(November 23, 2011)The Montana Taekwondo Association ad the Missoula
Taekwondo Center is hosting a poomsae seminar on Saturday & Sunday,
December 10th & 11th to be led by World Silver Medalist Akiko Reyes. Ma'am
Akiko is the most successful singles Poomsae competitor ever from the USA
and is an inspiring and knowledgeable coach. Sessions will be held for all
levels: colored belts, black belts, competitors, and those who would like
to know more about the new WTF guidelines for poomsae.
The Montana Taekwondo Association is excited to offer this to its members
at a price that is not cost prohibitive. $35 for 1-2 sessions and $50 for
3-4 sessions. Non MTA members are welcome to join for an additional $25.
Click
HERE
for the registration form.
(November 17,
2011) The Montana Taekwondo Association will be hosting its first-ever MTA
Women's Council Retreat at Fairmont Hotsprings December 2rd and 4th. Te
retreat is open to all Montana female Taekwondoists age 15+ who are
involved or have a family member involved in the Montana Taekwondo
Association. The cost is $50 and includes lodging, food, fellowship and
fun (based on double occupancy). Please confirm your reservation by
November 21st
Register Online
here or
print out Registration
here.
For more information, please contact Amanda Rosbarsky at (406)829-1328 or
amanda@missoulatkd.com .
(November 15, 2011) The 2011 Big Sky Martial Arts Championships hosted by
Grandmaster John Paul Noyes, Master Debbie Noyes, and Big Sky Martial Arts
of Kalispell was held this past weekend and was another extremely
successful and well-run event. With nearly 300 athletes representing 17
schools it was also the largest Taekwondo tournament held in Montana for
many years.
Click here for results and go to the MTA Facebook page for photos
and video clips. We are in the process of compiling a highlight video and
will post it here on the MTA site as soon as it is available.
(October 22, 2011) The 2011 Missoula Taekwondo Championships was an
outstanding success, with 220 competitors (the most for this event ever).
Master and Mrs. Rosbarsky and their staff did an excellent job in
organizing the tournament, and with the help of the MTA's pool of referees
and volunteers from around the state, the event was executed flawlessly,
which has become the standard at MTA-affiliated events.
Click
here to view results for the tournament. As an added bonus, the
MTA has posted a number of video clips below.
(October 25, 2011) GM John Paul Noyes and Big Sky Martial Arts will be
hosting the 14th Big Sky Martial Arts Championships at Glacier High School
in Kalispell, MT. The event takes place on Saturday, November 12. Click
the links at the top of the page for the packet and the poster.
(October 19, 2011) GM John Paul Noyes and Big Sky Martial Arts will be
hosting an MTA Referee Training and Certification Clinic in Kalispell on
Saturday, November 5, 2011. The clinic will be led by GM Noyes an go from
10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. For questions or additional information, please
contact GM Noyes. Sign-up forms can be sent directly to GM Noyes in care
of Big Sky Martial Arts, 301 Main Street, Kalispell, MT 59901.
(Voting Members – Note that current membership must be verified at the
meeting in order to vote):
Athlete Rep: Autumn Gilleard
Coach Rep: Bonnie Dotz
Referee Rep: Bryce Cady
Big Sky Martial Arts: John Paul Noyes
Big Sky Taekwondo (Great Falls): Scott Miranti
Butte Dae Myung: Martin Martin
Championship Training: James Corbin
Drummond Taekwondo: Jessica Paske
Dynasty Taekwondo: Mathieu McCoy
Helena Dae Myung: Larry Flynn
Libby Dae Myung: Dan Rose
Libby Martial Arts: Scott Becker
Martial Arts Academy of Billings: Dave Allen
Missoula Taekwondo Center: Steve Rosbarsky
Montana Taekwondo Academy: Jake Parker
Phillipsburg Dae Myung: Robbie House
R. Quam TKD Academy: Randy Quam
Rocky Mountain Martial Arts: Jim Miller
Stevensvile Taekwondo Center: Viet Le
Taekwondo West/Livingston MA: Dan Williams
Committees
Referee Committee: John Paul Noyes
MTA Womens Council: Amanda Rosbarsky
AGENDA
1. Reading and approval of previous meeting minutes (Sturre).
2. Financial Report (Miranti).
3. Membership Report (Sturre).
4. Referee Report (J. Noyes).
*** Rules changes to be implemented on 1/1/2012?
*** Proposed allocation of up to $1,000.00 for those wishing to seek
high-level, national referee certification (USAT and AAU).
5. Proposed MTA Capital Expenditures (S. Rosbarsky and Miranti):
*** New computers and flat screen monitors.
*** Tournament software.
*** Other suggestions?
6. MTA Budget (Becker):
*** Discuss the need to create a model budget and financial caps for the
MTA and MTA expenditures.
*** Scholarships (financial assistance) for MTA members selected for USAT
or AAU team trials.
*** Proposed travel and lodging reimbursement for Executive Committee
members for MTA events.
*** Proposed travel and lodging reimbursement to facilitate news gathering
at MTA events for MTA web site.
7. MTA and MTA-affiliated Events:
*** Upcoming open events.
*** AAU District Qualifier.
*** USAT State Qualifier.
*** 2012 MTA Montana State Taekwondo Championships:
* Proposed location (Missoula).
* Co-host for the 2012 state championships.
*** Black Belt Exam.
*** Other…
8. MTA Junior Team (S. Rosbarsky and Becker):
*** Proposed annual budget/financial cap (Jacket and dobok, travel and
entry fee assistance, coach assistance).
