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The first step towards becoming a Black Belt begins with being a white belt. Some may argue that it is the hardest step. It requires you to step outside of your comfort zone and commit to something new. A long, difficult journey lies ahead. But when you start you show an act of bravery to dedicate to being part of a rare group of people that get to call themselves Black Belts.

The hardest part is starting. Whether you saw an ad online or broke a board at an event, you had the thought that you or your family member might like to try Martial Arts. It was a great decision! People come to train because they want to become more confident, focus better, get in good shape, self defense, or even to be like someone in the Karate Kid or Cobra Kai! The good news is that training helps with all of those things.

As a white belt, you start to learn the basics of taekwondo. You are introduced to the life skills we teach in class- integrity, focus, discipline, respect, attitude, goals, confidence, and perseverance. White belts are also shown the basics of punching, kicking, and self-defense/ stranger danger protection. They have two months before they are tested on what they learned, which is an important step in the process.

It can be scary and intimidating when you first step out on the floor and are brand new, especially if you are the only new student there! But the best things in life come when we face our fears and try something we’ve never done before. It’s important to remember that every single student started as a white belt, no matter if they are a master, world champion, or instructor. Everyone has to start somewhere!

If you can overcome the fear and discomfort that comes with trying something new, you will realize the amazing benefits that come from Martial Arts training. Not only will you become physically stronger, you will become mentally stronger too. It helps you grow into the best version of yourself every time you step on the floor. Will it be easy? No! Will it be worth it? Absolutely!

At Mueller’s Martial Arts, we welcome all new students ages four and up. Right now we are running a special promotion, 4 weeks free and a free uniform. Come try a class today and see how taekwondo can benefit you and your child!

We try and fail. Then we try again and fail. What do we do when we keep failing? We try again. The only way you are a true failure is if you give up. At Mueller’s Martial Arts, we teach our students to fail forward- to use their failures to keep moving forward until they succeed in any goal they are trying to reach.

Life is full of failures. As a kid, you might fail a test in school. Or you might lose a friend. You might fall down and break a bone. Just because you fail is not a reason to give up. Failure might be a redirection, or it might be a chance for you to decide how badly you really want something. How hard are you willing to work for it? Can you do something different so that next time you try you succeed?

As with life, taekwondo is no different. There are always plenty of opportunities to fail. You might lose a competition, or fail a belt testing. You might try to learn a new move and fail at learning it over and over again. The only true failure is if you give up. If you fail a competition, you might need to work harder to win. You might need to train more, hone in on more details. You might just need to try again. The same concept applies if you fail belt testing. If you try to learn a new skill and can’t get the hang of it, you have to keep trying until you do get it. We promise, if you keep trying, someday it will come to you and you will never lose it.

Martial Arts training teaches us to use our failures to never give up and succeed in life. No one is ever perfect on their first try. World Champions and Olympic Athletes didn’t step onto the mat one day and become the best. They put in countless hours of work and dedication and never gave up when things got hard. Did they fail? Of course they did. They just used that failure to motivate them to become better.

Life is hard and so is taekwondo. The better you become, the harder it gets. The same is true with life. We are always leveling up. Life always pushes us to become the best versions of ourselves. So no matter what failure you are going through right now, whether that’s a new year in school that is the most difficult yet, a hard breakup, a new career, or even moving up into a new ring in taekwondo- take those failures and keep a moving forward If you don’t give up, if you don’t quit, you will someday succeed.

Mueller’s Martial Arts will always support you during your failures. We specialize in helping you overcome them for something better than you could have ever expected. To learn more about our program, click here.

Nationals is this week! The National Martial Arts Alliance will be hosting the half week long experience in Kansas City. Students from all over the country and even the world will come together to compete. It’s not only an amazing experience for students, but also for their entire family.

Nationals begins on Thursday with School Owner and Nxt Level Staff training. Junior instructors get the opportunity to become leaders in their schools and in the organization with a training hosted by Chief Master Horn. They set out to help their schools become the best they can be and also help other students improve in their taekwondo journey. It’s been said that the best way to improve as a Martial Artist is to teach others, this is the chance to be set along that path.

