Students of the Year – 2006:  We are proud to announce the Axe Taekwon-Do Students of the Year are Mrs. Sheerie Schulze and Mr. Randall Hake.  Mrs. Schulze was the student of the month in April and Mr. Hake was the student of the month in June.  We believe that these two students are excellent examples of the finest qualities in TKD, and display the tenets of Taekwon-Do (Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit) at all times.  You can visit their bios:

Mrs. Schulze:  http://axetkd.com/mrs__schulze.htm  

Mr. Hake: http://axetkd.com/randall_h.htm

Mrs. Schulze is always the first to volunteer with any class events and constantly works hard and perfecting her Taekwon-Do technique.  Mr. Hake works extremely hard at learning Taekwon-Do and is always very respectful.  We were proud to present both students with a free dobok!  Congratulations! 

Pre-Testing:  Starting this year we will conduct a pre-testing of all students testing for any black belt rank.  Mr. Bushor will administer the test and students will perform all requirements with the exception of breaking tile or wood and the written test.  We will continue to use the plastic boards for the pre-testing.  This will ensure that students testing for any rank of black belt are ready for promotion.  The pre-test will be one month prior to the actual test and any students not passing this pre-test will be held until the next promotion cycle (3 months).  The first pre-test for 2007 will be Saturday January 27th at 1200.  Mr. Reep will be pre-testing for 2nd degree and Ms. Komyathy, Ms. Nikki Brumbaugh and Ms. Qualls will be pre-testing for 1st degree. 

Mentor/Coach:  Since we have so many teen and youth students rapidly approaching black belt they require more attention than we can offer in class.  We have decided to assign each student a black belt mentor/coach once they are a red belt black stripe.  This will ensure they are ready for testing to black belt and give them more individual attention.  Please see Mr. Todd or Mr. Bushor if you have any questions.  Your student will be informed of their individual assistants.  This will not be a substitute for their training with Mr. Bushor or Mr. Todd, just additional assistance.

USTF Maintenance Fees: The United States Taekwon-Do Federation (USTF) (www.ustf-itf.com) is our national governing body, and requires all students to join the Federation before they can test for 6th Gup / Green Belt.  Current members are required to pay a yearly maintenance fee to the USTF to remain an active member.  All current USTF members must turn in a check to Mr. Bushor by February 24th, 2007.  Please make the check payable to Mr. Bushor or Axe Taekwon-Do in the amount of $25.00.  If you have recently joined the USTF (Oct 06 or later) you will not need to pay the 2007 maintenance fee. Please contact Mr. Bushor if you have any questions.

Testing:  Our next promotion testing will be on Saturday, February 24th in the Small Gym at the Youth Center.  The doors will open at 8:30 am.  We will consider everyone who has trained with us for at least the last 3 months.  The testing list will be posted on our web site during the first or second week of February.  Mr. Reep will be testing for his 2nd Dan, and a number of Black Stripes will be testing for their 1st Dan.  Please contact Mr. Todd or Mr. Bushor if you have any questions. 

Weather:  This time of year in Nebraska the weather can shut down everything on a moments notice.  If the weather causes the base and Youth Center to close, then there will not be a class.  If the base closes there will be announcements on the local radio and TV channels.  If the base closes on short notice, we will attempt to notify everyone by phone and email.  So, unless we let you know in advance, if the base and Youth Center are open on a normal class day we will have a class.  If the weather is bad and the base and Youth Center are not closed, use your best judgment when driving to class.  Safety should be the most important decision you make, if driving is not safe; then don’t come to class.  However, if the class is not canceled and you are not coming to class, then let Mr. Todd or Mr. Bushor know that you will not be there.

Splits Club:  To become a member of the elite Axe TKD Splits Club you must demonstrate the ability to do the splits for Mr. Todd.  If you are successful, he will take your picture and add it to the web site.  You will need to demonstrate the splits every month to remain a member of the club, so start stretching now!

Black Belt Workout:  In March we will start our quarterly black belt classes on a scheduled Saturday.  This will be mandatory for our black belts and only for red belt black stripe and above.  We will announce the date for this event in February.

2007 Events:  (all dates are tentative)

January 27th – Black Belt Pre-Test – 12:00 pm

February 24th – Testing, Small Gym – 8:30 am

March – Black Belt Workout

April – Black Belt Pre-Test – 12:00 pm

April 21st Taekwon-Do Tournament - Kansas City, Missouri

May – Testing, Large Gym – 8:30 am

June - Referee Course – Kirksville, Missouri

June 29th – July 1st – Taekwon-Do Camp – Mexico, Missouri

July 19th-22nd – USTF Nationals Taekwon-Do Tournament – Madison, Wisconsin

July – Black Belt – Pre-Test – 12:00 pm

August – Testing, Large Gym – 8:30 am

August – USTF Instructors Course – Kirksville, Missouri

September – Battle of the Belts Taekwon-Do Tournament – Harrisburg, Missouri

October – Black Belt Pre-Test – 12:00 pm

November – Testing, Large Gym – 8:30 am

December – Holiday Party

Martial Art: (By Ricky J. Todd, 6th degree) 

In an effort to learn and effectively teach new areas of Taekwon-Do and the martial arts I spend a good deal of time reading books, magazines and web sites.  I would like to offer the following information I read from www.tkdtutor.com.  I have added my comments were necessary in italics. 

What is an art, and what is a martial art?

·         Fighting is defined as hand-to-hand combat between two people.

