place where we would like to relocate to. We thought that place would be in New Mexico but we did not find what we thought we would find. Originally, I had planned to remain here until after my daughter graduated and went off to college. While I was on vacation I investigated the possibility of making such a move and found that the door of opportunity was opened and that I would have to make a decision immediately. Upon returning to Buena Vista, I made my decision to take the position which means I would have to leave earlier than originally planned. To those of you who know me personally, you know of my dreams with regard to martial arts. The time is now for me to pursue those dreams and I thank you for your understanding and support.
TaeKwon!
Mr. C
Buena Vista TaeKwon-Do
Classes will continue here in Buena Vista under the guidance of Ms. Green, (pronounced Mizz), who is a Second Degree Black Belt Instructor. However, with the summer coming on and all the outdoor activities available, we understand attendance to classes will be affected. I must stress however, that your continued support will be required to ensure that our group continues. I will be monitoring your progress and returning on a monthly basis when possible to assist with classes and testing, etc. We currently have two Black Belt Instructors and we have three others who are very close to reaching Black Belt Level. With your continued support, within the next couple of years you will have several Instructors and Assistant Instructors helping with classes.
Summer Class Schedule
Classes for the summer schedule will be on Mondays only as follows:
Juniors Class 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Combination Class 5:30-7:00 p.m.
USTF Members
I want to thank all those students who applied for their USTF Membership. The USTF appreciates your support. Your Membership will help them to conduct more tournaments, seminars and events in the following year.
Grand Master Sereff will be retiring this year as President of the USTF. It has not been determined who will be the next President but I hope your will all continue to support the USTF. GM Sereff will continue assisting the organization from the background. Also, Master Winegar will be promoted to Grand Master in June. Many of you know Master Winegar and his dedication to the art of TaeKwon-Do and his position as the Director of Technique for the USTF.
Western Colorado Tournament
Once again, our students performed in an outstanding manner at the Annual Western Colorado Invitational Tournament. We had 11 students who were able to attend. Check out the website for pictures of the event. The thing that was more rewarding than all the Medals or Trophies that were awarded was the quote of the day from Brian Keathley…” I made a friend while sparring”. What a great concept. Getting together with people who share the same passion for martial arts from many different locations and developing relationships with them, often for a lifetime. TaeKwon!
USTF Events
June 23 – Promotion of Master Winegar to Grand Master – Broomfield, CO
June 30 – Tentative Gup/Dan Testing – Buena Vista, CO
July 20-22 – USTF Nationals – Wisconsin
Cowns Black Belt Academy
Cowns Black Belt Academy will continue as usual. Please utilize the website to keep up on what’s happening. You are also invited to contact Mr. Cowns at FreddieCowns@msn.com or his myspace account. I will only be an e-mail away. Keep training hard and keep in touch.
TaeKwon!
Mr. C
March 2007
Memberships Due!
Students who have not paid their 2007 USTF Maintenance Fee must do so by March 30th. In last months newsletter I had put the deadline as March 1 st knowing that we would have some procrastinators. If your membership renewal is not paid by March 30 th there is a $20.00 late charge. The maintenance fee is $30.00 if paid on time. Without current USTF Membership you will be unable to participate in required events. The USTF Testing syllabus has a clear outline of required events required for testing. This does not include new students who are not yet members. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Cowns.
Testing
We will have a combined testing on Thursday, March 29 th at 6:00 p.m. at the Buena Vista Community Center. This testing is for many of the new students who either did not meet the eligibility requirement or who needed additional technical improvements. Mr. Cowns will notify those students on the list.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!
Although in many states “stand your ground” laws have been changed to favor the “would be” victim, here at our school we maintain a more traditional value to avoid theconflict if at all possible. The traditional “castle doctrine” allows you to protect yourself against an intruder in your own home. Where these laws become difficult are in confrontations outside the home. The new laws allow you, if confronted with a clear self-defense situation, to use your martial arts skills as appropriate, without the duty of retreat. However, the law is not defined for less clear situations. As I have mentioned before, even in self-defense, sometimes you may appear to be the “attacker”. With adults, incidents primarily occur, involving an invasion of personal space. If the ego can be kept in check, many of these situations are easily avoided. Hopefully, as you progress through the ranks in the martial arts, character development plays a more important role that physical technique.
