Here is an overview of the material that we cover in our martial arts classes both for children and for adults. All students train in one of the Basic Programs (see details below) and some students may also add one of more Specialized Programs  (Demo Team, Sponsored Team, Instructor Training, Weapons Training) Regardless, your lessons will include three critical components.

The first component is the Traditional Taekwondo Component. Here we practice the forms, one step sparring and techniques that are practiced all over the world and have been practiced and passed down through the generations. The emphasis here is on power, accuracy, and technical proficiency.

The second component is the Sport Taekwondo Component. Here we compete in the Olympic sport of Taekwondo. We follow the competition rules that limit available techniques. Because competition is done in a public venue, techniques evolve rapidly as people see what works and what doesn’t. The emphasis is on speed and utility. We have a sparring competition team for serious students.

The third component is the Practical Self Defense component. Here we practice our grappling and other associated techniques – basically everything not covered by the first two that we think you might need to keep yourself safe.

Overall, the structure of the training is very beneficial to students with ADHD, ADD, or even Autism Spectrum Disorders. The training also provides numerous health benefits.

Click on the following class pages to find out more or keep reading to learn about our advanced training.

Tiger Cubs (2-3 with parent)

Little Tigers (3 to 5 and a half)

Kids Class (5 and a half to 13)

Teen and Adults (14 and over)

Silver Tigers (40+)

We try whenever possible to engage in creative and innovative training. We often train in local parks, and every summer, engage in mountain training and survival training. We realize that it’s no good to train in martial arts for years, and then get lost in the forest.

Performance at Invesco Field

Demo Camp for Skills Building

KAT Mountain and Survival Training

Every summer, KAT students and friends climb to the top of a local 14er, with some training along the way. A trip to Beaujos in Idaho Springs for some Colorado Style Pizza is usually the perfect end to a long day of hiking.

This training at 14,000 feet is great for cardio, confidence, and teaching students to break through obstacles.

Here at KAT we view our job of teaching ‘self defense classes’ very seriously. This includes teaching students to protect themselves if they were ever lost in the wilderness.

KAT survival training is an optional weekend camping trip in the mountains where students earn points for constructing shelters, finding objects hidden in the forest, starting fires, learning to track animals, or silently sneaking up on others.

Black belts have a special camping trip each summer.

Mountain Training Highlights

Survival Training Highlights

KAT students can earn the survival training patch for successfully completing the course.

Weapons

Weapons are a great supplement to any martial arts training and will go a long way towards making us more complete martial artists. With proper respect for the weapons and the people using them, weapons classes will also be a safe way to have fun. Safety is always our number one priority.

We will eventually be teaching many different weapons, but we are currently focusing on three main ones: nunchucks, bo staff, and Japanese sword.

We have a limited number of school weapons, but each student should purchase their own weapon that will fit them.

Students are also allowed to make creative weapons forms and use them in competitions.

 Traditional

One of the main foci of our school is on the Traditional Taekwondo techniques,those techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation. These techniques include forms, board breaking, and hand and foot techniques. Students must show proficiency in the traditional parts of our art in order to advance in rank. We primarily use WTF techniques but have some ITF techniques as well.

We are also traditional in that we stress self discipline and self improvement. Students are required to submit their report cards before moving up in rank, and those who need extra help will be identified early and given free corrective tutoring by parents, instructors, and older students.

Our focus on traditional techniques embodies the school philosophy of A Mind in the Future and a Heart in the Past.

Sport Taekwondo

KAT offers Sport Taekwondo training for all interested students. KAT has long been at the forefront of Olympic Sport Taekwondo and has many state, national, and international champions. Sport Taekwondo training is valuable because it teaches many skills that are necessary in self defense. These skills include physical fitness, timing, a sense of distance, the ability to analyze an opponent and the abilty to be struck without losing control of the situation. Serious athletes will want to join the KAT Competition Team, where they will be challenged to reach their full potential.

We will also mix Olympic Style Sparring with grappling, with multiple opponents, with obsticles, with teams, or with other objectives, such as protecting a person or object. This will help us use sparring to its full potential of making us better martial artists. Beginners and Little Tigers do not do contact sparring, however we will begin to make them ready so that when they are old or advanced enough, they will know what to do.

Practical Self Defense/Grappling

The grappling classes for practical self defense is one of the things that sets our school apart from others. These classes teache students what to do in real self defense situations and allows our students to subdue opponents without injuring them or having the potential to exchange bloodborne pathogens.

There are two main types of martial arts; striking arts (Taekwondo, Karate, Boxing, Capoeira) andgrappling arts (Wrestling, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, Judo, Hap Ki Do). The KAT grappling program is a mix of techniques from these various grappling arts.

Learning grappling is extremely important in self defense situations. Many real fights will end up going into a clinch and to the ground. “Ultimate” fighting tournaments pitting all styles together are almost always won by people with strong grappling skills.

We are training grappling to supplement our Taekwondo training, but Taekwondo will always be the heart of our program. Our goal is only to learn enough to be able to submit an opponent who is a superior striker or to avoid being submitted by an opponent who is a superior grappler.

Attire
Grappling competitions are broken down based on whether the competitors wear a uniform or not. As our main focus is self defense, we mainly focus on techniques that work whether or not the opponent is wearing a uniform. You may wear your regular uniform, a t-shirt and dobok pants or t-shirt and shorts. Males are advised to wear a groin cup. Knee pads may be helpful for takedowns but are not required.

The grappling program is taught in all locations. We also have a special ‘floating’ floor in our littleton, CO martial arts School.