*** Autumn events (report – S. Rosbarsky and J. Noyes).
*** Spring Event.
*** Fundraising – discuss fundraising ideas for the Jr. Team, for example:
setting aside revenues from MTA competition Clinics and Scrimmages to be
used for Jr. Team member and coach expenses.
9. MTA Womens Council (A. Rosbarsky):
*** Proposed authorization of funds ($1,000.00) for Womens Council
gathering/retreat.
10. MTA Summer Camps (Becker):
*** Proposed camp for Summer 2012.
*** Proposed camps at Camp Paxon to be held from summer 2013 onward.
*** Proposed authorization of funds to secure dates for summer camps
(security deposits for Camp Paxon).
11. MTA Bylaws (Becker)
*** Bylaws need to be updated based on past meeting minutes.
*** Create committee to create an updated version of the bylaws to be
submitted for approval at the next Board of Directors meeting.
12. MTA Collegiate Taekwondo Program
*** Discuss idea of MTA becoming actively involved in the development of
collegiate taekwondo programs in Montana.
*** Free MTA Club Membership for collegiate clubs?
(September 20, 2011) This year’s AAU National Team Trials where held in
Fort Lauderdale Florida. Montana was represented by two athletes this
year, Taylor Reed and Jackson Waldher.
Both athletes had good fights and both made it to the finals. Taylor Reed
lost in the finals 4-6, while Jackson Waldher ended up with a nasty ankle
injury, the medics and Trish (head med gal for the past 20 years) thought
he had broken it, after x-rays it turned out to not be broken, just big
and ugly. Jackson bowed out in the 2nd round of finals trailing 1-2.
The Deado Electronic Chest Guard worked perfectly all weekend. Great
stuff. AAU put on what I would call a perfect team trials. We had
check-ins and weigh-ins Friday from 5-7pm. Our athletes were in line for
10-15 minutes and were set, as the coach my check-in took 2 minutes.
Taylor Reed
Jackson Waldher
Saturday was the round-robin fight offs for the AAU Jr. National Team. At
the end of the day the two athletes with the best records went into the
finals. If the results were the same as prelims then there was just one
final for that division, if the other athlete one in finals then there was
another finals match, best two out of three for the top two athletes.
Sunday was the senior divisions, lots of terrific fights. The referees and
electronic hogu performed perfectly and the AAU officials were well
prepared and on point. AAU has done an amazing job with its referees,
officials, and tournament organizers. When can you say that the referees
and equipment performed perfectly that is really saying something. In fact
I have personally have never experienced such a well-run event nation
event. As a coach there was no question AAU hit this one out of the park.
The days started right on time, 9 am and end by 4pm. They ran 4 rings till
finals then shut it down to 2.
I am hoping in the near future we will have more Montana athletes and
representing at the AAU Team Trials. If we stayed focused and helped each
other out it is a real possibly to put some MT kids on the AAU National
Team.
Finally if any we have individuals and/or referees interested in officiate
at the AAU National level we can and should make the happen.
Front Row: John Hinchey, Tracer Gislason, Charlie Hinchey,
LJ Stringer, Michael Bedford, Dakota Arndt. Mid Row: Kegan Stringer,
Meredith Bedford, Cheyanne Arndt, Kyah Gislason, Meg Miller, Bella Waldher.
Back Row: Master Noyes (Coach), Cassidy Meade, Danielle Smith, Alan
Bowman, Josh Dohr, Taylor Reed, Jackson Waldher, Master Debbie Noyes
(Coach).
(September 16, 2011)
Sparring Results
1st Place = John Hinchey, Bella Waldher and Dakota Arndt.
2nd Place = Meredith Bedford.
3rd Place = Meg Miller, Tracer Gislason, Cheyanne Arndt, Taylor Reed (Team
Trials) and Jackson Waldher (Team Trials).
Jackson Waldher and Taylor Reed qualified to participate at AAU US
National Team trials in Fort Lauderdale. Best of luck to Jackson and
Taylor. More news to follow as their results come in.
This summer certainly ended up being busy. After a trip to Mexico to train
the U.S. Collegiate Team at the LaLoma High Altitude Training Facility, I
was off for a two week adventure coaching in Shenzhen, China at the Summer
World University Games. Between these exotic places, I also had the
pleasure of working with one of the best coaches in the world, Ireno
Fargas. Here is a quick recap of the trip to China.
We
landed in Hong Kong early in the morning. Huge banners for the University
Games were everywhere, draped all over the airport. Volunteers met us
immediately and escorted us through customs. The entire path of the bus
ride to the athlete village was full of banners for the event. Some were
hanging the whole length of 12 story buildings. When we checked into the
athlete village, it became more obvious just how big these Games were
going to be. The duffel bag they gave us was chock full of “swag” -- three
polo shirts, various t-shirts, shorts, warm ups, running shoes, sandals,
socks, books, miscellaneous souvenirs, and even a pair of noise cancelling
headphones worth about $300.) The athlete village had everything you could
ever want or even dream of, including nine 12-story dormitories, three
cafeterias, stages, theaters, and a full gym with Olympic size pool.
On that same afternoon, the organizers shuttled us to the opening
ceremonies on two hundred buses. To expedite our travel, all eight lanes
of a major freeway were shut down, and the buses traveled in perfect
synchronicity along the full width of the freeway. The opening ceremonies
were held in the Spring Cocoon, a complex built just for this event and
similar in design to the Bird’s Nest used in the Beijing Olympics.