For youth however, self-defense is a much less defined territory. Although in class we will discuss many scenarios and how to avoid them, there is always that one “unavoidable” situation. Or was it really? When children are introduced into the school system, they are put through programs of conflict resolution. Many students take these basic skills and put them to heart. Many do not. For whatever reason, whether it be their conditions at home, peer group pressure, etc., many youth get a thrill from bullying and intimidating others. Again, as I have mentioned in class, if this type of situation arises, the student needs to communicate with that person first and let them know what they are doing is unacceptable. Then they need to make the teacher, principle, and parents aware of the situation. The sad fact is, a lot of students don’t come forward because they fear reprisal knowing that the teacher cannot be everywhere all the time. Or worse case scenario, they have communicated to the staff and the school staff does not follow up or even worse, the parents decide that their child has a right to defend themselves and coaches the child to attack at the first opportunity. Remember, TaeKwon-Do is a peaceful art. I have often shared the story of my daughter being attacked when she was nine years old. That incident took place near a public park less than one block from my house. I began teaching martial arts so that children primarily would have a chance to survive just such an incident. I have focused on awareness in public areas such as parks, malls, gatherings, etc.. The harsh reality is schools are moving to the top of that list. The amount of violence has increased greatly in our school systems and not just from the attending students, outsiders as well. If you witnessed the evacuation drills at the beginning of the month it reminds us we are vulnerable anywhere. With all this being said, if you can walk away from a potential confrontation without injury to anything other than your ego, and you fail to do so, you are foolish and a poor martial arts role model! Remember the Tenets and Student oath.
Tenets:
Courtesy
Integrity
Perseverance
Self-Control
Indomitable Spirit
Student Oath: I shall observe the tenets of TaeKwon-Do.
I shall respect my instructor and seniors.
I shall never misuse TaeKwon-Do.
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice.
I shall build a more peaceful world.
TaeKwon!
Mr. C
Mr. Cowns’ Knee Surgery
My surgery went fine and I am still recovering. I appreciate the patience and understanding of my students and their parents. I also appreciate my assistant instructors for their support and help with classes.
April Class Schedule
Mr. Cowns will be taking vacation the first two weeks of April. In my absence Ms. Green and Ms. Stolba will be conducting classes in Buena Vista.
There will be no classes in Salida or Leadville for the first week of April.
USTF Events
March 24 – Maestas’ Team Challenge-Denver
April 14 th- Region 2 Black Belt Workshop- Casper Wyoming
May 5 th – Annual Western Colorado Invitational Tournament ***
Special of the Month: Century Sparring Gear or P2 – Hands and Feet
P2 Sparring Gear
$36.00
Century Sparring Gear
$28.00
February 2007
Take it to a whole new level!
As we approach testing time, I would like all students to consider taking their TaeKwon-Do to another level. I’m not talking about just getting another belt promotion, but about allowing your TaeKwon-Do training to pervade all aspects of your life. Recently a student shared with me an article about philosophy and TaeKwon-Do. It posed an interesting point. Long ago I made a decision to live the “DO” of TaeKwon-Do. The “DO” of TaeKwon-Do, translates “Art” or “Way”. That means it is a way of life not just a martial art. My job as an instructor is to try and teach not just the physical techniques of TaeKwon-Do but to show how TaeKwon-Do can assist students with life skills beyond the physical self. By unifying Body, Mind and Spirit we can become complete martial artists, complete human beings and able to effect a change in the world around us by our example. Let’s briefly touch on the three parts of being human and how we effect a change within ourselves.
Body - Through the physical training in TaeKwon-Do we increase our strength and flexibility as well as challenge our bodies to perform seemingly impossible maneuvers repeatedly attempting perfection. I see many students participating in other sports as well as training at the local gym further challenging their physical bodies. This relates to the Tenet of Self-Control. You must bring the physical body under control in order to improve your self physically. The harder you work the more you will see the results. Others will also.