·         Martial fighting is defined as fighting for the purpose of warfare.

·         Art is defined as skills that permit artistic expression.

·         Therefore, a martial art is a system of martial fighting that permits artistic expression and is practiced as a method of self-defense or as a sport.

Not all fighting systems are martial (Judo is purely a sport and has no connection to warfare); not all fighting systems are arts (boxing and wrestling are not considered arts); and not all martial fighting systems are martial arts (Navy Seal and Marines Recon fighting systems are not arts). Therefore, just because something involves fighting, it does not mean it is a martial art, and just because something involves martial fighting, it does not make it a martial art. This would include Ultimate Fighting (UFC) K-1, Extreme, and Pride Fighting.

Just because a person fights or uses martial art techniques, it does not mean that the person using a martial art nor does it mean that the person is a martial artist. Anyone may use a martial art technique and anyone may call what they do a martial art, but that does not make it so.

Fighting systems are primarily intended as combative sports and with the secondary benefit of being useful for self-defense. The primary purpose of a fighting technique is to score with physical contact upon the opponent in same way. In some fighting systems, you may also knockout or incapacitate the opponent or the opponent may surrender. The deadly aspects of the fighting are controlled or eliminated so there is little chance of death or serious injury while fighting. Fighting may cause minor injuries but, after recovery, fighters are usually able to fight again and again. Fighting systems are result oriented; there is no concern for art. For example, in scoring a boxing match, no points are awarded for form or how precise or beautiful the punches were; the only concern is whether the opponent was hit, and how hard he or she was hit. The goal of a fighting system is to win the contest, while staying within the rules. You have perfected a fighting system when you win all or most of your fights, preferably with little damage to yourself.

Martial fighting systems are intended for war. The primary purpose of a martial fighting technique is to kill the enemy; there is no concern for artistic expression, for example, you will not see Force Recon Marines performing patterns. Martial fighting is results oriented, there is little concern for how you kill the enemy, and the primary concern is that the enemy is dead. It martial fighting systems, there is physical contact, but it is kept to the minimum required to kill the enemy. The goal in martial fighting is kill the enemy before he or she kills you. You have perfected a martial fighting system when every enemy you fought is dead. If you have not perfected your martial fighting skills by the time you go to war, you never will perfect them, because you will probably be dead.

Martial arts are primarily intended as a way for a person to follow the ways of a warrior and train in martial fighting, with or without ever becoming an actual warrior or ever having actually to use the fighting techniques in war. In martial arts, the emphasis is on the path, the journey, and the means, not the destination or result. If required, a martial artist will use the martial art for combat, but the martial artist trains for perfection in performance of technique, not for ever having to use the technique in combat. Usually a martial art is only used in demonstrations of martial techniques, such as in a sparring, forms, breaking, or weapons competition. In many martial arts, physical contact is not required; a competitor may score by performing perfect patterns or, in the case of no-contact free-sparring, by performing a perfect technique that could, but does not, touch the opponent. The goal of a martial art is perfection of technique, however, even though a martial artist seeks perfection, he or she believes that perfection in the martial art may never be achieved.

In some martial arts, such as Iaido, Kyudo, or Capoeria, the art or way is the goal; the artistic way a technique is performed is more important than with the results of a technique. For example, in the sport of archery, the primary concern is the results, whether the arrow hit the target, while in the art of Iaido, the primary concern is the means, the process of loading the arrow and raising and pulling the bow is more important the arrow hitting the target. Some fighting systems, such as Krav Maga or Brazilian Jujitsu, are called martial arts but they are concerned with results, not means. You win by the physical defeat of the opponent; there is no concern that any artistic expression be used to achieve the defeat.

What qualifies a martial fighting system as a martial art?

Certainly, a fighting system does become an art simply because the founder or its practitioners call it an art, even though this is many times the case.

When a person performs a pattern, he or she seeks perfection of self through perfection of technique. The performance becomes an art form because emphasis is placed upon its process and its aesthetic excellence, not upon the effectiveness of its techniques. The art comes from the creation of beautiful movements that enhance the physical, mental, and spiritual growth of the practitioner, and allow the practitioner to express his or her feelings through physical action.

In ancient times, martial arts began as fighting methods that served a practical need: protection against those wanting to do you harm. Nowadays, modern weaponry and the rule of law have practically eliminated this need. So, why have the martial arts gained in popularity when they have essentially lost their utility? The reason is that the martial arts have become divorced from their utility; their results have become separated from their means. The means are now more important than the result.

In the martial arts, the precise movement of the body is essential to the proper performance of each technique. This precise movement has becomes more important to the practitioner than the result of the technique; this is especially true in the performance of patterns. In pattern performance, there is no opponent to test one's skill against; the only proof of mastery and excellence is the re-creation of classical movements—and their perfection.

 When a martial artist performs a pattern properly, observers are able to visualize the imaginary opponent and they are attuned to the action of the imaginary fight. They identify with the performer’s movements and the same feelings of a life or death struggle are reproduced in the observers and are satisfied through the beauty of the pattern. Patterns become beautiful because these feelings lead to the suggestion of an end, but the suggestion is never completed. Therefore, the pattern is always subject to improvement. If there was an end, there would no more improvement because the end is complete.

We offer a full martial art in Axe Taekwon-Do.  The techniques we teach can be used in competition or easily in a self-defense situation.  Our goal is to produce technically proficient students who are positive members in society and fully capable of defending themselves.