Philo’s Phoenixes

Mueller’s Martial Arts has a beloved mascot name Philo the Phoneix! Mascots are animals, people, or objects meant to represent a team or group of people with significant meaning. Phoenixes are mythological creatures that burn down in the flames of a fire and are reborn from the ashes to new youth and a brand new life. The phoenix is a significant creature in Mueller’s Martial Arts taekwondo school and in the journey that students take both on and off the mat. 

The Journey of Mueller’s Martial Arts:

Mueller’s Martial Arts opened its first school location in Lakewood in 2019. The first year was spent working to make the first few students the best they could be. We grew slowly, adding a few students here and there mostly through word of mouth. We were small but mighty, a family of Martial Artists learning and becoming the best they could be. 

Then 2020 hit. We had high hopes for the year to impact more lives through taekwondo training. But everyone knows what happened in 2020. COVID-19 hit and the world shut down, including all taekwondo studios. Classes were moved online. People lost their jobs and their lives. It was a rough time, and students had a hard time staring at a screen all day for school and then doing it again for karate classes. It lost some of what makes taekwondo amazing- the community, the friendships, and the experience of being together. 

Mueller’s Martial Arts nearly shut down. After losing many students and paying rent for a building that was never used, business was tough. No one was signing up for classes they couldn’t attend. We were burning in the fire of the pandemic with little hope for the future. After what seemed like the end for MMA, as we were laying there in the ashes of our dreams, a light appeared.

Mr. Mueller’s longtime friend and fellow Martial Artist also owned a taekwondo school in Lakewood. The pandemic was brutal on them too and they were also on the verge of shutting down. The two decided to combine forces and bring their schools together. Mueller’s Martial Arts was born again and survived through the pandemic to bring new life to the dojang. That’s what Philo the Phoenix represents for us. 

The Phoneix of Taekwondo:

While MMA’s is certainly a story of redemption, that is also the case with many Martial Artists. Many people join taekwondo because the world has burned them and they want to be reborn into new people with strength and the skills needed for life. The truth is, everyone will go through hardship in their lives, especially people that partake in sports. There will be failures, letdowns, setbacks, and disappointments. It’s in those moments where they get back up and keep fighting. 

Taekwondo teaches perseverance and without it, MMA probably wouldn’t be here today. Without fighting through the flames our World and State Champions wouldn’t be winners, we wouldn’t have any Black Belts, and students wouldn’t show up every single day. The skills that taekwondo teaches are used in everyday life and through all the ups and downs we experience as humans. Like Phoenixes, Martial Artists have to rise from the ashes and keep moving forward.

To learn more about Mueller’s Martial Arts, click here.