Apparently the Chinese government spent 2 billion dollars on this event.
It was incredible.
I had the
honor of coaching six of the eighteen U.S. athletes competing in Taekwondo.
Two of my competitors reached the quarter finals, including the
amazingly-talented Sepfon Westbrook, the first ever male bantam weight win
for the U.S. in the history of Summer World University Games. I was so
pleased to coach against and befriend some of the best coaches and
competitors in the world. I hope to keep these memories forever, and try
to share with you all that I have learned from this experience.
I have so many people to thank for this incredible adventure. First, my
thanks to Tim Ghormely of Stanford University and the National Collegiate
Taekwondo Association for making this opportunity possible. Next, I extend
a special thank you to the Montana Taekwondo Association and its
incredibly supportive Board; but for the MTA’s funding and support, this
would not have been possible. With sincere humility, I say kamsahamnida -
thank you.
Also this summer, Montana was well-represented at major AAU and USAT
competitions. At AAU Nationals, Taylor Reed and Jackson Whalder won their
respective first matches, putting them in third and qualifying then for
AAU Junior Trials. Teams from Master Williams’ school, Grand Master
Miranti’s school, and the Missoula Taekwondo Center all competed at the
USAT’s Junior Olympics and Senior Nationals. Our Montana competitors
received too many medals to list in this message, however, a highlight was
GM Miranti’s competition in the Ultra Senior Division – he won gold!
Please make sure to congratulate him on this huge accomplishment.
Finally, as we look to the fall, the MTA has two tournaments on the
calendar so far. The Missoula Taekwondo Championships is set for October
22nd in Missoula. The 14th Annual Big Sky Martial Arts Taekwondo
Championships is scheduled for November 12th in Kalispell. Please show your
support for both of these events.
In 2012, the MTA will host two state wide seminars and, we hope, the
biggest State Championships to date. Please stay tuned to the MTA website
for more information (http://www.montanataekwondo.org).
Please feel free to contact me with and concerns or questions at steve@missoulatkd.com.
Attached are some pictures from the World Games.
(May 21, 2011) Steve Rosbarsky and I were having a follow-up chat after
yesterday’s MTA Board of Directors meeting when he gave me news that he
had just received on his Blackberry…that our fellow Taekwondoist, one-time
training partner, and friend, Kerry (Thomson) Henrickson had passed away
from cancer at her home in Arizona on January 26, 2011.
Adding to the sadness of the news is the fact that the word took so long
to get to us. Kerry has always been highly regarded and fondly remembered
by those of us still living in Montana. Drifting apart occurs over the
span of years, so I suppose it’s not all that unusual for bad news to make
its way back slowly, even in the world we currently live. I last chatted
with Kerry about a year ago and though she was just coming off a bout of
health problems, she seemed as happy and upbeat as always and I had every
reason to believe that she would bounce back better than ever. Sadly, that
turned out not to be the case.
Master Rosbarsky, Master
Vannatta, and Kerry at Schreiber Gym back in the "old days"
When I walked into Schreiber Gym almost 22 years ago on the University of
Montana campus to resume my Taekwondo training as a transfer student,
Kerry (along with Shane Vannatta, David Bayer, J.J. Richards, and little
“Stevie” Rosbarsky) was one of the first people to welcome me to the
Taekwondo club. We ended up becoming quite a little group, eventually
forging a common bond through Taekwondo that has resulted in some of my
fondest Taekwondo memories and longest standing friendships. Kerry was an
exceptional Taekwondo player and martial artist. She also contributed a
great deal to our Taekwondo community as a school owner, instructor,
referee, organizer, and tireless volunteer. She had a great sense of fun
and tons of energy. While over time she moved on and drifted away to a
life as a writer and college professor, she was never far from the
thoughts of those who knew and trained with her over the years and we
spoke of her often. Now that she has passed, we’ll all miss her warmth and
friendship.
The MTA’s and the Montana Taekwondo Community’s sincerest condolences go
out to Kerry’s family and husband. Our understanding is that a second
memorial is planned at Flathead Lake for this summer. For additional
information and Kerry’s obituary from the Arizona Daily Sun, please
click here.
This is a TRUE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS with Montana's best Taekwondo athletes
competing in sparring and forms. We will also be holding a junior team
fight-off for Montana's Junior Team (red and black belts age 14-17 only).
There's a lot going on this year, so please read the packet thoroughly.
Please also note that there will be a referee seminar held the day before
the tournament, as well as the MTA Board of Directors Meeting and Dinner
Friday evening. If you have any questions, please contact Master Rosbarsky
(tournament and meeting) or Grandmaster Noyes (referee seminar).
(April
5, 2011) The Paradise Valley Taekwondo Championships are coming Saturday,
May 30th in Livingston hosted by Master Dan Williams and Livingston
Martial Arts. You are all encouraged to attend this outstanding and
long-running MTA-affiliated event. Click the link above and below for the
registration form.
(From Master Williams) We are pleased to announce that Master Raymond Hsu,
PATU Poomsae Committee member, USAT Poomsae Coordinator, and 2008-2010
World Poomsae Championship referee, will be conducting a Poomsae seminar
for the WTF Standards. The seminar is on April 29th from 5:30 - 8:30 pm at
Park High School in Livingston, Montana.