Day two on Friday begins with high rank testing. Black belts and high ranks can test for their new belts on this day. After that is the coaching certification clinic. This is the chance for parents to become coaching certified so that they can coach their children during competition. In the afternoon, competition begins with team sparring and elevated and inventive competitions.

Saturday is the final day of the tournament with regular competition. All ranks and ages compete to become National champ. This is no normal tournament however, points are worth double that of regular tournaments. That means if your goal is to become State or World champion (which it should be), you get double points towards qualifying at Nationals.

The best part of Nationals however, is the experience. Students from Mueller’s Martial Arts travel together for the amazing experience. They spend time together outside of the dojang and regular life, and get to take a fun and exciting trip together. We have a team dinner and many chances to just have a great time. As a super special experience, the tournament is being held right across from Legoland this year! That means that families can head right over to Legoland on their time off and get to enjoy the awesome place.

Nationals is such a fun and rewarding experience. We are so excited that we have double the amount of students attending this year! It’s a great chance for students and parents to bond and hang out, as well as earning double points. You don’t want to miss this awesome time!

In the gym, the weight doesn’t get easier to lift, you get stronger. In life, challenges don’t get easier to handle, you become better equipped to handle them. In Martial Arts, training doesn’t ever get easier, your belt just keeps getting darker until you’re a Black Belt and beyond. Taekwondo training is the best of both worlds, training your body to become stronger and helping you navigate through the challenges in life.

Physical Strength:

Martial Arts training helps develop your physical strength. Every class involves endurance training which improves cardiovascular health- essentially making your lungs and heart stronger. It uses bodyweight training, and sometimes even actually weights, to strengthen your muscles. By working on balance consistently, core muscles are activated which tightens and improves posture, balance, and coordination. Lastly, taekwondo obviously improves flexibility. By taking time to stretch every class and practicing various kicks constantly, flexibility is greatly improved. If we don’t bend, we break. Flexibility is key to aging healthily.

Mental Strength:

As with life, Martial Arts training is difficult. There are many times where someone learns something much faster than you do and you can become frustrated. Or you compete and lose, or test for a new belt and fail. A Black Belt attitude is one of a person that never quits, which builds mental resilience to get through life’s challenges. In addition, taekwondo forces your brain to work with your body to learn new things- also called neuroplasticity. By pushing your mind to do something out of its comfort zone and learning difficult things, it becomes stronger. It is also to learn and adapt more quickly to all challenges we have to face.

Emotional Strength:

When you train in Martial Arts, you are never alone. There will always be someone there to pick you up and help you through anything that you are facing. Whether that’s the instructors, your fellow students, your parents, other student’s parents, or anyone that’s part of the taekwondo world, someone will always have your back. You become emotionally stronger because you know that you are supported no matter what and are capable of getting through hard things.

Becoming Stronger for Life:

Each time we step foot in a dojang and push ourselves to become the best versions of ourselves, we become a little bit stronger every single day. If we take the life skills learned in class- integrity, focus, discipline, respect, attitude, goals, perseverance, and confidence- and apply them to our daily lives, we can get through anything. Each time we are faced with a challenge on the mat and overcome it, we know that we can face challenges in life head on with grit and determination. Will we fail sometimes? Sure. But with a Black Belt attitude and training we know to never give up.

At Mueller’s Martial Arts, we know that things don’t get easier, you get stronger. We teach our students how to get stronger every single class and use that strength to overcome life’s challenges. To learn more about our program, click here.

At Mueller’s Martial Arts, family is everything to us. When you step into our taekwondo school and sign up for classes, you become part of a big family. Our job is not only to care for and support you, but to make sure you are on the path to give you your best life. We always take care of our family, and will do everything in our power to make sure you get the best experience at our school.

Instructors:

Our school is led by qualified instructors who have dedicated years to taekwondo training. Our fearless leader Mr. Mueller, the owner of Mueller’s Martial Arts, pours his heart and soul into making our program the best in the Lakewood area. We train our instructors to work in a group setting but make students feel like they are getting an individual experience. They treat you like family- sometimes stern but always kind. Our instructors have trained since they were young kids too, and grew up in the taekwondo family. They know exactly how to make each student feel special. Even better than that, current students can work hard and train to become a part of the instructor team someday so that they have an impact on others as well.

Friendships:

Perhaps the best part of Martial Arts training are the friendships made along the way. Students get to train with others who are around their age and likely attend the same school. Taekwondo training fosters lifelong friendships with people who share similar interests and values. Some of our closest family members are the friends we’ve made in taekwondo. Parents don’t get left out either! Parents make friends with each other and form strong bonds. They get to see each other at class and share the desire to give their kids the best life possible. People at Mueller’s Martial Arts will always take you in and support you with friendships that feel like family.

Family Class:

One of the best and most popular classes in our program is family class! This class is specifically designed to be all ranks and all ages so that entire families can train together! We have parents, siblings, and even family friends all come together to rise through the ranks of taekwondo as a family. This weekend, we even have a whole family testing for their Black Belts together. Remember, families that train together stay together and in our school, family is everything.

National Martial Arts Alliance:

Our school is incredibly proud to be a part of the National Martial Arts Alliance. The NMAA is an organization that spans across the entire world. They host tournaments and training where students from all different schools get together to train and compete. Everyone across the entire organization treats every student like family. Chief Master and Master Horn are amazing leaders that make you feel a part of something bigger, even if you feel small. No matter who you are or what role you have in the dojang, you are always a part of the NMAA family.

Whether you are a brand-new student or have been around for years, at Mueller’s Martial Arts you are always a part of our family. We will help guide, support you, and give everything we have to make you feel welcome. To learn more about our program, click here.

Can you believe it? Summer is basically over and our kiddos are headed back to school. While you might be slightly relieved to have them out of your hair during the day, there’s also a whole new set of responsibilities that come with going back to school. Grades, homework, activities, and friendships become a huge priority. Did you know that taekwondo at Mueller’s Martial Arts can help your child with all of these things?

Good grades:

Taekwondo can help kids get good grades. During lessons, we teach students to pay specific attention to details and to focus on their instructor. By learning how to pay attention they bring that to school and focus on what their teacher is saying. In turn they get better grades and perform better in all areas of school.

Completing homework:

No one likes homework. But it is an essential part to the learning process as it gives students the extra bit of learning to do on their own. Many kids struggle with the motivation to actually do their homework and parents feel frustrated. That’s where taekwondo steps in. They are taught discipline when they show up to class and practice their forms outside of class. They know that the only way to get better is to show up and do their best consistently, which translates to actually doing their homework and working hard on it.

Activities:

There are a million activities during the school year. Between other sports, after school activities, and everything during school, this time of year is busier than ever! That’s why taekwondo training has become so important. By coming to taekwondo regularly, students have a sense of consistency in their lives. They know that they have something they can look forward to with manageable goals. While they may feel overwhelmed with all the other activities, they can always count on Martial Arts as a safe and consistent place.

Friendships:

While kids probably have friends going into the school year, that can always change. Whether they are starting a new school, new grade, or even just a new year, we all know that friendships come and go. It’s important for them to make the right friends that will empower them and not get them into trouble. Taekwondo can help with that. By being surrounded with like minded people, they will naturally gravitate to others who share the same values. They will have the confidence to make new friends, and become leaders who encourage others to make the right decisions all year.

At Mueller’s Martial Arts we give students the life skills they need to have an amazing school year. It empowers them with confidence, perseverance, focus, attitude, goals, discipline, integrity, and respect. Some of the best students are Martial Artists because they have a foundation built during their lessons. Set your child up for the best year yet by empowering them with taekwondo training.

Taekwondo, as with life, is a long journey filled with many ups and downs. The day you walk into a dojang and sign up for Martial Arts classes, you set a goal to become a Black Belt. What you may not realize is what it actually takes to get there. Then you may decide you want to be a champion competitor or an amazing Martial Artist. It all comes with a process that you may not be prepared for. It’s about trusting the process with Mueller’s Martial Arts.

Trusting the timing:

The first thing people don’t realize about achieving any goal in taekwondo is how long it will take to get there. If you’re training everyday, training outside of class, and putting forth your best effort every single day, it will be a lot faster. But the reality is that we are all human and have a lot of work to do to become the best Martial Artists we can be. That is a long process that takes years to complete. You have to trust that no matter how much time it takes, it’s for a good reason and will make you even better. Trust the timing.

Trusting your instructors:

Sometimes you may have moments of doubt whether that is the right way to learn, or if your teachers are being too picky with you. You put in what you feel is your best effort and it still doesn’t seem good enough to your instructors. They do this for a reason. Nothing in life comes easy, becoming a great Martial Artist shouldn’t be either. You have to remember that they are all highly qualified and have been training on their own taekwondo journey for many years. They follow the rules and guidelines set forth by the Masters that came before them. Everything they teach you and expect of you is all part of the process. Trust your instructors.

Trusting yourself:

You will have moments of self-doubt. You will try and fail, try again and fail even harder. You may feel like you will never get it, you will never achieve your goals or become the person you want to be. You only ever fail when you give up. Even if you have a lot to learn, even if it seems impossible, you have to trust yourself. You are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to, you just have to put in the hard work to get there. You have to trust that you are capable of so much more than you think you are. You have to trust yourself.

At Mueller’s Martial Arts, we give you all the tools you need to not only become an amazing Martial Artist, but also to achieve any goal you have in mind. In order to achieve those goals though, you have to trust the process. Trust us, and we will get you where you want to go.

Mueller’s Martial Arts is hosting its first ever tournament! While many of our students compete in tournaments throughout the year, we are so excited to be hosting our very own tournament. On August 26th, students from all over the state as well as around the country will be coming to Lakewood to fight for the chance to win Philo’s Invitational!

Because this is our first ever tournament and a long time dream of Mr. Mueller’s, we hope to get as many students there as possible. There will be a food and desert truck, great competition, a parent of the day award, and a judge of the day award. It is bound to be a special event.

But that got us thinking, how do tournaments work exactly? First, students compete in any rings that they choose to go after. They are required to compete in forms and sparring, but have the option to try weapons forms, weapons sparring, sword sparring, team sparring, inventive forms, inventive weapons, elevated forms, and elevated weapons.

Once they compete, students have the opportunity to take first, second, or third place. If they earn any of those places they stand on the podium of champions and go home with a medal. All other competitors go home with a competitor medal. However, they earn more than medals when they compete.

Each competition is worth a certain amount of points. If they get in the top three, they take home more points. Those points are added throughout the year to determine if they qualify for State or World Championships. If they qualify, they get the chance to become State and World Champ. National tournaments have either double or triple points. After Worlds, a new tournament season starts and the points start over. Philo’s Invitational will be the first tournament in the new season.

Tournaments are a great learning opportunity. You wouldn’t practice baseball for an entire season and never play a game, right? So competing in a tournament brings together everything you learned throughout the year and gives you the chance to show it off. It also shows if you are in line with your competition or if you need to spend more time perfecting your craft.

Philo’s Invitational will be a fantastic time to start competing if you have never done so before. If you have been doing so for a long time, it’s a great chance to kick off the new season with Mueller’s Martial Arts. It will be held August 26th at Denver Christian School in Lakewood, CO. You can sign up here.

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Starting as a White Belt

Failing Forward

Nationals

It Doesn’t Get Easier, You Get Better

Mueller’s Martial Arts Family

Back to School in Taekwondo

Trusting the Process

Philo’s Invitational