Students of the Month:  The student of the month for November is Mr. T.J. Tooley.  We believe he is an excellent example of the finest qualities in TKD, and displays the tenets of Taekwon-Do (Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit). Congratulations!   Please visit the webpage to view his information.

Testing (By Ricky J. Todd, 6th Degree):  We held a large testing on Saturday, November 17th in the Small gym at the Offutt AFB Youth Center.  There were over 40 students testing.  All students did well and I have a few comments.  First the rule at the Youth Center is that no students, parents or anyone can use or play on any of the gymnastic equipment.  It is our responsibility to ensure that no one is on this equipment.  If the testing were held during normal Youth Center hours the staff will remove anyone violating this rule.  It is a safety issue and we request everyone’s attention to ensure this doesn’t occur in the future at any Taekwon-Do event. 

Second, I received several complaints about the noise and distraction caused by the spectators (mainly children).  Mr. Bushor and I were concentrating on grading the students, but it was noticeable.  Remember that the main focus of the testing is for the students.  They are nervous enough, without adding any distractions or extra noise.  Mr. Bushor and I do want to invite parents and family members to watch testing and any Taekwon-Do events, but we do request assistance in maintaining a disciplined atmosphere that is appropriate for a Taekwon-Do testing.  We don’t expect people outside of Taekwon-Do to have the level of self-discipline that our students are working on achieving but we do request your assistance in the future at our events.  Please talk with me if you have any questions.

Black Belt Workouts (By Ricky J. Todd, 6th Degree):  We held a black belt workout on Saturday, November 24th.  I will try to hold one of these workouts each month.  I need to spend more training time developing the black belts. All black stripes and above are expected to attend these training sessions.  The next workout will be Saturday, December 15th from 12-2pm.

Holiday Party:  You should have received an email recently announcing the Axe Taekwon-Do Holiday Party on Thursday, December 20th at 6pm.  For further information please contact one of our coordinators, Mrs. Carter at carteramy@cox.net or Mrs. Finan at cfinan3@cox.net.  This event will be potluck and we look forward to all students and their families attending. 

Assistant Instructor Schedule:  The following individuals are tasked to attend the 5:30-6:30 class and assist teaching.  If you cannot attend the scheduled class, it is your responsibility to find a replacement.  November 27 - Mr. Finan, November 29 – Mr. Reep, December 4th – Ms. Reep, December 6th – Ms. Fuller, December 11th – Ms. Brumbaugh, J., December 13th – Ms. Brumbaugh, N., December 18 – Mr. Carter, December 20th – No Class, Holiday Party, December 24-Jan 1 – Axe Taekwon-Do Closed, January 3 – Mr. MacCaffrey.  

Attendance (By Ricky J. Todd, 6th Degree):  As we enter the holiday season we understand that some of our students will be leaving for extended vacations.  We do encourage you to attend as many classes as possible and try and practice your patterns several times per week.  The rule for Axe Taekwon-Do students is that you are required to notify Mr. Bushor or me if you are going to miss class for any reason.  This is a simple form of etiquette and we will be enforcing this more strictly over the next year.  You can notify us by telephone, email or calling the Youth Center.  We would prefer the following:  email: Mr. Bushor at kbushor@cox.net or Mr. Todd at ustfneb@cox.net.  You can also call us at Mr. Bushor, cell: 321-7545, home: 291-4013 or Mr. Todd, cell: 650-4399 or home: 293-2610.  As a last resort you can leave a message the Youth Center at 294-5152.

Upcoming Events:  (all dates are tentative)
December 15th – Black Belt workout
December 20th  – Holiday Party
February 2nd-3rd – USTF Instructors Course – Kirksville, Missouri
April 19th – Master & Black Belt Testing – Large Gym

Indomitable Spirit  (By Patrick J. Finan, 2nd degree)

The last tenant of Taekwon-Do is indomitable spirit, which is believing in yourself and your abilities against overwhelming odds.  The best example I can think of for this occurred at this year’s Battle of the Belts.  Let me set the stage for you…

About a month before the Battle of the Belts, we had a testing, and Mr. Luke Carter earned his Black Belt, a very proud moment for the Carter Family.  Now just five weeks later, Axe Taekwon-Do arrives for the tournament.  As the competitors start arriving, Mr. Carter gets a little apprehensive as there are no other Black Belts his age.  He, like most of us, is a little nervous about sparring new people.  I know I always get jitters before I compete, just because of the unknown; wondering who is there and what type of fighter they are. 

Mr. Carter is still very excited about competing…his first tournament as a Black Belt.  When it is finally time to break up into the fighting brackets, Mr. Carter, who just turned 11 that day was put into a bracket with a 13 year old and two 16 year olds.  All three of them were at least a head taller than he was.  He stepped up to the challenge and agreed to compete.  This was the Junior Men’s bracket. 

The first match was between the two 16 year old Black Belts.  It was an impressive match.  Both competitors went at it with a fury.  Once the match was over Mr. Carter was called into the ring.  It was now his turn.  As the match began, he started out a little timid, but then he began to dish out just as much as the other competitor was.  He stood his ground and did not back down. 

As the match went on there were opportunities for him to “throw in the towel,” but he pressed on and finished the match.  It was a close match, and even though his score did not win the match, his courage and Indomitable Spirit to step in the ring when he was out-sized by so much made him the biggest winner at the tournament.  He believed in himself enough to face this challenge head on.  My hat is off to Mr. Luke Carter for showing what Indomitable Spirit is all about.