After attending Nationals, Regional Qualifiers, and State Championships
over the last few years, I have found out the athletes that don't know the
Standards set by the WTF in 2007, don't have a chance of placing. I
believe it is a must for all Poomsae enthusiasts and especially for
instructors. This inexpensive seminar will be held in conjuntion with the
Paradise Valley Taekwondo Championships. For red and black belts 12 years
old and above there will be Poomsae divisions using the WTF cometition
rules. In these divisions the athletes must be able to perform several
forms and will be graded using the new WTF score cards. Master Hsu will be
in charge of this ring.
Some of the things that will be discused at Master Hsu's seminar:
* Proper stances and stance transition (show of exceptional
balance)
* Proper hand position both at preparatory and at end of
technique
* Height of kicks, strikes and blocks
* Proper times to Kihap and not to
* Flow of the form (dong-jaks and poomes)
* How the Score cards work
* -.1 deductions and -.5 deductions
* Technical and Artistic values
If you aren't up on these and other areas of the WTF standards, I urge you
to come and attend. If you have any questions on this seminar or the
tournament please call me at 406-222-9685 or e-mail me at (tkd@livmartialarts.com).
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dan Williams
Again, the MTA encourages everyone to take part in the seminar and the
next day's tournament.
This year, the MTA is recognizing excellence and working to develop new
leaders in Montana Taekwondo among its Junior Taekwondo Champions by
holding the MTA Montana Junior Team Fight-Offs at the 2011 MTA Montana
State Taekwondo Championships. The 14 to 17 year-old red and black belts
comprising the 2011-2012 MTA Montana Junior Team will then serve as the
“face” of the MTA and represent the State of Montana at both local and
state as well as national events for the 2011-2012 competition year.
Guidelines
The fight-offs are open to Mail and Female Red and Black Belts age 14 to
17 (note, red and black belts combined, i.e. red belts and black belts
will spar against each other for the single spot in their division). Up to
four male and four female athletes will be selected to represent Montana
during the 2011 to 2012 competition year. The competition will be held at
the 2011 MTA Montana State Taekwondo Championships to select the team.
This division is a SEPARATE EVENT on the tournament application. If you
intend to try out for the MTA Montana Junior Team, you must register for
the team fight-off in addition to the regular sparring event. The
fight-off DOES NOT replace the regular red and black belt divisions at the
MTA State Taekwondo Championships. It is IN ADDITION to the regular
sparring division. The MTA recognizes that not all Montana athletes are
interested in trying to make the team or accepting all of the
responsibilities that go with being a member of the team. Second place,
third place, and consolation awards WILL NOT be awarded for the
fight-offs, so again be sure to register for the regular sparring event.
The team will be open to red and black belts aged no less than 14 on the
day of the tournament who do not turn 18 before June 1, 2012 ONLY.
Absolutely no exceptions under any circumstances. Each pool of athletes
(male and female, red and black belt combined) will be split into the
following weight classes on the day of the event:
Division/Class
Weight
Division/Class
Male Featherweight
Lightest 25%
Female Featherweight
Male Lightweight
Next 25%
Female Lightweight
Male Middleweight
Next 25%
Female Middleweight
Male Heavyweight
Heaviest 25%
Female Heavyweight
Each division will have no fewer than three competitors. If there are
fewer than 12 athletes competing in either the male or female pools, the
feather weight division will be dropped for that pool (and so on,
depending on the number of athletes). Three-athlete divisions will fight
round-robin, otherwise divisions for the fight-off will be single
elimination with the best red or black belt in that division being
recognized as an official member of the MTA Montana Junior Taekwondo Team.
Team Member Benefits
Members of the 2011-2012 MTA Montana Junior Team will receive the
following benefits:
Team Members shall receive an official MTA Montana Junior Team dobok.
Team Members shall receive an official MTA Montana Junior Team jacket.
Team Members shall have their MTA membership fee waived, as well as
their fees for all MTA Competition Clinics and MTA Referee Seminars
for the 2011-2012 competition year.
Team Members shall have their tournament registration fees waived for
the following MTA and MTA-affiliated tournaments (at this time the
Missoula, Kalispell, Great Falls, and Livingston tournaments, and the
MTA State Championships).
Team Members shall have the opportunity to represent Montana at a
number of Regional and National events for which the MTA will share a
portion of expenses.
Team Member Responsibilities
Members of the 2011-2012 MTA Montana Junior Team must agree to accept the
following responsibilities as team members (team members who do not
fulfill their responsibilities will be replaced by an alternate):
Team Members will represent the MTA at MTA-affiliated events by greeting
Montana instructors, athletes, and parents and educating the general
public about the MTA and the work it does to promote Montana Taekwondo.
Team Members will work to develop leadership skills and experience by
assisting MTA leadership in running MTA tournaments, clinics, and
seminars.
Team Members will serve as assistant instructors at MTA competition
clinics.
Team Members will attend no fewer than 4 MTA-affiliated tournaments, 2
MTA competition clinics, and successfully complete an MTA Referee
Seminar.
Team Members will participate in fundraising efforts in support of
attending regional and national events.
Team Members MUST wear their MTA Montana Junior Team uniform at all
events.
The MTA's goal is to have as many of Montana's 14-17 year old red and
black belt athletes participate as possible. If you have questions
regarding the fight-offs, please contact MTA President Steve Rosbarsky or
President-Elect Scott Becker.
(March 14, 2011) The tournament packet are now available for the Electric
City Invitational Championships hosted by Grandmaster Scott Miranti and
Big Sky Taekwondo of Great Falls. This is an outstanding MTA-affiliated
event and the Montana Taekwondo Association strongly encourages your
participation. Click the links below for the packet and flier:
An MTA Referee Training and Certification Clinic will be held the day
before the event (Friday, April 8 from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at Big Sky
Taekwondo, 900 9th Street South in Great Falls).
