The origin of Taekwondo can be traced back to the Hwa Rang, also known as the Flower Knights. They were an elite group of male warriors in Silla, an ancient Kingdom along the Korean Peninsula. It is believed that the Hwa Rang united the three kingdoms of Korea by the most famous Hwa Rang soldier, General Yoo Shin Kim.  The Hwa Rang were young warriors taught to serve the king. They were trained in combat, leadership, civility, as well as in the arts. Trained by Buddishst Monks, the foundation of their skills was rooted deep in spirituality and were given five laws to follow. In the National Martial Arts Alliance we know it as the Hwa Rang Code of Chivalry.   In their early teens, the Hwa Rang became generals and were in charge of 1000 to 5000 soldiers. While most of the time they were outnumbered against their enemies, the...Read more

With Blackbelt testing approaching very quickly, a lot of students are considering what their journey looks like after they achieve that goal. Unfortunately, some students may choose to stop training after they have gotten their belt. We are here to tell them that all taekwondo ranks, including blackbelt, have an expiration date. They expire the day you stop training and learning.  While you will still hold the rank of “blackbelt”, does it really have any meaning if you never use it? Just like anything else, if you don’t use it you lose it. When you stop training you will very quickly lose the skills you spent years building up. Why dedicate yourself to something if you are just going to lose all of it once a single moment is over? Becoming a first degree Blackbelt is just a step on the journey. Once you get that belt a whole new...Read more

Among the fitness community, there is a great deal of debate over when the best time to workout is, and what is the best type of workout to do. Some people say in the mornings to get your day started right. Others say in the afternoon, to break up your day and night. Some people even say at night, to finish your day off strong. Then of course the debate continues whether weight lifting, cardio, or yoga type workouts are the best. We may be a little biased, but we truly believe that taekwondo is the best workout for you and your child! We’ve given several reasons below: Afternoon/early evening workouts:  After getting off work or school, many people head home to watch TV or play video games. They end up sitting on the couch snacking and being lazy for the rest of the day. By heading to taekwondo training,...Read more

Many students participate in taekwondo and just come to classes. Attending classes regularly gives students many benefits including learning life skills, physical fitness, and community. However, a huge piece of the puzzle is missing- tournaments. Competing in tournaments is the next level of Martial Arts training, and something in which we recommend every student partakes.  You wouldn’t go to baseball or soccer practice and never play in a game, right? The same goes for Martial Arts. Tournaments give students the opportunity to use the skills that they have been practicing. They get to show off what they know and get the chance to win a medal and a title. It’s empowering to see your hard work pay off and get a real reward for your efforts.  On the flip side, it can show them what they need to work on. When training with the same people on a daily basis,...Read more

From Thanksgiving through the New Year, time flies. Everyone is celebrating holidays and spending time with the ones they love. Normal life tends to fall by the wayside, and the things you have been working on all year tend to fall off your radar. We aren’t saying it’s a bad thing, in fact, it’s the opposite. It’s time to refresh and refocus.  Vacation time is supposed to leave you feeling refreshed after a much needed break. Unfortunately for many people, it tends to have the exact opposite effect. Some people feel dread in getting back to their normal lives and feel like they are in a funk. That’s also completely normal and understood! Life comes with many expectations and burdens. Did you know that taekwondo can help you overcome the post-vacation blues? Setting goals: New Year’s resolutions are extremely popular, but it’s important to set goals that you feel excited...Read more