2010 USTF Maintenance Fees  It is time to renew your USTF memberships.  For all current members (Green Stripes and above are required to be members) that received a USTF Membership card last year, your 2010 USTF Maintenance Fee is $50.00.  The USTF is offering a family discount again this year:  $50.00 for the first student, $35.00 for the second, $25.00 for the third, and all other family members are FREE.  The fees are due to the USTF Headquarters by the end of March, so we are establishing February 25th as the cutoff date so all the appropriate paperwork can be completed and turned in on time.  Make your checks payable to AXE TKD.  Mr. Bushor will send one check for all memberships.

As mentioned earlier, all students Green Stripes and above must join the USTF to be able to test or participate in any USTF sponsored event (tournaments, instructor / referee / ho-sin-sul courses, etc.).  All students Green Stripes and above that are not currently members must join immediately.  The cost is $50.00 per student.  Sorry, there are no family discounts for new memberships.  If you are joining for the first time, you do not have to pay the maintenance fee until next January.

Please talk to Master Todd, Mr. Bushor, or Miss Bowing if you have any question about either the USTF Maintenance Fee or joining the USTF for the first time.

Notes from the USTF: 
To:       USTF Officials and Instructors
From:  USTF Headquarters
Re:       USTF Membership/Maintenance

We want to thank you for renewing your USTF Membership via the Maintenance fees 2010.  All events within the USTF will require this card to be presented including USTF Tournaments, Seminars, Workshops and Camps.  We are proud to have Grand Master Charles Sereff and Grand Master Mike Winegar still teaching throughout the USA!  Their teaching and training by example is what Taekwon Do is meant to be! 

Black Belt Class:  The next scheduled Black Belt Class is Saturday, April 3rd starting at noon.  All Black Belts and Black Stripes are required to attend and must talk to Master Todd if you will not be there.
                                                     
Schedule 2010:
Feb 27th thru 28th – USTF Class B Instructor Course – Kirksville, MO (Two full days 8-7)
Apr 3rd – Black Belt Pre-Test
Apr 10th – USTF Referee Course – Kirksville, MO
Apr 16th – Promotion Testing
Apr 17th and 18th – USTF Class B Instructor Course – Broomfield, CO (Two full days 8-7)
May 1st – Black Belt Testing – Kirksville, MO (Master Stevenson promotion to 8th Dan Senior Master Instructor)
Jun 5th – 3rd Annual Axe TKD Tournament
Jun 13th thru 18th – USTF World Camp – Snow Mountain Ranch, CO (see Mr. Bushor for info)
Jul – Black Belt Pre-Test (date TBD)
Jul – Promotion Testing (date TBD)
Jul 30th – Aug 1st – Region 6 Summer Camp, Mexico, MO
Sep 11th – Battle of the Belts – Missouri
Oct – Black Belt Pre-Test (date TBD)
Oct – Testing (date TBD)
Oct 16th – Basic HSS – Kirksville, MO
Oct – GM Sereff Tournament – Denver, CO (dates TBD)

Tournament:  We will be hosting our 3rd Annual tournament on June 5th at the Youth Center.  We have received information from students in Missouri, Kansas and Colorado that will be attending our tournament, but for our tournament to be a success we must have full participation from our school.  This is a USTF sanctioned tournament which for you means that it will meet your requirement for participating in a USTF tournament.  While we encourage all students to attend, this is a requirement for black belts.  You must participate in one tournament per year as a black belt. 

Testing:  Congratulations on all students who were recently promoted.  As with every testing, we have some things to fix, and the Instructors will be concentrating on areas that we need all students to improve.  Testing is a privilege that every student needs to earn.  Not only do you need to show your instructors you have mastered your new patterns, hand and foot techniques, Ho-Sin-Sul, Step Sparring, and breaking; you also need to demonstrate all the Tenants of Taekwon-Do ALL the time.  You also need to be a current and active student in our class.  That means that all of your monthly tuition is paid, you are a current member of the USTF (Green Belts and above), and you are attending a minimum of 7 classes each and every month for at least 3 months (more for Black Stripes and above) prior to the upcoming testing.  If and only IF you can successfully demonstrate all these things will you be allowed to test.

Teaching:  Remember only black belts that have attended the USTF instructor’s course are allowed to assist teaching under the direction of Master Todd, Mr. Bushor, or Ms. Bowing.  If a qualified assistant instructor wants to teach outside class they must be granted permission by us.  This requirement is to ensure we maintain the highest quality instruction at all times.  Remember it’s not appropriate to be teaching your friends outside of class.  If you have questions please ask.

Promotions:  By Master Todd
You will notice that we are trying to recruit new students into the class.  While I am primarily focused on training the black belt and Mr. Bushor focuses on the color belts. I am charged with all promotions and ensuring we are promoting the true values of Taekwon-Do.  There may come a time when we inform a student they are not ready to test.  This can occur for a variety of reasons.  This occurred during my career when I was a blue belt red stripe.  My instructor at that time was very strict and had come from a strict style of martial arts.  He decided that I and others in the class would not promote until he felt we were serious and better trained.  After 9 months of 3 days a week 2 hours each class I tested for red belt.  This was a long 9 months and I learned more about self defense, sparring and just hard training than I had ever or have since. 

I look back at my delayed promotion as a great investment.  You should ask yourself do I deserve to be considered for promotion, most honest students feel they need to train harder.  What you can’t do is compare yourself at green, blue or red belt to the black belts.  That is an unfair comparison.  Black belts can’t compare themselves to colored belts or to Mr. Bushor or me.  You need to look at yourself compared to others of your rank.  The best way to do this is to travel.  Attend tournaments, camp and seminars.  I guarantee you that you will come back to our school and understand how really well prepared and trained that you are compared to others.  You may not win every tournament but you will be well prepared.  Another thing we don’t want is for you to decide by yourself that you are not ready to be promoted.  If you know testing is coming soon and you feel like you are not ready you can discuss with Ms. Bowing.  If Mr. Bushor tells you that you are ready, then “yes sir” is the appropriate answer.  Mr. Bushor will not recommend to me any student for promotion unless he feels they are ready. 

I would suggest to you that it doesn’t really matter what your belt rank is now or ever.  What matters is can you defend yourself and can you perform Taekwon-Do as it is intended.  My challenge to you is the same as always, train hard, and understand to the best of your ability all the requirements for your rank and those below you.  If you ever have questions, ask away.