(February 26, 2011) The MTA once again hosted Montana's USA Taekwondo
Qualifier in Bonner, MT (just outside of Missoula), followed by a clinic
and scrimmage featuring the LaJust electronic hogu.
This year's qualifier was the largest ever since USA Taekwondo resumed
state-level qualifiers for their National events. The following athletes
qualified at the event: Dane Alexander, Kohl Alexander, Abbey Ardiana
(Missoula Taekwondo Center), Dylan Ardiana(Missoula Taekwondo Center),
Keyara Bahnmiller (Big Sky Taekwondo), Mikaela Beausoleil (Park’s Martial
Arts Academy), Matthew Bumbarger, Ryan Cagle (Missoula Taekwondo Center),
Deandre Coles (Big Sky Taekwondo), Henry Coppolillo (Taekwondo West),
Kalebh English (Big Sky Taekwondo), Taiga Gamell (Missoula Taekwondo
Center), Hunter Goodman (Missoula Taekwondo Center), Austin Graef
(Missoula Taekwondo Center), Scott Graham (Missoula Taekwondo Center),
Thaine Haderman, Ridley Haderman, Erich Junghans (Taekwondo West), Chad
Ledbetter (Big Sky Taekwondo), Scott Miranti (Big Sky Taekwondo),
Elizabeth O’brien (Big Sky Taekwondo), Ian O’brien (Big Sky Taekwondo),
Jeffrey Quackenbush (Missoula Taekwondo Center), Lydia Rosbarsky (Missoula
Taekwondo Center), Amanda Rosbarsky (Missoula Taekwondo Center), Rachel
Schmidt (Championship Training), Robert Van Spyk, Garrett Vo (Taekwondo
West), Taylor Walters (Missoula Taekwondo Center), Claire Zellmer
(Missoula Taekwondo Center).
Special thanks to the host club (Missoula Taekwondo Center) and all the
coaches and athletes who made this year's qualifier such a great success!
(February, 2011) The Montana Taekwondo Association hosted a USA Taekwondo
Referee Seminar in Billings, MT in suport of the upcoming USAT Qualifier
to be held in Missoula/Bonner Saturday, February 26th. The Seminar was led
by Master Randy Waitman of Williston, ND and 15 participants successfully
earned their certifications as USAT-certified referees.
In addition to offering its own state-level referee certification program,
the MTA also hosts annual AAU and USA Taekwondo referee certification
seminars. This seminar is especially notable for being the first USTU or
USAT seminar ever offered in Eastern Montana.
Special Thanks go out to Master Waitman for coming to Billings to conduct
the seminar, Masters Dave and Eve Allen and the Martial Arts Academy of
Billings for hosting, MTA President Rosbarsky for getting it organized,
and all the participants for joining the MTA in this effort to enhance
the knowledge and experience of Montana's ever-growing pool of referees.
(February 9, 2011) The Missoula School Board recently voted to add
Taekwondo to the list of sports for which student athletes can earn a
Varsity letter. Click here to read the article in the Missoulian:
Missoulian Taekwondo article.
(February 3, 2011) In support of this year's USAT Qualifier, The MTA is
bringing in LaJust's latest electronic scoring system to provide Montana
Taekwondo athletes with this opportunity to experience training and
competition using the latest in 21st century Taekwond sparring technology.
National and international competition is embracing this new scoring
technology at an ever-increasing rate, so this is an excellent opportunity
for athletes and coaches to learn the ins ands outs of these new scoring
systems.
To register for the clinic, download the form below. Note that the clinic
is separate from the tournament being held in Bonner that morning. Mail
your registration form and $25 fee to the MTA at
2305 South Grant Street,
Missoula, MT 59801.
(February 3, 2011) The MTA will be hosting a USA Taekwondo Referee Seminar
in Billings at the Martial Arts Academy of Billings (528 Lake Elmo Dr.,
Billings, MT) Saturday, February 12. Master Randy Waitman of Williston, ND
will be leading the seminar, which is being held in support of this year's
Montana State Qualifier for USA Taekwondo Nationals. All Referees planning
to support the qualifier, and Taekwondo Black Belts interested in USA
Taekwondo certification, should attend this seminar.
Contact the seminar organizer, MTA President Master Steve Rosbarsky for
details.
(February 1, 2011) This year's qualifier for USA Taekwondo Nationals
(hosted by the MTA and Missoula Taekwondo Center) will be bringing the
latest electronic scoring equipment to Montana.
All Competitors...
Planning
to compete to qualify at the event need to purchase LaJust foot sensor
socks ($40.00 to $42.00). To purchase them, go to the LaJust site at
http://www.lajustsports.com/en/competition.html.
The MTA is very excited to bring the latest innovation in competitive
Olympic Taekwondo to Montana and looks forward to everyone's participation
at this year's event. Click the link below for a copy of the packet:
(January 23, 2011) The 2011 MTA Montana State Taekwondo Championships will
be held in Belgrade this year, Saturday, May 21st. This year's host club
is R. Quam Martial Arts Academy and Master Randy Quam. Posters (above) and
packets will be mailed out soon (at which time they will also be made
available online).
This is the MTA's 5th official state championships since the MTA
reorganized in 2006. Prior to 2006, the MTA hosted an annual USTU (i.e.
