Unlike so many other martial arts dojangs (gyms), Bradford TaeKwonDo Club, Inc. (BTCI), is a mutual benefit, non-profit club. A slate of officers manages the day-to-day business aspects of the club, while a Board of Directors provides oversight and direction, for both the business and martial art instruction aspects of running the dojang. It was not founded as a business venture by an entrepreneur
; but rather, it was established by accomplished martial arts practitioners who were interested in passing along the enjoyment, camaraderie, and fitness that comes with participating in learning the martial art, taekwondo. BTCI also places special emphasis on the basic tenets of taekwondo: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit. Subsequently, our members are held to a high standard of conduct and core values, at the gym, at home, and in the community. At BTCI, students do not face high costs to attend classes. What is found here are families and individuals from every walk of life, younger and older, who enjoy taekwondo for their own personal reasons… be it a healthy level of exercise, the challenge of learning a physical discipline, the thrill of competition, new found self-confidence, or just plain old fun and friendship. We provide an opportunity for members to participate in a group activity, yet learn at their own pace, without the pressures that can sometimes be found with competitive team sports. And while BTCI is very family friendly, providing a rare opportunity for families to learn a martial art and work out together, we also meet the needs of individual adult practitioners, as well. We believe that taekwondo is an excellent physical activity that offers individuals the opportunity for growth, in body, mind, and spirit. It is appropriate for students of all ages, and levels of fitness and ability, and is a wonderful practice that people can participate in, and continue throughout their active life. We currently have four Master Level Instructors who teach regularly while other senior ranking black belt students assist in teaching classes, and thereby, learn in the process. We generally hold at least six, or more, one-hour classes of taekwondo instruction per week. Our students range from approximately six, to more than sixty years of age. Classes are generally mixed family classes, combining students of all ages and abilities. We believe this is a major benefit, as it allows family members to workout and learn together, but still allows for students to progress at their own pace. We begin our classes together, as a group with line-up and bow-in, as is traditional with most martial arts. We have a warm up/stretch session of ~10-15 minutes. After the warm up, we move on to the major component scheduled for that specific class time. This varies from week to week, but may include basics, forms, sparring, self-defense, board-breaking, or a mix of topics. The class is then often broken up into smaller group sessions, according to rank, to allow for more individualized instruction. At the end of class, the group comes together again for the final line-up/bow-out. Adult and teenage students are also eligible to attend two other one-hour classes per week dedicated to aerobic and conditioning/strength training. We also hold at least two “black belt only” classes per month; these classes are dedicated to learning higher-ranking material, and also to provide time for instructor training, so that our teaching styles remain correct, and consistent with our association guidelines. And in addition to our regularly scheduled classes we also have other classes and events. We hold promotional tests on a quarterly basis (January, April, July, October). We also have a “Friends and Family” night at least once a quarter; this is a time when students may invite friends (and other family members) to participate in a “mini-class”, after which, pizza, socializing, and a movie are enjoyed by all. Our students have also participated in our “Open House” demos, during which we invite members of the community in to see what taekwondo is all about. Bradford TaeKwonDo Club members are also involved in many other taekwondo activities within our charter association, the Blue Wave Taekwondo Association, Inc., (BWA). Our members have participated in tournaments, both as competitors and assisting as judges; and have also organized and run fund raisers dedicated to providing funds for an association scholarship that provides assistance to needy taekwondo students. Our members have also helped organize, run, and participated in our association weekend camp seminars, which occur twice a year (Winter Camp and Summer Camp). And some of our members also hold elected offices, and have done extensive committee work to document and standardize curriculum, as well as taken on the task of videographer/historian for our dojang and our association (BWA). This is just an overview of what we do at Bradford TaeKwonDo Club. Blue Wave Taekwondo has been in Bradford, VT for more than twenty years under several different teachers/proprietors and now is continuing in a new era as a mutual benefit non-profit run by and for its members. We are currently accepting new member applications. We are located at 26 Bank Street, third floor of the Richardson Building in Bradford, VT. We may also be contacted for additional information via the following: phone- 802-222-5542, e-mail- [email protected].
