Promotion Testing September 3rd, 5:30pm

Due to scheduling we have testing scheduled for Thursday, September 3rd which is a scheduled class night.  The length of the testing will depend on how many are testing.  We will have students testing for IV Dan, II Dan, and I Dan, as well as color belts.  We are evaluating all the students and passing out testing forms to those ready to test.  You must know all your new requirements and be able to demonstrate them without assistance, you must be actively training (a minimum of 7 classes per month), your tuition must be current, and you must demonstrate the correct attitude.  If you not able to meet all of these requirements then you are not ready, and will not be asked to test.  Keep training hard and you will get there.

2015 USTF Nationals / International Tournament

Axe Taekwon-Do was well represented at the 2015 USTF Nationals / International Tournament at Brandeis University just outside of Boston Massachusetts the weekend of July 25^th and 26^th.  There was some great competition, camaraderie, fun times, and new friends made over this week of Taekwon-Do.  One of the highlights of the weekend was Senior Grand Master C.E. (Chuck) Sereff promoted Senior Master Louis Reyes to Grand Master.  There were about 160 Color Belt and Black Belt competitors from as far away as Australia, Jamaica, and Canada; as well as USTF and ITF competitors from across the United States.  All of our 16 competitors did well in their respective groups which were broken down by rank, age, and weight (for sparring and breaking). 

Medals

Ms. Bowing, 5^th dan: Patterns – Bronze; Sparring – Bronze; Technique Breaking – Bronze & Individual Breaking – Bronze

Mr. Bushor, J., 3^rd dan: Patterns – Bronze; Sparring – Silver; Individual Breaking – Bronze

Mrs. Ragone, 3^rd dan: Patterns – Silver; Sparring – Gold; Individual Breaking – Gold

Mr. Toppi, 3^rd dan: Patterns – Silver; Sparring – Silver

Mr. Ragone, D., 2^nd dan: Sparring – Bronze

Mr. Ragone, G., 2^nd dan: Patterns – Bronze; Sparring – Gold

Ms. Ragone, 2^nd dan: Patterns – Silver; Sparring – Bronze

Ms. Chamberlin, 1^st dan:  awesome competitor, no medals this time

Mr. Ostrander, 1^st dan: Patterns – Silver; Sparring – Silver

Mrs. Chamberlin, Blue Belt Red Stripe: Patterns – Bronze; Sparring – Bronze

Mr. Chamberlin, Blue Belt: Patterns – Bronze; Sparring – Bronze

Ms. Swann, Green Belt Blue Stripe: Patterns – Gold; Sparring - Silver

The tournament started with the competitors lining up by state and country, the National Anthem being sung, and Senior Grand Master Sereff welcoming the competitors, other Grand Masters, Senior Masters, and Masters from around the world in attendance.  Saturday morning consisted of Color Belt patterns and sparring competition and Saturday afternoon completed with Black Belt patterns and sparring.  We got to see some “World Class” competitors in both patterns and sparring and our class and the USTF were amongst the best of the best.  Sunday was devoted to Team Breaking, Specialty Breaking, and Individual Power Breaking.  Again, Axe Taekwon-Do and the USTF were well represented when the medals were presented.  Sunday afternoon and evening were devoted to sightseeing, team building, and international camaraderie!  A GREAT time was had by all and it will be remembered by everyone who attended for years to come.  The next National/International event will be held in Denver, Colorado in 2017.

5th Annual Axe TKD Bike Ride/Walk:

On Saturday, August 8th, starting at 10:00 a.m. we will have our 5th Annual Bike Ride/Walk, if you don’t have a bike or prefer to walk you are still invited to attend.  This is for ALL students and families.  We will start and end at the trail head near Haworth Park off of 370 near the Bellevue Toll Bridge.  We will ride south along the trail about 5 miles to the turnaround point (near Harlan Lewis Road).  There will be drinks, fruit, and some food at the half way/turn around point.  Everyone including your family members are invited to ride or walk.   It was a great time last year and should be again this year.  We will talk about moving it to a different day if the weather is too bad (rain, temperature, etc.). 

Testing:  (By Sr. Master Todd)  Reprint from a previous newsletter:  Do you know what it takes to be prepared for testing?  We have published many articles on this but as a quick recap.  You must attend 85% of classes.  Typically you could miss 2 classes per month.  This shouldn’t be a problem for anyone since we offer 6 classes per WEEK.  Some students with active schedules that tell me they have swim, soccer, baseball, football, dance, etc.  Be prepared to not be considered for testing if you don’t have your classes in, this includes black belts that may be waiting on age requirements. 

You can’t wait until you are of age and then start training again for black belt promotion.  If you take off more than 3 months you will be considered inactive and will be required to train for 1 year before being considered promotion eligible.  Anyway, class attendance is the first step.  Do you know all your required material?  We cover all required material every week; however some students that only attend one class per night could miss out on something.  Example you attend the second class and we cover patterns and kicking and then you leave.  During the third class we cover step sparring and self-defense.  With my rotational chart of teaching you may be in for a wait to get all your subject matter covered.  ALL students can attend more than the minimum of 2 classes per week.  An easy way for me to say this is, if you put in the minimum attendance it may take you the maximum time to be ready to test.  However if you attend 2-3 classes per night and end up at the end of the month with 20 hours training you still won’t test any faster than the time requirements.  Your goal is and should be to become the best you can, not earn belt ranking fast.  Typically it will take you 3 months per color belt level up until you are a red belt black stripe.  At red belt black stripe the wait is 6 months.  These time frames ensure you learn everything thoroughly, not just learn it so you can pass a test. 

All testing requirements are clearly outlined in the USTF Gup Testing Requirement Book which can be purchased from Mr. Bushor.  Students are tested on hand techniques, kicking to included standing, flying multiple and consecutive, patterns, step sparring, self-defense, breaking and a written or oral test on Taekwon-Do knowledge.

Testing for black belt a rank requires even more stringent standards which are outlined in the USTF Black Belt Testing Requirement Book which can be purchased from Mr. Bushor.  There are numerous requirements for each black belt level and I would suggest this book for all black belts.  We have other books for purchase also:

-USTF Patterns Book, lists all movements of every pattern.  Students can use this book to supplement their training and for research at home.  This book would be a mandatory book for black belts or for any student to become better at their patterns.  Parents can use the book to help younger students remember their patterns moves in the correct sequence.

-USTF Step Sparring Book, lists all formats for step sparring.  This is probably the most one book that isn’t purchased much but should be, especially by the black belts.  It clearly outlines all formats of step sparring within Taekwon-Do.

-USTF Tournament Rules and Regulations Book, a comprehensive guide for tournament rules and regulations.  This book is provided during the initial USTF Referee Course or any upgrade attempt. 

All USTF books are $15.00 each.  They can be purchased at any time.  My recommendation would be to purchase the USTF Gup Testing Requirement Book and USTF Patterns Book as soon as possible during your training.  

2016 World Camp:

The contract has been signed with the YMCA of the Rockies for the 2016 Sereff World Camp! Mark your calendar for July10th thru 15th.  Arrival will be 3:00pm, first meal dinner, and leaving on July15th after breakfast. There are only 105 slots so let Senior Master Todd know if you are interested in attending.  We expect registration paperwork to be made available by the end of summer! Plan to spend a week in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with your USTF brothers and sisters!  We had a great showing at the 2014 World Camp and expect to have a great showing from Axe Taekwon-Do again.

Sparring Gear:

You will need sparring gear to spar in class or at any of the tournaments we will be attending. Everyone is required to wear head gear, hand gear, foot gear, and a mouth piece; additionally all male competitors must wear a protective cup.  Shin pads and arm pads are allowed and are encouraged but are not mandatory.  If you would like to order a set of sparring gear (head gear, gloves, and boots) for your very own, please let Mr. Bushor know as soon as possible.  The cost is $69 for the entire set of sparring gear.  There is an assortment of colors and sizes.  You can purchase a mouth guard and protective cup at any major sporting goods store or at Walmart.

Newsletters:

We encourage any student or parent to submit articles for inclusion in the newsletter. Especially with all of the upcoming events, it would be nice to see what all of you liked. We will review all and if appropriate publish them. There are many new students that may want to hear what they can look forward to in class and at tournaments! Students of any age/ rank can type up their story and submit it, or parents that would like to send one or more in. They will be reviewed by Senior Master Todd before it is/is not put into the AXE TKD Newsletter. 

USTF Tournament Information – Sr. Master Todd  (Recently I sent home flyers and a cover letter, please annotate which tournaments you can attend and return to me in class)

This information is subject to change as the events get closer, but I am providing it to you so that you can begin marking your calendar!  I understand that students and families may not be able to attend all events, but remember that ALL students are required to attend at least one tournament per year.   We only participate in USTF sanctioned events which follow all safety guidelines and tournament rules to ensure the safety and fairness for all competitors.  Parents can travel with us or we can chaperone students to any of these.  As each tournament approaches, we will compile a list of anyone wanting to attend so we can plan rooms/rides.  As always, if you have any questions about these events please email me.

Sept 19- USTF Tournament Casper, Wyoming:  16^th Annual Wyoming Invitational Tournament.  For this tournament we will leave Bellevue on Friday and return Sunday.  There is a pre-registration discount if you register by September 11^th, 2015.  Flyer located:  http://www.axetkd.com/PDF/Wyoming2015.pdf

Sept 26- USTF Tournament  Kirksville, Missouri:  For this tournament we will leave Bellevue early Saturday morning and return Sunday.  Some students go down and back the same day, but makes for a long day.  Flyer located:  http://www.axetkd.com/PDF/2015Kirksville.pdf

Oct 18 - USTF Tournament Broomfield, Colorado:  This tournament is on a Sunday so we will leave Bellevue Saturday morning and return Monday.  Flyer coming soon.

If you can only attend ONE of these tournaments, the biggest is the tournament in Colorado, closest is Missouri and best road trip is Wyoming!  All have their individual reasons I would pick a favorite.  If you are limited to choosing one I would attend a different one each year.