USA Taekwondo) state qualifier in conjunction with an invitational. Today,
the MTA hosts a TRUE state championships open to all Montana Taekwondo
athletes while also offering a USA Taekwond State Qualifier (for those
wishing to go to USAT Nationals or Junior Olympics) AND an AAU Taekwondo
District Championships (for those wishing to go to AAU Nationals).
(January
12, 2011) Master Chris Ivanoff and Lone Wolf Taekwondo of Powell, WY will
be hosting their annual Taekwondo championships on Saturday, March 12,
2011. This is an excellent event that gets better and bigger every year.
Click the following links for tournament materials, info, and forms:
(January 2, 2011) The MTA would like to start the
new year by congratulating everyone who successfully participated in the
MTA's annual Kukkiwon black belt exam hosted by GM John Paul Noyes and Big
Sky Martial Arts of Kalispell as 2010 came to a close.
Click here to view a video and images from the exam (thank you Karol
Becker). A list of all the black belts certified through the MTA in 2010
is provided below:
7th Dan
MTA Dan Number
Scott Miranti
MTA-7D-001
4th Dan
MTA Dan Number
Shane Vannatta
MTA-4D-001
Scott
Becker
MTA-4D-002
3rd Dan
MTA Dan Number
Josh Dohr
MTA-3D-001
Donna Hartley
MTA-3D-002
Jill
Meade
MTA-3D-003
2nd Dan
MTA Dan Number
Alex Bondurant
MTA-2D-001
James
Crotty
MTA-2D-002
Sean Miller
MTA-2D-003
2nd Poom
MTA Poom Number
Zoe Loudermilk
MTA-2P-001
Cassidy
Meade
MTA-2P-002
1st Dan
MTA Dan Number
Brandon Bailey
MTA-1D-001
Naomi
Dulmes
MTA-1D-002
Matthew McCoy
MTA-1D-003
Chris
Rodwick
MTA-1D-004
Danielle Smith
MTA-1D-005
Levi
Talisma
MTA-1D-006
Garret Vo
MTA-1D-007
Alex Dulmes
MTA-1D-008
1st Poom
MTA Poom Number
B.J. Bach
MTA-1P-001
Heather
Bodenhamer
MTA-1P-002
McKenzie Dulmes
MTA-1P-004
Zina
Loudermilk
MTA-1P-005
Brenden McCoy
MTA-1P-006
Stevi
Meade
MTA-1P-007
Greg Wilson
MTA-1P-008
Sarah
Wilson
MTA-1P-009
In
addition to Kukkiwon dan certification, the successful exam participants
were also awarded MTA black belt certificates in recognition of their
accomplishment. The new certificates are now being awarded along with the
Kukkiwon dan as part of the MTA's black belt certification program. Click
the thumbnail to see a large image of the certificate.
(December 2, 2010) The
Montana Taekwondo Association recently concluded elections for the biennium
starting January 1, 2011. Every two years, MTA members elect new
Athlete, Coach, and Referee representatives who serve on the MTA
Board of Directors, and the MTA Board of Directors elects a new
President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer to serve on the MTA
Executive Committee. The following lists the MTA's new officers and
representatives:
(November
8, 2010) Big Sky Martial Arts and Grandmaster and Master Noyes
hosted their 13th Taekwondo championships on Saturday in Kalispell.
The event was an outstanding success with over 250 athletes
competing in forms and sparring throughout the day. Following Master
Rosbarsky's tournament in October which also enjoyed increased
attendance over past years, this hopefully indicates an upswing in
tournament participation we can all enjoy at upcoming events.
In
addition to the day's competition, which ran very smoothly and
concluded at 6:45 in spite of the large number of competitors (kudos
and special thanks to all the volunteers); the Montana Taekwondo
Association made a special presentation to Grandmaster Scott Miranti,
awarding him his 7th dan black belt to begin the day.
This
year's event was attended by athletes and coaches from as far away
as Mexico this year, and thanks to the many black belts in
attendance, featured many outstanding performances and matches. Team
Awards were presented to Montana Taekwondo Academy (1st place),
Missoula Taekwondo Center (2nd Place), and Big Sky Taekwondo of
Great Falls (3rd place). Complete results are being formatted and
will be posted on this site soon.
MTA Referee Clinic Slide Show Now Available Online
(October 18, 2010) The
current PowerPoint slide show used to present the MTA's Referee
Training and Certification Seminar is now online. Referees,
athletes, instructors, and parents are encouraged to check it out so
they can be up to date on the excellent program and the MTA's rules
for competition. Click the link in the sidebar to view this file
(note that it's a large file and may take some time to load on your
system).
2010 Missoula Taekwondo Championships an Outstanding Success
(October
18, 2010) The Missoula Taekwondo Center, Master Steve Rosbarsky, and
his wife Amanda hosted the 2010 Missoula Taekwondo Championships in
Missoula Saturday at the RAM Activity Center where more than 150
Taekwondo Athletes competed for trophies in sparring and forms.
This
year's event attracted participants from clubs from all over Montana
and marks another year of growth for the event.
The
successful event was preceded by a competition clinic and MTA
referee certification clinic on Friday, and then followed by the
MTA's 2010 Board of Directors meeting.
Pictures from the even can
be viewed at the MTA's Facebook site or by clicking
here. Results and additional photos will be posted when they
become available.
