Students of the Month:  The students of the month for January were Ms. Cashdollar and Mrs. Wescott.  The students of the month for February are Ms. Reep and Mrs. MacCaffrey.  We believe these students are an excellent example of the finest qualities in TKD, and display the tenets of Taekwon-Do (Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit). Congratulations!   Please visit the webpage to view their information.

Testing:  The next testing will be held on Saturday, February 16th in the Small gym at the Offutt AFB Youth Center.  There will be around 30 students testing and all Axe Taekwon-Do students are expected to attend.  The testing will begin at 9am and all students testing have been notified.  The Youth Center will be open at 8:00 am and all students testing must be dressed, stretched, and ready to start not later than 8:30 am.  Please have your test fee and form turned into Mr. Bushor by February 14th.  If you cannot attend the testing on the day scheduled we will reschedule on a case-by-case basis.  Please contact Mr. Bushor if you have any questions.

Please remember the Youth Center rules which state that no students, parents or anyone can use or play on any of the gymnastic equipment in the small gym.  The Youth Center staff will remove anyone violating this rule.  Remember the main focus of the testing is for the students.  Mr. Bushor and I do invite parents and family members to watch testing, but request assistance in maintaining a disciplined atmosphere that is appropriate for a Taekwon-Do testing.  To show respect for those testing, please keep any young children off the equipment and quiet during the testing. 

Black Belt workout:  The next black belt workout will be Saturday, February 16th immediately following the promotion testing, so bring your uniforms with you.  There will not be a scheduled general class that day.  All red belt black stripes and above are required to attend.  We will on occasion invite other students to attend.  This is not a form of favoritism because we usually need others for self-defense or partners.

Testing Director & Testing:  The testing director for Axe Taekwon-Do is Mr. Bushor.  Mr. Bushor will prepare the listing of students that are considered for testing every 3 months.  He will create a listing of eligible students based on their attendance and technique.  On average you are expected to attend 2 classes per week with an 80 percent attendance rate.  8 classes per month x 3 months = 24 classes, 80 percent would be attending roughly 20 classes per testing cycle (3 months).  At Axe Taekwon-Do we offer 7 classes per week or 84 classes per testing cycle.  It should not be a problem meeting our attendance requirement.  Obviously the more you attend class the better you will be able to perform.  Attendance is only one item checked prior to promotion consideration, but if you don’t meet the attendance requirement, we don’t look further.  We will soon have a “self check-in” procedure in class for the attendance.  This will pass the responsibility for taking attendance from the instructors to the students (and/or parents) where it belongs.  We expect some growing pains with this new attendance system and will make adjustments as necessary.

After Mr. Bushor compiles his testing list it is passed to Mr. Todd for final approval.    I (Mr. Todd) am charged with ensuring every student is ready to move to the next level.  I am more concerned with character, attitude and etiquette than mere technique.  I will promote someone who is very polite and loyal before I promote an athlete that can perform but is rude or disrespectful.  If you or a parent ever has questions regarding testing or eligibility please contact Mr. Bushor. 

Black belt testing and consideration follows almost the same procedures with several additional considerations.  Again questions will be directed to Mr. Bushor.
 
Upcoming Events:  (all dates are tentative)
February 16th  – Gup testing – Small Gym
February 16th – Black belt workout – Small Gym
April 19th – Master & Black Belt Testing – Large Gym
May 24th – Gup testing – Small Gym

Instructors Course  (By Ricky J. Todd, 6th Degree)
We attended the USTF Class C Instructors course in Kirksville, Missouri on February 2nd & 3rd.  Attending were Mr. Bushor, Ms. Bowing, Ms. Reep, Ms. Jackie Brumbaugh, Ms. Nikki Brumbaugh, Mr. Luke Carter, Mr. Jonathan MacCaffrey, Mr. Tyler Araujo, Mrs. MacCaffrey, Mrs. Ragone and myself.  The course covered 20 hours of material ending with a certification test of 100 questions.  Mr. Bushor and I were in attendance for updating our technique.  We should have the results soon for those testing, any students 1st gup (red belt black stripe & above) can become certified.  We left Bellevue Friday around 3pm and didn’t return until Monday morning at 3am due to the bad weather.  It was a very long weekend and the time outside the course in the hotel was spent studying for the test.  I am hopeful that everyone passes and I think everyone can tell you it was an “eye-opening” experience.  I was proud of our students and they did very well at the course.