Mind - Through all your rigorous training you will achieve a level of understanding your self, your body, its’ strengths and weaknesses. There are often times during training when you just want to quit! Breaking through that barrier of quitting and continuing to the finish, represents the Tenet of Perseverance. This is more like bringing the body under subjection of the mind, not just blocking out the stress and pain of the training activity. Also, by educating yourself with regard not only to TaeKwon-Do but a wide variety of subjects your mind becomes stronger. Knowledge is an invaluable part of the unification process. In school, study hard! At home, study hard! Again, you will see the results and so will others.
Spirit - First we must establish the fact that humans are a three part being. Body, Mind and Spirit. Many experts will disagree. They will say that the spirit man refers to something different. Whether you believe in the spiritual side of humans or not, your TaeKwon-Do training will eventually effect a change in your spirit. Whether or not, you acknowledge it. We could ascribe to any number of religions or philosophies and impose them into our TaeKwon-Do training but we would miss one important fact. That fact is that we are all individuals and we all have different spirits. If in the dojang we constantly teach from a religious or particular philosophical genre (Zen, Dao, and Confucius) it might go against spiritual development already attained by many, thereby creating disharmony among the students. Focusing on the unification of mind and body assists us in developing our spirit. The Tenet of Indomitable Spirit is developed. I do highly recommend the study of religion and philosophy. In General Choi’s writings there are many references to religious persons and philosophers, however, I believe that the founder of TaeKwon-Do purposely left it outside the dojang in order to avoid creating another pseudo-religious martial art sect(Shorin-ji kempo, Shaolin, etc). That is not to say they are wrong, simply that it is their choice. When we use meditation in class, it is to calm us from all other activity and to focus us on our training and self-improvement. It is not as some religious groups apply meditation. The world is simply too diverse.
Living according to the Student Oath and daily application of the Tenet of TaeKwon-Do is the simplest way to assist in the unification process. Body, Mind & Spirit. TaeKwon!
Testing – Saturday February 3
Color Belt Testing will be held at the Buena Vista Community Center at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, February 3. Please make sure your applications are filled out completely. Immediately after testing the Limousines from Sweet Shots will pick everyone up for an old fashioned cruise and then take us to Sweet Shots to celebrate.
USTF Membership
Just a reminder to get your USTF Membership renewals in as soon as possible. Deadline is by March 1 st. If you have questions contact Mr. Cowns.
Mr. Cowns’ Knee Surgery
Finally, the date has been set, February 8th! As many of you know I tore my ACL and need to have it repaired. Classes in Buena Vista will continue as Ms. Green will be conducting classes in my absence. There will be no class in Leadville on February 12th. Also, there will be no class in Salida on February 14th.
Upcoming events:
February 3 – Referee Course-Sereff TKD
February 17&18- Instructor Course-Sereff TKD
March 24-Maestas Team Challenge Tournament-Denver
April 14- USTF Region 2 Black Belt Workshop-Casper TKD
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January 2007
Happy New Year!
There are a lot of exciting things happening in 2007. We hope that everyone had a great Holiday Season. This is the time of year we can focus on our training without too many interruptions. If you see anyone who hasn’t been in class for awhile tell them to read this newsletter. They need to know what is happening or they will miss out!
USTF Membership
One of the most important things is your United States TaeKwon-Do Federation Membership. Every year I remind everyone to pay their USTF maintenance fee of $30.00 before March 1 st. If you do not keep your membership current, there is a $20.00 late fee after March 1 st. So it is really important to pay as soon as possible.
Just as we do every year, we give you a chance to get your membership sponsored by Cowns Black Belt Academy. How? Our Annual TaeKwon-Do Ambassador Program.
How do you become a TaeKwon-Do Ambassador? Simple. Ask Mr. Cowns for some free guest passes and invite your friends to attend class. If one person signs up you get $5.00 off your membership, if two people sign up, $10.00 off and if you get three people to sign up for classes your membership will be paid for by CBBA.
Coming Soon…Testing!
The next Gup Testing is tentatively planned for Saturday, February 3 at 9:00 a.m.
We will be covering the requirements from the USTF Testing Syllabus during class over the next couple of weeks. Remember you must also have an 80% class attendance to be eligible. We were not able to get to Sweet Shots for our Christmas Party, so I though we might have a celebration after testing. We will have a limo pick you up at the community center and take you to Sweet Shots for an afternoon of fun. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Mr. Cowns.
Break-a-thon
Mr. Stolba, as part of a community service project will be planning a break-a-thon. What is a break-a-thon? It’s where you get to have fun breaking a lot of boards and raise money for a good cause. More info will be available soon, see you in class.
Master Maestas’ Team Challenge Tournament
Master Maestas’ Team Challenge will be held on March 24. Last year we entered two teams and performed quite well. Start preparing your teams now. We will be conducting classes with emphasis on competition in the next few weeks. More details from Mr. Cowns soon.
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December 2006
Times are a changin’
I know lots of students have had difficulty in coming to class lately. Some want to go to Sweet Shots, some want to hang out at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. No problem. The TASK Class was an after school program that we started to give kids something to do after school when there were no after school programs. I am not here to compete with after school programs I am here to teach Martial Arts to those who want to learn Martial Arts. I am glad kids finally have some fun choices.
Martial Arts training is something you do along with all your daily activities, not instead of doing other activities. A good student will be in class whenever possible. Students who want to test must meet the required number of monthly classes as prescribed by the United States TaeKwon-Do Federation in order to be eligible to test. As of January 1 st the class schedule will be as follows:
Tuesday Juniors Class 5:30-6:30 p.m. Combo Class 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Thursday Kid Tigers 5:00-5:30 p.m.
Juniors Class 5:30-6:30 p.m. Combo Class 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Kid Tigers age 3-5
Juniors age 6-15
Combo Juniors and Adults
Why did you join TaeKwon-Do? Self-defense? Fitness? Self-confidence? All of these things are still here for you and more. See you in class soon!
January – Membership
January is time for our annual membership/membership renewal. Remember, in order to participate in USTF events you must have your 2007 membership card. This includes testing, tournaments and seminars. There are several great events already planned, so don’t miss out.
Just as we have for years past, we will offer discounts on memberships to our TaeKwon-Do Ambassadors. TaeKwon-Do Ambassadors are students who invite friends and relatives to attend TaeKwon-Do class. The Ambassador will receive a $5.00 Discount for each guest that registers for TaeKwon-Do classes. USTF Membership is $35.00 for your first year and $30.00 for renewal each year. Get your Membership Patches and Membership Card now!
Special Seminars
Our classes have had many interruptions over the last few weeks due to the Holidays and elections, etc., so we will schedule a special half-day seminar to cover all their testing requirements for their next level. We will also practice breaking and go over tournament rules.
Also we will have a special sparring class. Students will need to purchase sparring gear (head gear will be provided). See January Newsletter for info…
Upcoming Events:
Gup Testing - February
USTF Class C Instructor Course – February
Maestas Team Challenge Tournament – March
More info in January Newsletter…
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November 2006
Gup Testing
First I want to apologize to all students, parents and guests for the lack of coordination for the use of the Community Center. We had reserved the large carpeted room for our event and were “bumped” once again by the commissioners meeting into the small cafeteria area. However, even in the cramped conditions, students who tested in October did an excellent job! In fact the scoring was very close (within a half of a point) for High Test Score. The High Test Scores for this testing went to: Juniors – Sydney MacManamay and for the Adults – Kalen Ward. Congratulations to all students on your promotion. New techniques, new patterns something to look forward to.
Black Belt Testing – November 9th
You are cordially invited to attend on November 9th at 6:00 p.m. at the Buena Vista Community Center, the Testing for 1st Dan Black Belt of Phil McFall and Ashley Stolba. Finally, after all their years of hard work, they will be attempting to achieve what only three other people in Buena Vista have been able to do….Attain the rank of Black Belt in the United States TaeKwon-Do Federation. Please come and show your support of our future instructors. There will be a short celebration to follow.
“ I Want to Quit!”
Sound familiar? At some point in TaeKwon-Do training everyone at least thinks about quitting. There are several reasons why students decide to quit martial arts training. This holds true for Adults as well as children. Children naturally have a higher quit ratio for various reasons, but let’s take a look at some of the reasons people want to quit.
Sometimes they feel bored or overwhelmed. Sometimes they have unrealistic expectations that they are going to be performing the kind of martial arts they see on television or in the movies as soon as they start training. Another reason is that they look at martial arts training as just another activity easily interchanged with baseball, soccer or dance lessons. For children, sometimes the parent just wants them to stay busy. Other parents want the instructors to perform miracles with their children. I’ve even had parents tell me, “my child has been in your class for a month and he is still not listening to me at home, so I’m taking him out of your class.” Others tell me they are quitting because we do not have a wood floor or matted surface.
Let me just touch on the subject of quitting based on the above reasons. First, boredom or being overwhelmed. If a student is bored it is probably because they have not spent enough time training at home and have not showed their instructor that they are capable of learning new techniques. When I see a student is truly getting an understanding of a basic technique, I try and challenge them with something new. This is also the same reason some students don’t feel like they can “keep up”. They need to practice at home not just twice a week in class. Parents can help by making sure they are doing this. What level of importance does martial art training play in your life. If it’s just another activity to keep busy with, when it’s done, it’s done and students will never reap the benefits that go beyond the physical exercise. My suggestion is reestablish your level of commitment. Set specific goals. Where do you want to go with your martial arts training and what do you expect to gain from the experience? Don’t expect instant miracles, it takes a lot of hard training before you start realizing the rewards of martial art study. A small percentage of parents have allowed their children to give up and never reaped the benefit of their child training but the larger majority of parents who have established a commitment from their child tell me they see a big difference in how their child performs in school, at home and in public with their new found confidence and abilities. If you don’t see the results you are looking for in your child, talk to the instructor to help establish some clear cut objectives, do not blame the instructor, the problem could be closer to home. As far as quitting because of our training facility, I can only say that traditional martial arts training for me has never allowed me a luxurious training facility. I started our training on concrete floors in a Quonset hut in the Marines in the 1970’s. It is my desire to provide the best facility to perform our activity. We are established through the BV Recreation department and they have not been able to provide us with an adequate facility as we had hoped up to this point. Please read the next section and respond. Don’t quit!!! TaeKwon!!
Should We Stay or Should We Go?
As you read the first part of the newsletter you were reminded of how we use whatever space is available to train. We sometimes have to cancel class or work outside because of a lack of facility. We have supported the recreation department well and we had hoped with the incoming of new recreation directors we would be able to negotiate a better facility. Although we have seen great improvement in the community involvement with regard to recreation there has never been the level of support that we see in other communities with regard to positive activities primarily for our youth. Now, after we have struggled for years, they are deciding to allow the Boy’s and Girl’s Club to use those facilities we had hoped for. Before, there was “a conflict between School District and recreation” now school facilities will be opened to other activities but not ours. I believe in the Boy’s and Girl’s Club idea. I believe in a recreation department. But, I also know that we have a valuable program that loses participation mainly because of a lack of facility. When I lose a student is like losing a member of my family. I take a personal interest in a student’s total development and success. TaeKwon-Do is a way of life for me which means 24 hours a day, not just the two or three classes we have together per week. I have had literally hundreds of students through my doors and still keep up with what they are currently doing with their lives. I am privileged to be their instructor. If I am sure I have your support, I will find us a better facility. Please call, e-mail, send me a letter or talk to me at class. Thanks. Mr. C
Christmas Party?
I would like for us to have a Christmas Party and Awards Banquet this year. We need to start planning now. Have you heard of Sweet Shots? Limo Ride, Martial art movies, pizza video games….sound fun? If not, give me your suggestions by November 10th. Thanks for your support. Mr. C