(October 13, 2010) The MTA
strongly encourages everyone to attend these events:
Missoula Taekwondo
Championships (October 16)
The Missoula Taekwondo
Center and Master Steve Rosbarsky are hosting their annual
tournament This Saturday in Missoula at the RAM Activity Center. The
event will be preceded (on Friday) by an MTA Referee Certification
Clinic and two competition clinics, and followed (Saturday evening)
by the 2010 MTA Board of Directors Meeting (all members and the
public are welcome). Click
here to go to the host's web site.
Big Sky Martial Arts
Championships (November 6)
Big Sky Martial Arts and
Master John Paul Noyes are hosting the 13th Big Sky Martial Arts
Championships at Glacier High School in Kalispell (note the new
venue). Note that the event will be preceded (Friday) by their
annual Black Belt Exam. For the tournament packet, click
here. Click
here for a poster advertising the event.
Montana Taekwondo Association Announces Board of Directors Meeting
for October 16
(September 13, 2010) The
Montana Taekwondo Association will be holding a Board of Directors
meeting in conjunction with the Missoula Taekwondo Center's
tournament being held in Missoula October 16, 2010:
Hello Montana Taekwondo
Community,
You are all invited to
attend the MTA Board of Directors meeting in Missoula on Saturday
October 16, 2010 at 6:30 pm. The decisions made at these meetings
affects hundreds of Montana area Martial Artists, so it is important
to bring great new ideas and positive attitudes. Let's make a
difference in the progression of Taekwondo. With the election of new
officers scheduled by years end, we need to make sure that our ideas
be represented. This new executive committee will have many
challenges and events ahead including the Olympic Games in London in
2012. What's the chance of getting one of our athletes up to that
level by then? It will take our combined help in training and
knowledge along with funding to key tournaments and seminars. But
besides the "elite athletes" we can't forget about the "main stream"
martial artists either.
All BOD spokesmen must
be a current member of the MTA and represent a current MTA
registered school. If you have not renewed for 2010 - 2011 yet,
please do so in advance of the meeting date. See attachment for
agenda. I hope that you can all be there.
Sincerely,
Dan Williams
MTA, President
If you know of other
Taekwondo schools that may be interested in attending this meeting
please forward this message. To download the official call to order,
click
here.
(June
21, 2010) During the 2010 MTA Montana State Taekwondo Championships
held in Butte on June 12, the Montana Taekwondo Association
presented long-time Montana Taekwondo athlete, coach, referee, and
master instructor Scott Miranti with an MTA Certificate of Rank for
7th dan (7th degree black belt) in Taekwondo.
With a highly successful
Taekwondo career spanning nearly 40 years that includes multiple US,
Pan-American, and World Championships, Master Miranti has long been
a leader in the Montana Taekwondo community and currently serves as
the MTA's Executive Director. In making this inaugural MTA Dan
presentation, the MTA's Black Belt Certification Committee (and the
MTA's overall community of instructors) was unanimous in its desire
to recognize Master Miranti's contributions and continuing
leadership by presenting him with the dan. Additional endorsements
for the promotion included former US Olympic Team Captain, USTU
Executive Director, and Montanan Grandmaster Jay Warwick, who
stated, "I absolutely endorse the promotion."
Congratulations
Grandmaster Miranti!
The Montana Taekwondo
Association provides access to black belt certification -- including
Kukkiwon dan certification -- to its members by holding an annual
black belt exam for qualified candidates who are also members of the
Montana Taekwondo community. Recent promotions include Kukkiwon 4th
dan promotions presented to Masters Debbie Noyes, Scott Becker, and
Shane Vannatta. Congratulation to everyone who has successfully
participated in the MTA's black belt certification programs over the
past year.
(June 21, 2010) During the
2010 MTA Montana State Taekwondo Championships held June 12th in
Butte, the MTA inducted two new members into the MTA Hall of Fame,
Grandmaster Jay Warwick and Dr. Marvin Hash.
Dr. Hash (who passed away
in 1979) was President of the Northwest Taekwondo Association for
many years and was instrumental in helping establish Taekwondo in
Montana by working to bring highly qualified instructors to the US
(and Montana) from Korea.
Montanan
and Grandmaster Jay Warwick began his martial arts training at age
seven and has continued ever since. Grandmaster Warwick's Taekwondo
accomplishments include:
Silver medalist in the
1985 World Games.
Two-time gold medalist in
the Pan American Games.
Three-time bronze medalist
in World Championships.
Bronze medal in the 1988
Olympics.
1983 USTU Athlete of the
Year.
US National Team Captain
from 1982 to 1988.
Eight-time National
Champion and US National Team Member between 1977 and 1988.
US National Team Coach for
the Pan American Games, World Cup and World Championships from 1989
to 1997.
USTU Coach of the Year in
1993.
USOC Taekwondo Coach of
the Year in 1996.
Grandmaster Warwick earned
a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana State University and a
Master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado, and after a
number of years as a business owner, was appointed Executive
Director of the United States Taekwondo Union, where he managed and
directed staff to accomplish goals and objectives as set forth by
the USTU Board of Governors from 1998 to 2002.
In 2003 Grandmaster
Warwick left the USTU to serve as Director of Sports Partnerships
for the United States Olympic Committee, where he oversees USOC
relationships with eleven national governing bodies in all aspects
of business including sport development, marketing and broadcasting,
events, governance, and international relations.