The course is taught by Grand Master Winegar, 9th Degree who is the USTF Director of Technique and the only person that teaches the qualification course.  This course covered all aspects of Taekwon-Do from white belt to 1st degree black belt including a heavy emphasis on the aspects of mental knowledge and how to teach students and make you a better student of Taekwon-Do.

I have attended this course 5 times now and have returned each time energized and motivated to teach and train in Taekwon-Do.  It also shows you how much harder you need to work to perfect your techniques and knowledge.  Grand Master Winegar is the closest thing we have to a walking example of the Taekwon-Do encyclopedias and is very impressive to watch.

While most students take massive notes of things they need to adjust, Mr. Bushor and I both took notes on things that require adjustment in Axe Taekwon-Do.  We are an authorized school of the USTF and will abide by all rules regulations.  We don’t teach our “style” of Taekwon-Do but teach the style laid out by the founder of Taekwon-Do, Gen. Choi Hong Hi.  The USTF is the organization tasked with keeping this original style of Taekwon-Do going and we at Axe TKD will do our best to carry on the original style.

You may notice that we make some adjustments to some movements in your patterns, but they will be small and if you train hard you will adjust without problem.  I have personally changed my patterns many times over the years and will continue to make changes that are necessary to reflect the art in the way it was intended.

Grand Master Winegar spoke at length about loyalty.  He stated it isn’t earned and must be demanded.  The student instructor oath for Taekwon-Do does state you must be loyal to your instructor.  I agree that you must be loyal to your instructor and Taekwon-Do, however loyalty is a two way street.  Your instructor (me) must be loyal to Taekwon-Do and to you.  I have not enjoyed the opportunity that Grand Master Winegar and others have enjoyed with having the same instructor during their entire Taekwon-Do career.  Since I was in the Air Force I had a few different instructors.  However I have stayed loyal to whoever was my instructor at the time and to Taekwon-Do.  Currently my instructor as a regional director and 6th degree black belt is Grand Master Sereff, 9th degree, President of the USTF and the highest ranking American in Taekwon-Do.  I am loyal to him, the USTF and Taekwon-Do. 

When you joined class you obviously had no idea of what you were really joining or of the loyalty requirement.  I do expect all students to be loyal me.  Part of the loyalty requirement is that you cannot train with other styles or instructors.  If you want to train with other USTF instructors all you have to do is ask me.  We have students who travel in the military and will call me to see if they can train with us.  The first question I ask them is “who is your instructor” and “did you ask them if you can train with us”.  Also you can’t train in any other style or discipline.   I will clarify this for all.

In the past the USTF’s official policy was you could not take another marital art.  Pressure mounted from some students and it was revised to say you could train elsewhere but you couldn’t accept rank in another style.  We still have some USTF people that violate this rule especially with the rise in the mixed martial arts (MMA) or ground fighting systems.  In the past I never liked my students training in other styles for several reasons.  First it teaches principles of technique and philosophy which are not the same as Taekwon-Do.  Second a student as a limited number of hours per week they can train in Taekwon-Do and to take this time for another style places too much strain on a student.  Finally after 25 years I still have not mastered Taekwon-Do.  How can a student with less time than me have mastered the art?  Taekwon-Do is an art not a sport and it requires the student’s full attention and devotion.  You simply can’t train in other styles.  I am also charged with ensuring that our students don’t misuse the martial arts or injure others.  How can I meet that requirement if they are not training with us?  Students have to ask permission from their instructor (me) prior to teaching any techniques, why would they think they could train elsewhere without the same permission.

To clarify my stance and the policy of Axe Taekwon-Do.  If you want to study the art of Taekwon-Do in our school you must be dedicated and loyal to our teaching.  You can’t take any classes from other organized martial arts.  This includes training in ground fighting or MMA with your friends at their school.  This also includes students trading techniques.  An example would be that I teach my friend a side piercing kick and he teaches me a triangle choke.  Students are not authorized to teach Taekwon-Do outside our (Mr. Todd/Mr. Bushor) direct supervision.  If you are taking classes with other styles or working out with MMA or other styles you must cease immediately.  Mr. Bushor and I will inform prospective students of this requirement and if they really want to learn ground fighting they need to get it out of their system before joining our class.  I have experienced black belts of mine that wanted to take other styles and left Taekwon-Do for that reason.  The USTF stance is sometimes they are let back into Taekwon-Do.  My policy is that it’s a case by case decision.  I would have to look at all the reasons the student left us.  The most common and acceptable is when a color belt student is transferred due to the military where there is no Taekwon-Do and they must train in another style.  That is acceptable.  If they were a black belt they would be expected to start a school, not join another style.