Unfortunately, Grandmaster
Warwick could not be in Butte in person, but in acknowledging his
induction into the MTA Hall of Fame, he was kind enough to provide
the following letter:
Dear Montana Taekwondo
family,
I will begin by
expressing my heartfelt gratitude and respect for the Grandmasters
that I have so many great memories of, most notably GM Jae Ho Park,
GM Karlo Fujiwara, GM Suk Byung Park and of course GM Shigeki
Umemoto. Who would have thought that a skinny kid from Great Falls
would have had the good fortune to live the wonderful Taekwondo
career that I have been fortunate to enjoy. It goes without saying
that without the leadership, guidance and inspiration of the
aforementioned gentlemen that none of that would have been possible.
I remember GM Jae Ho
Park always starting his remarks at the annual NW TKD Championships
by saying “best Taekwondo tournament in the world is right here in
Billings, Montana”. Well, I can tell you that after almost 40 years,
and after traveling literally hundreds of thousands of miles to
attend national and international events around the globe….he was
right!!
It is an honor to be a
co-honoree with the great Dr. Hash. He patched me up many times and
always sent me back into the ring saying, don’t worry, you’re fine,
just do your best!!
I would also like to
take an opportunity to express thanks to my contemporaries of “the
day”. Great competitors like Dan Baluka, Dennis Dallas, Sam Damon,
John Friedrick, Kim Hasenkrug, Doug Quam, J.C. Penwell etc. that I
enjoyed many a battle with. Of course my Bozeman teammates including
Scott Miranti, Steve Capener, Morris Zahn, the Thornburgs, Milana
Marsenich, Heather Tallman and many others that got up to do the
5:00 A.M. training thing with me for so many years.
In closing, I thank you
again for this great, great honor, I am very humbled. It is very
special to be considered a Montana Taekwondo man, and I will
continue to work diligently to earn the honor.
Yours respectfully in
the Taekwondo Spirit,
Jay Warwick
Congratulations to this
years inductees who join Grandmasters Jae Ho Park, Karlo Fujiwara,
Suk Byung Park, and Shigeki Umemoto in the MTA Hall of Fame!
(November 17,
2011) The Montana Taekwondo Association will be hosting its first-ever MTA
Women's Council Retreat at Fairmont Hotsprings December 2rd and 4th. Te
retreat is open to all Montana female Taekwondoists age 15+ who are
involved or have a family member involved in the Montana Taekwondo
Association. The cost is $50 and includes lodging, food, fellowship and
fun (based on double occupancy). Please confirm your reservation by
November 21st
We
landed in Hong Kong early in the morning. Huge banners for the University
Games were everywhere, draped all over the airport. Volunteers met us
immediately and escorted us through customs. The entire path of the bus
ride to the athlete village was full of banners for the event. Some were
hanging the whole length of 12 story buildings. When we checked into the
athlete village, it became more obvious just how big these Games were
going to be. The duffel bag they gave us was chock full of “swag” -- three
polo shirts, various t-shirts, shorts, warm ups, running shoes, sandals,
socks, books, miscellaneous souvenirs, and even a pair of noise cancelling
headphones worth about $300.) The athlete village had everything you could
ever want or even dream of, including nine 12-story dormitories, three
cafeterias, stages, theaters, and a full gym with Olympic size pool.
I had the
honor of coaching six of the eighteen U.S. athletes competing in Taekwondo.
Two of my competitors reached the quarter finals, including the
amazingly-talented Sepfon Westbrook, the first ever male bantam weight win
for the U.S. in the history of Summer World University Games. I was so
pleased to coach against and befriend some of the best coaches and
competitors in the world. I hope to keep these memories forever, and try
to share with you all that I have learned from this experience.
Montana
Taekwondoist Kerry (Thomson) Henrickson Passes Away
(April
7, 2011) Mark your calendars for the 2011 MTA Montana State Taekwondo
Championships Saturday May 21. Click the link below for the packet:
(November
8, 2010) Big Sky Martial Arts and Grandmaster and Master Noyes
hosted their 13th Taekwondo championships on Saturday in Kalispell.
The event was an outstanding success with over 250 athletes
competing in forms and sparring throughout the day. Following Master
Rosbarsky's tournament in October which also enjoyed increased
attendance over past years, this hopefully indicates an upswing in
tournament participation we can all enjoy at upcoming events.
In
addition to the day's competition, which ran very smoothly and
concluded at 6:45 in spite of the large number of competitors (kudos
and special thanks to all the volunteers); the Montana Taekwondo
Association made a special presentation to Grandmaster Scott Miranti,
awarding him his 7th dan black belt to begin the day.
This
year's event was attended by athletes and coaches from as far away
as Mexico this year, and thanks to the many black belts in
attendance, featured many outstanding performances and matches. Team
Awards were presented to Montana Taekwondo Academy (1st place),
Missoula Taekwondo Center (2nd Place), and Big Sky Taekwondo of
Great Falls (3rd place). Complete results are being formatted and
will be posted on this site soon. 
(October
18, 2010) The Missoula Taekwondo Center, Master Steve Rosbarsky, and
his wife Amanda hosted the 2010 Missoula Taekwondo Championships in
Missoula Saturday at the RAM Activity Center where more than 150
Taekwondo Athletes competed for trophies in sparring and forms. 
(June
21, 2010) During the 2010 MTA Montana State Taekwondo Championships
held in Butte on June 12, the Montana Taekwondo Association
presented long-time Montana Taekwondo athlete, coach, referee, and
master instructor Scott Miranti with an MTA Certificate of Rank for
7th dan (7th degree black belt) in Taekwondo.
Montanan
and Grandmaster Jay Warwick began his martial arts training at age
seven and has continued ever since. Grandmaster Warwick's Taekwondo
accomplishments include: